Biodiversity Crediting Project Manager (Peatland Code)

Full time (35 hours per week)  

Fixed term until March 2025 (retention bonus at completion of contract) 

Closing date for applications: 22nd October 2023  

First interview: 2nd November 2023  

Second interview: 7th November 2023 

This project is supported by NatureScot in collaboration with The Scottish Government and in partnership with the National Lottery Heritage Fund 

About Us  

The successful candidate will be employed by the IUCN UK Peatland Programme’s host organisation, The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts. The new team member will have the level of knowledge and experience to drive forward and promote peatland restoration as well as woodland creation in the UK and be able to advocate the multiple benefits of peatlands and woodlands through partnerships, strong science, sound policy and effective practice, and communication. This project will work in collaboration with the WCC team at Scottish Forestry, Soil Association Certification and Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC). 

Our host organisation, The Wildlife Trusts are a federated movement of 46 charities, supported by a central charity, the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts. Together we have more than 911,000 members, 35,000 volunteers and 2,800 staff across the UK. We are at an exciting moment in our 110-year history, with the development of an ambitious new strategy, setting out a vision of nature in recovery, with abundant, diverse wildlife and natural processes creating wilder landscapes where people and nature thrive. 

Who we're looking for

We are looking for a highly organised project manager to lead our Biodiversity Crediting project in collaboration with the Woodland Carbon Code. 

This is a unique opportunity to join the IUCN UK Peatland Programme team, supporting the Peatland Code (PC) and UK Woodland Carbon Code (WCC), the UKs leading domestic carbon standards. The PC is the quality assurance standard for peatland restoration projects and the WCC is this for woodland projects in the UK, both generate independently verified carbon units and have an aspiration to provide biodiversity credits as well. Applications from suitable candidates are welcomed. 

This is an exciting time in the development of the Peatland Code and Woodland Carbon Code. The Biodiversity Crediting Project Manager will lead on a new FIRNS (Facility for Investment ready Nature in Scotland) project to develop the methods, documentation, governance, and infrastructure to enable biodiversity crediting for woodland creation and peatland restoration projects in Scotland, including the capability to either stack carbon and biodiversity payments within the same project (where additionality rules allow), or explicitly bundle the two quantified outcomes into one ‘credit’ that is sold on the basis of a known level of biodiversity uplift alongside carbon credits. 

About you 

You need to be able to manage many conflicting priorities, keep all project partners regularly updated and ensure the project delivery milestones are met. You will work in the rapid developing arena of voluntary biodiversity/nature markets and will need to keep on top of the latest national and international market developments. 

You will be responsible for the day-to-day project management of the Biodiversity Crediting Project. This will include managing multiple stakeholders and funding partners for this, good organisational and communication skills are critical and the ability to digest technical information and communicate it in an accessible way is key. Further, as part of a team, you will support the operation and promotion of the Peatland Code. This means you will have excellent project management and presentation skills, as well being highly organised in your work. 

The Wildlife Trusts value passion, respect, trust, integrity, pragmatic activism and strength in diversity. Whilst we are passionate in promoting our aims, we are not judgemental and are inclusive. We want our people to be as diverse as nature, so we particularly encourage applications from people who are underrepresented within our sector, including people from minority backgrounds and people with disabilities. We are committed to creating a movement that recognises and truly values individual differences and identities. 

RSWT take our Safeguarding responsibilities extremely seriously. Please click here to read our commitment statement. 

As a Disability Confident employer, we are committed to offering an interview to anyone with a disability that meets all the essential criteria for the post. Please let us know if you require any adjustments to make our recruitment process more accessible. 

This role may require DBS clearance.