Terrestrial Conservation Advisor and Trainer
St Helena, South Atlantic
2 years FTC commencing ASAP
A sub-tropical island of spectacular and beautiful landscapes in the South Atlantic with a warm and friendly population of 4,000, St Helena is a self-governing overseas territory of the UK, poised for transformation with the imminent construction of an airport.
St Helena’s unique and fragile environment is our greatest asset, requiring sound management. A new Environmental Management Directorate has been created to take forward this work, a key component of which will be the creation of an environmental management plan spanning marine, freshwater and terrestrial environments.
It will be your role to create and implement a programme for training the Terrestrial Conservation team. This will require you to work with St. Helena National Trust to set up workshops to identify key terrestrial conservation priorities and ensure efficient use of resources. You must provide a comprehensive training package regarding habitat restoration to include plant identification and types of soil, relationships between the island’s soil types, key endemic plants, basic survey techniques and plant pest and disease identification and control. You will develop a 3-5 year habitat restoration programme for the Habitats team and offer specialist training in the commercial production of plants. You will also restructure the nurseries programme focused on such forthcoming demands as plant production and the implementation of recovery programmes for endangered species. A significant proportion of your role will be technical training of the Terrestrial Conservation Division with possible additional training for other government staff.
You will deliver a policy framework for terrestrial conservation incorporating overarching principles for habitats and species, plus a sustainable long term training programme and a monitoring, evaluation and regulation system.
Holding a postgraduate degree or equivalent in terrestrial conservation or a related subject area, you will have broad experience in conservation management and training. You must have experience in habitat restoration and plant propagation techniques and in terrestrial habitat and species survey techniques. Highly organised with the ability to multi-task and prioritise a heavy workload with analytical and problem solving skills, you must be an excellent communicator, able to work with people at all levels and abilities. As a qualified trainer and strong motivator, you should have a track record of successful policy development and be flexible enough to meet the varied demands of the role, being fit and comfortable working outdoors in challenging and remote environments.
We offer an extensive benefits package with 30 days leave pa and which may include a contributory pension plus generous income tax-free allowances for relocation, rent and utilities.
An application form can be found at www.sthelenacareers.com where further information can also be found. Interviews will be held in London.
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