Seabird & Marine Policy Officer

Location: Working from home – Ideally within Northern Ireland

Contract: Secondment cover, until the end of December 2026

Hours: Full-Time, 37.5 hours per week

Benefits: Pension Scheme, Life Assurance Scheme, 26 days' Annual Leave

This is an exciting opportunity to help ensure a better future for Northern Ireland’s seas and seabirds. You will develop and advocate RSPBNI policy on seabird, marine, and fisheries issues and influence important debates and decisions in Northern Ireland relating to the protection of seabirds and the marine environment generally.

We are looking for a policy advocate who understands and can influence the policies that impact on seabirds and the wider marine environment. As well as a knowledge of seabirds and the issues affecting seabird populations, you will work well with others and have advocacy, communication and campaigning skills.

The UK is internationally important for seabirds and has a responsibility to protect and recover their populations. Around 8 million seabirds from 25 species breed in the UK, including 80% of the world’s Manx shearwaters, and millions more overwinter or pass through the UK on migration. Northern Ireland is globally important for a range of seabirds and other marine species. Yet seabirds are now under unprecedented threat, declining faster than any other group of birds.

Seabirds breeding along our coastline and on our islands need safe nesting places free from introduced predators, and well-managed fisheries and protected areas of sea to provide food and safe spaces for adults and young. How we manage and protect our seas in the coming decades will play a central role in halting declines in nature and combatting climate change.

The role will involve advocacy on marine protected areas, fisheries and renewable policies with a focus on the NI Assembly and relevant NI government Departments, working closely with the NI Marine Task Force, as well as providing information, advice, and support to other staff internally on seabird and marine policy issues. The successful candidate will work with a wide range of policy staff across the UK and with colleagues in our Conservation Science, Campaigns and Communications, and our on-the-ground Operations teams, to ensure we have a positive impact.

During this role, you will:

• Identify, build and maintain effective relationships with key contacts, including politicians and government officials, to build optimum conditions for successful advocacy for RSPB policy positions.
• Be responsible for the production of policy reports, consultation responses, briefings and other materials to further the RSPB’s policy advocacy objectives.
• Work closely with colleagues to develop and deliver campaigns and communications materials that effectively further RSPBNI's policy advocacy objectives.
• Work closely with colleagues in Northern Ireland and across the UK to share information about relevant policy developments, to ensure an informed and consistent approach to policy advocacy across the RSPB, and to advise on the RSPB's wider strategic approach to the marine environment and seabirds.
• An understanding of environmental/biodiversity legislation and/or policy, ideally related to the marine environment, and the implications for seabird conservation.
• Experience of advocating policy effectively to external audiences (including government, agencies, relevant businesses, NGOs) to further specific policy and advocacy objectives.
• A proven ability to build and maintain effective relationships with external stakeholders and project partners.
• Good communication skills (verbal, written and presentational), including an ability to speak confidently and cogently in public.
• Able to interact professionally with a broad range of audiences, and influence and negotiate with those who may hold opposing views.
• An understanding of the role of engaging the public through communications and campaigns activities to support policy advocacy to achieve outcomes for nature.
• Able to act independently to generate and deliver policy positions and outputs, but also able to form effective teams (both internal and external) and work successfully as a team player.
• Able to…