Programme Officer

Job Title: Programme Officer (East of England) National Education Nature Park
Location:Home-based (within East of England), Hybrid (at Hyde Hall or Peterborough office) with regular travel across East of England
Salary: £28,840
Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Contract:Fixed Term Contract until August 2027
Start Date: August 2024

The RHS is a national charity with a mission to inspire everyone to grow, as it is vital to our wellbeing, the environment and the happiness of us all. We are undergoing an exciting period of development, which includes bringing our work with community volunteers, schools and groups to the heart of what we do.

We have recently launched the National Education Nature Park - a new Department for Education funded programme empowering young people to take action on the environment as part of new measures designed to put climate change at the heart of education.

As an RHS Programme Officer, you will work to enable young people and education settings in the region to participate in the National Education Nature park.

Reporting to the Senior Programme Officer (East of England), you will work as part of a team to engage networks and school leads in the National Education Nature Park programme. You will identify local sources of support, and through events and workshops, inspire and upskill key stakeholders to sustain schools and settings in their National Education Nature Park journey.

You will be working with educators and young people from early years, primary, secondary and further education settings. Through informal learning opportunities and across a wide range of curriculum areas, you will be engaging and supporting young people, especially those from under-represented groups, to have a voice and take action.

We are looking for a collaborative, creative individual with a passion for biodiversity and the environment; someone who is keen to share scientific knowledge, and someone who will champion the role of young people in finding innovative solutions to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis.

You will work within a multidisciplinary project group including partners and colleagues with specialist scientific knowledge and skills. Building and sustaining effective collaboration will be key to success in this role. You will be a confident communicator and listener with excellent planning and organisational skills. The right candidate will share our passion for the benefits of gardening and horticulture in schools and communities.

Details of our great benefits can be found here.

About National Education Nature Park

National Education Nature Park is a partnership project led by the Natural History Museum, working with the Royal Horticultural Society, the Royal Society, Royal Geographical Society, Learning through Landscapes, Manchester Metropolitan University and additional supporting partners.

The National Education Nature Park will engage children, young people and their educators with nature, supporting young people in England to play a driving role in mapping and monitoring biodiversity on their grounds using citizen science and, critically, taking action to enhance it.

From creating pollinator friendly habitats where biodiversity can thrive, to digging ponds, or creating planting schemes that support climate resilience, the project will showcase what can be achieved on the Education estate. 

The Nature Park will also provide opportunities for young people to take part in community science, identifying local impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss and developing key skills to solve these problems. 

Find out more by visiting the National Education Nature Park websitehere.

Safeguarding and Inclusion

The RHS is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk and expects all personnel to share in this commitment. We are an inclusive employer and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

Please note: We may review applications as soon as we receive them so if you see a vacancy that you are interested in, please apply straight away as the vacancy will be closed as soon as we hire the right candidate. Should you require any additional support with making your application please email Sharon Ellis at sharonellis@rhs.org.uk detailing the position and REQ number reference (found at the top of the advert on our website) that you are applying for.