RSPB

Warden - North Orkney

Reference: SEP20259621
Location: Orkney
Salary: £30,075.00 - £32,108.00 Per Annum

We are looking for an enthusiastic and hands-on individual who enjoys working outside in all conditions, with livestock and with a resourcefulness needed for remote island settings.

You’ll be part of a small team responsible for the effective day to day running of the Onziebust, Trumland and Mill Dam reserves. You will likely be based on the Orkney Mainland and expected to frequently travel via the inter-isle ferry service to these island-based sites.

Onziebust Nature Reserve sits on the island of Egilsay, one of the Orkney Inner-North Isles where we own and manage around 280ha of mixed wet grassland nature reserve. This site houses livestock year-round, so assisting in the management of these animals to deliver our important grazing work will be a key part of this role.

RSPB Trumland is an 400ha area of heath and blanket bog with important populations of breeding Hen Harrier and Merlin.

RSPB Mill Dam is a 28ha nature reserve-based on the island of Shapinsay. Here we work with local island graziers to ensure both the wet and floristically rich grassland is managed year on year.

What does this role look like?

• Hands-on management of cattle and sheep
• Monitoring wader populations, raptors, bumblebees and habitat conditions
• Carrying out habitat management such as scrape creation and mechanical cutting
• Management planning and producing annual reports
• Volunteer management
• Maintaining machinery such as quadbikes and tractors
• Maintaining high health and safety and cross compliance standards
• Managing small-medium sized projects

   
What you will bring...

Essential:

• Land management experience
• Hands-on livestock management experience
• Estate management skills and experience, such as stock fence maintenance
• Ecological knowledge of wet grasslands and moorland
• Knowledge of health, safety and environmental legislation applying to site management
• Individual and team working skills
• Biological monitoring experience and knowledge
• IT skills including record keeping, producing reports and data management
• Organisational skills including time management, prioritisation and problem solving

   
Additional information:

• This role will involve lone working and working in remote locations
• This role will require occasional weekend, early morning and evening working
• The role holder will require a full, manual driving licence that is valid in the UK

   
Does this sound like you? If so, we’d love to hear from you.

Closing: Sunday 9th November.

To complete your online application for this position please CLICK HERE

Closing Date: 09/11/2025  Location: North Orkney