Advocacy Officer - Nurturing Natural Connections

Full time (35 hours)

Fixed term until 29th March 2030

Closing date: 5pm, Friday 22nd August 2025

Interview Date: Wednesday 12th September 2025

About us

For 60 years, the Scottish Wildlife Trust has worked with its members, partners and supporters in pursuit of its vision of healthy, resilient ecosystems across Scotland’s land and seas. The Trust successfully champions the cause of wildlife through policy and campaigning work, demonstrates best practice through practical conservation and innovative partnerships, and inspires people to take positive action through its education and engagement activities. It also manages a network of over 100 wildlife reserves across Scotland and is a member of the UK-wide Wildlife Trusts movement.

Nurturing Natural Connections is a partnership project led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, with North Lanarkshire Council, The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) and Sanctuary Scotland, made possible by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery players.

The Role

We are looking for a passionate and driven person to champion species and habitats with particular focus on new building developments/demolitions occurring in Cumbernauld, specifically the Town Centre, Community Growth Areas and our partners Sanctuary Scotland. Building on the success of previous projects, this project continues to realise the Cumbernauld Living Landscape long-term vision to improve Cumbernauld’s green spaces for both people and wildlife, helping everyone in the community connect with the nature on their doorstep.

The candidate:

The successful candidate will be educated to at least degree level in one of the following: conservation, ecology or related discipline - or equivalent with a minimum of three years previous experience in working in a nature policy environment, ideally in Scotland.

Main Objectives

The main objectives of the role are:

• Delivery of NNC Advocacy Strategy, created during the Development Phase, championing green infra-structure and nature-positivity, with regards to reactive works for the Community Growth Areas (CGA) and proactive for the Town Centre development

• Building on the existing work of the Trust, create relationships with the Local Planning Authority Planners; developers and businesses.

• Develop detailed positions to enable the NNC partnership to contribute to and influence the implementation of Green Infrastructure to urban design and construct.

• Gather evidence and develop a detailed proposal to improve biodiversity, including provision for bats, swift and sparrows, in developments, as well as retaining and enhancing well connected greenspaces, and prioritising native planting regimes to support wildlife across Cumbernauld.

• Utilise current evidence from Wild Ways Well evaluations to demonstrate the positive links between increased biodiversity and improved health and wellbeing, helping to reinforce the need for good quality Green Infrastructure from a social perspective.

• Represent the Trust and Cumbernauld Living Landscape.

• Help keep the NNC team and partners up to date with significant developments in land management policy or legislation which significantly impact on species and habitats.

• Facilitate the sharing of research and learning between key stakeholders internally/externally and help identify opportunities for aligning policy and conservation work.

Wider project work

• Support the team’s wider communications plan.

• Support project team with events and other project-wide opportunities.

• Contribute to project reporting, including Monitoring & Evaluation findings across the life of the project.

• Knowledge sharing with the wider Trust, including recommendations to find centralised funding to potentially expand and continue the role.

The successful candidate will ideally have:

• Knowledge of legislative and policy making process in Scotland and Scottish Government priorities.

• Knowledge of environmental governance structures in Scotland and UK.

• Experience of working with senior civil servants, parliamentarians, landowners and managers, NGOs and other key stakeholders regarding species management.

• Excellent written and communication skills.

• Experience of writing briefings, consultation responses and written evidence.

Please refer to the Job description at the bottom of the page for more information.

How to apply:

Please click on the green apply now button, which will take you to our application pages, from here you can upload a CV and provide a supporting statement.

What we offer:

• Salary sacrifice schemes including Cycle to Work & Pension schemes.

• We have always been hugely flexible in our approach to how you wish to work and continue to offer a flexible approach.

• One Wellness Hour per week

• Enhanced Pension rate upon completion of probation

• Sick Pay Allowance

• Enhanced Maternity/ Paternity Leave

• Training and Development

If you would like more information, please email [email protected]

The Scottish Wildlife Trust is a proud equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all candidates irrespective of their background. We are committed to helping to make the world of nature conservation as inclusive as possible, as we believe there should be no barriers to being involved, and that champions and role models from every part of society will be vital in helping to reverse the loss of biodiversity.

For more than 60 years, the Scottish Wildlife Trust has worked with its members, partners and supporters in pursuit of its vision of healthy, resilient ecosystems across Scotland’s land and seas.

The Trust successfully champions the cause of wildlife through policy and campaigning work, demonstrates best practice through practical conservation and innovative partnerships, and inspires people to take positive action through its education and engagement activities. The Trust manages a network of over 100 wildlife reserves across Scotland and is a member of the UK-wide Wildlife Trusts movement.

Scottish Wildlife Trust
Harbourside House
110 Commercial Street
Edinburgh
EH6 6NF

[email protected]