JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title:
South East England Senior Regional Officer
Responsible To:
Head of Regions
Location:
Either based at our South East England Regional Office or home-based
in the South East region
Salary:
From £27,168 - £31,540 (Band D) plus 5% pension contribution
Duration:
Fixed term contract ending on 30 September 2016
Background
Our mission is to halt and then reverse the decline of butterflies and moths, which are a vital part of
our wildlife heritage and are valuable indicators of the health of the environment. South East
England is a key region in the UK for Lepidoptera, supporting significant populations of many rare
and threatened species. Since 2002 Butterfly Conservation has employed a Senior Regional
Officer to coordinate and undertake action to conserve these threatened butterflies and moths as
agreed in Butterfly Conservation’s South East England, South Central and Thames Regional
Action Plans. Much of the delivery has been achieved in partnership with government and nongovernment organisations, as well as the Hampshire & Isle of Wight, Sussex, Kent, Surrey & SW
London and Upper Thames Branches of Butterfly Conservation.
Increasingly our work has shifted from a focus on single sites to networks of sites across a
landscape. In South East England, our key landscape target areas include the Blean Woods,
Chilterns, New Forest, North Downs, Rother Woods, South Downs, Thames Basin Heaths,
Tytherley Woods and the West Weald. We also use targeted work to achieve conservation gains
for species on specific sites where landscape scale approaches are not appropriate, and seek to
maintain and improve habitats for more widespread species in the wider countryside. This
challenging role is an exciting opportunity to develop and lead innovative conservation action
across some of the region’s most precious landscapes.
Job Purpose
 To develop, deliver and manage landscape-scale projects and staff in our landscape target
areas to conserve our most threatened butterflies and moths in the South East England region.
 To work closely with landowners, site managers, our Branches, our partners and volunteers to
achieve this objective.
 To provide site-specific management and grant scheme advice to landowners and site
managers.
 To organise survey and monitoring to assess habitat and species responses to landscapescale projects.
 To represent BC at relevant partnership meetings within the region.
 To implement BC’s national strategies and policies and raise awareness of its activities in the
South East England region through events and publicity.
 To build capacity amongst BC’s Branches and volunteers in the region, so that they are able to
play a greater part in the conservation of butterflies and moths.
 To recruit additional volunteers to existing volunteer networks as opportunities arise.
 To provide relevant training (e.g. ID, survey, monitoring and land management) to volunteers,
landowners, site managers, conservation partners, and farming/forestry advisers.
 To work with BC’s regional team across England and with our national conservation team to
develop evidence-based best practice guidance for conserving threatened Lepidoptera at a
landscape scale.
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To work with the Head Office media team to promote Butterfly Conservation in the region and
support relevant national campaigns.
Technical/Specialist Skills
1. Develop landscape-scale projects, within the landscape target areas in the South East England
region in conjunction with the Head of Regions, Director of Conservation and Regions, the
science and fundraising teams and BC’s Branches.
2. Implement landscape-scale action to conserve threatened butterflies and moths in the South
East England region by coordinating targeted conservation management, providing expert
conservation advice to landowners and site managers, and by coordinating survey and
monitoring.
3. Ensure landscape-scale conservation delivery, habitat and species responses are recorded
appropriately (e.g. spreadsheets, GIS) and contribute to national datasets and conservation
initiatives.
4. Promote butterfly and moth landscape-scale conservation projects as exemplars of best
practice through workshops, conferences, events, reports and other publications.
Budget Responsibilities
1. Manage the regional budget and relevant landscape-scale budgets.
2. Report to funders on project progress.
Line Management/Contractor Responsibility
1. Manage project staff delivering landscape-scale projects.
2. Oversee contractors undertaking survey, monitoring and land management works.
Dealing with Volunteers/Managing External Partners and others
1. Maintain regular contact and effective liaison with Butterfly Conservation’s Branches in the
region, local volunteer groups and the staff of relevant governmental and non-governmental
organisations.
