Reserves Officer (Snelsmore)

Salary: £27,250 - £28,288 per annum 

Contract: Permanent 

Hours: 35 hours per week. Regular evening and weekend working required from March to Sept 

Based: Estovers, Greenham Common, Newbury, with some hybrid working possible 

The Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust has a vision for “more nature everywhere, for everyone”. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. This includes you being comfortable bringing your whole self to work, and us co-working with the diverse communities we serve to ensure we are meeting everyone’s needs. 

The Reserves Officer (Snelsmore) will help nature recover by managing Snelsmore Common on the edge of Newbury. They will work with site-based volunteer teams, contractors and the wider west Berkshire reserves team to implement a range of practical works, predominantly focused on heathland management. 

The post will also manage a small team of seasonal wardens, with all working together to deliver the ground nesting bird control measures at both Snelsmore and Greenham Common, including developing and delivering a programme of events and engagement activities highlighting the importance of these sites. 

We are looking for someone a breadth of experience and interest, who is able to deliver practical land management, whilst also being able to enthuse and engage a range of stakeholders about the important wildlife found on site, and why it needs protecting. 

What you’ll be doing

• Recruiting, supervising and overseeing volunteers undertaking a range of practical conservation and access tasks.
• Undertaking practical habitat management works using a range of tools and equipment to manage key habitats found on site
• Managing a small team of seasonal wardens to deliver the seasonal ground nesting bird measures at both Snelsmore and Greenham and Crookham Commons
• Engage and enthuse the local community about the important wildlife found at Snelsmore Common, using a range of different engagement and communication methods 

What we’re looking for

• Somebody with a good range of practical habitat management skills
• Willingness to engage and enthuse members of the public in the importance of ground nesting birds and heathland habitats
• Excellent team working stills

This post will be DBS checked at basic level. A criminal conviction will not necessarily be a bar to obtaining the position. BBOWT will not unfairly discriminate on the basis of criminal convictions. BBOWT’s policy regarding this matter and the Disclosure and Barring Service Code of Practice are available on request.

For all your hard work you can expect a great rewards package in return. In addition to being part of a friendly, skilled and knowledgeable team, passionate about making a difference, when you work for us, you’ll also receive

• Generous annual leave entitlement with paid birthday leave, balance days, urgent personal business leave and generous occupational sick pay
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, and family-friendly policies
• Flexible working to achieve work-life balance
• Salary exchange pension with generous employer contribution
• Learning & Development Programme for all
• Wellbeing initiatives including qualified Mental Health First Aiders, YuLife benefit package - access to immediate and confidential help for any work, health, or life matters; 3x life assurance, online GP access, discounts and trade YuCoin points for gift cards
• Salary sacrifice Cycle scheme & Electric Vehicle scheme
• Membership to BBOWT’s, and The Wildlife Trusts’, Staff Network Groups for social interaction, peer support, mentoring and personal development

The closing time and date for applications is 11.59pm on 1^st December 2025. 

There will be a two stage interview process. Successful candidates will be invited to an online interview on the 9^th December 2025, and then if suitable will be invited to a second stage in person interview on the 11^th December 2025.  

In person interviews will be held at Estovers, Greenham and Crookham Common Ranger's Office, Control Tower Car Park, Burys Bank Road, Greenham, Thatcham, Berkshire, RG19 8BZ

BBOWT values diversity and inclusion and the benefits this brings. We want every candidate to have the best chance of success as part of this process. In order to do this, we know that some candidates will need reasonable adjustments. Contact us on recruitment@bbowt.org.uk if there are any reasonable adjustments we can provide during the recruitment process, including completing your application. 

When applying for the role you can expect to answer a few questions online relating to the skills required and what you would be doing in the role. Your responses will be anonymised, randomised, and scored by a panel of reviewers. 

We don't use an application form, or CVs - your answers to our situational based questions will be scored against a review guide and scores from these will decide which candidates go through to the interview stage.  See here to find out why we do this.

Whilst we appreciate ChatGPT and other AI platforms can answer these questions, we know what they have to say (and generally the answer they generate isn't great). We want to hear your perspective written in your own words. If it is clear that any of your answers are not your own work, we reserve the right to reject your application on that basis. 

You’ll also be asked for information about your background, anything you feel comfortable sharing will be anonymised and will not be shared as part of the selection process, it will only be used to help us understand how we are performing against our equal opportunities metrics. All candidates will receive feedback on their application. 

We want our people to be as diverse as nature, so we particularly encourage applications from people who are underserved within the communities in which we operate. This includes people from visible ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities (including those who are neurodivergent), the LGBTQ+ community, those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, and younger people. We are committed to creating an organisation that recognises and truly values individual differences and identities. 

Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust, The Lodge, 1 Armstrong Road, Littlemore, Oxford Oxon OX4 4XT 

Registered Charity No. 204330 www.bbowt.org.uk