Community Outreach Officer - Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels

As Scotland’s leading nature conservation charity, we welcome applications from individuals who are looking to join us in our journey of protecting Scotland’s wildlife for the future.

From major species and landscape restoration projects, to managing our network of wildlife reserves and campaigning for nature, we work for Scotland’s wildlife year-round.

We give a voice to wildlife through our policy and campaigning work, demonstrate best practice through practical conservation work, engage with people to take positive action through our education programmes and events, and so much more.

Title: Community Outreach Officer - Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels
Status: Full time (35 hrs/week), Fixed term (until 31st March 2028)
Salary: £25,000 per annum pending review
Location: Blairgowrie Office, Perthshire (working across the Central lowlands and Southern Highlands)
Closing date: 15th June 2026

The Role:

The Community Outreach Officer will contribute to the protection of the Highland Line (HL), a coast-to-coast control zone which aims to prevent grey squirrels from moving north from Central Scotland into the red strongholds of the Highlands and Grampians. Progressed through a programme of targeted grey squirrel monitoring and control, you’ll help support the protection and expansion of red squirrel populations in accordance with the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels strategy. This role requires an approachable individual with experience recruiting, motivating, training, coordinating and managing community-based volunteers (groups and individuals) to undertake active conservation work.

Key Responsibilities and Duties:

• Working closely with the Monitoring and Control Officers (MCOs)
• Supporting and expanding volunteer networks through volunteer recruitment and onboarding
• Data entry and digital records
• Engaging and building relations with key stakeholders, landowners and local authorities
• Providing community network support and communications. This will include identifying opportunities to engage difficult-to-reach people and new audiences in the Central Lowlands.

Specifically, this includes:

The successful candidate will:

• Possess a relevant degree
• Have experience of recruiting, motivating, training, coordinating and managing volunteers
• A good understanding of conservation principles, invasive non-native species management, wildlife practices and legislation
• Experience of working with landowners, gamekeepers, foresters and the public is desirable
• Experience with keeping and maintaining accurate records using Microsoft packages is essential and knowledge of ArcGIS would be useful
• There may occasionally be a requirement to work out of normal working hours
• You must possess a full clean driving licence and have use of a vehicle

Closing date: midnight Monday 15th June

Interview date: Thursday 25th June

About us

For more than 60 years, the Scottish Wildlife Trust has worked with its members, partners and supporters in pursuit of its vision of healthy, resilient ecosystems across Scotland’s land and seas.

The Trust successfully champions the cause of wildlife through policy and campaigning work, demonstrates best practice through practical conservation and innovative partnerships, and inspires people to take positive action through its education and engagement activities. The Trust manages a network of over 100 wildlife reserves across Scotland and is a member of the UK-wide Wildlife Trusts movement.

Apply here