2. Represent BC on relevant partnership groups within the region.
3. Raise awareness of butterfly and moth conservation among landowners, site managers,
volunteers and the general public.
4. Recruit additional volunteers to existing volunteer networks as opportunities arise.
5. Provide training in identification, survey, monitoring and land management to landowners, site
managers, conservation partners, farming/forestry advisers and volunteers through workshops.
Decision Making and Society Policy
1. Maintain good liaison with other Butterfly Conservation staff, especially those involved in
species conservation, butterfly and moth recording, volunteer development and the Head
Office finance, administration and marketing teams.
Other
1. BC has the right to vary tasks, duties and responsibilities at any time according to business
needs.
PERSON PROFILE
JOB TITLE: South East England Senior Regional Officer
Technical/Specialist Skills
A degree in a biological, environmental, forestry, or rural land use
science, or equivalent experience
Competent field naturalist with a strong commitment to nature
conservation and a sound understanding of ecological processes
A good understanding of the ecology of butterflies and moths
Knowledge of habitat management requirements of Lepidoptera and
principles of landscape-scale conservation
Sound understanding of land management systems and the
programmes of agri-environment and woodland grants
Knowledge or experience of monitoring techniques
Experience of delivering and managing landscape-scale conservation
projects
Able to develop landscape-scale conservation projects
At least two years’ relevant experience
Training experience to lead workshops
The ability to use IT applications, including word processing,
spreadsheets, databases and GIS
Full driving licence (or means to travel around the area) and valid car
insurance for business use.
Data management experience (data recording, comparison, analysis
and presentation of findings)
A familiarity with legislation, especially that relating to planning, wildlife
and the countryside
Essential
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Budget Responsibilities
Experience of managing project budgets
Experience of reporting to funders
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Line Management/Contractor Responsibility
Experience of overseeing contractors
Experience of managing project staff
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Dealing with Volunteers/Managing External Partners and others
Experience of working with volunteers, officers of partner organisations
and the general public
Ability to communicate with a wide range of individuals ranging from
landowners, site managers, officers of partner organisations to
volunteers
Good written, spoken communication and presentation skills
Experience of chairing meetings
Decision Making and Society Policy
Empathy with aims and objectives of Butterfly Conservation
Personal Attributes
Well organised and self-motivated; able to plan and undertake work on
your own (or with limited direct supervision)
Analytical and methodical, with a high degree of accuracy
Able to prioritise a diverse workload, meet tight deadlines and use own
Desirable
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initiative
Flexible: able to rapidly assimilate information and adapt to a changing
environment
Able to work effectively as a member of a team
Pragmatic, innovative, enthusiastic and able to motivate others
Able to manage potential conflicts by dealing with people in a calm and
professional manner
Willing to work some weekends and evenings and away from home on
occasions
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MAIN CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
Job Title:
South East England Senior Regional Officer
Employment start date:
January 2015
Place of work:
Either based at our South East England Regional Office
or home-based in the South East region
Salary:
£27,168 - £31,540 (Band D) for a suitably qualified and experienced
person.
Pension:
Butterfly Conservation will pay a sum equivalent to 5% of your salary
into their Stakeholder Pension Scheme with Aviva.
Probationary Period:
This post is subject to a six-month probationary period.
Duration:
Fixed term contract, ending 30 September 2016
Hours:
Full-time (37 hours per week), but working will be flexible and may
include some evening and weekend work. Time-off-in-lieu will be
allowed for all overtime worked.
Annual Leave:
The annual leave entitlement for the first full year of full-time
employment is 23 days per annum plus statutory public holidays.
Closing date:
The closing date for receipt of completed applications for this position
is noon on Friday 28 November 2014.
Interview Date:
Interviews will be held on Monday 15 December 2014 at Butterfly
Conservation’s Head Office, Manor Yard, East Lulworth, Wareham,
Dorset, BH20 5QP