Policy and Campaigns Officer

Position Overview

• Reports to: Conservation Manager.
• Hours: full time (37.5 hours per week), part-time applications also welcome.
• Status: Permanent.

The Scottish Seabird Centre

The Scottish Seabird Centre (SSC) works to ensure that Scotland’s seas and coasts are alive with wildlife, celebrated and protected by all. SSC acts to save seabirds and restore Scotland’s marine environment through conservation, learning, and unforgettable wildlife experiences:

Conservation – In partnership with RSPB Scotland, SSC cares for internationally important seabird islands, including Bass Rock, which is home to one of the largest gannet colonies in the world, and Craigleith, where its community conservation project, SOS Puffin, has quadrupled the population of breeding puffins.

Learning – SSC seeks to build an understanding of and a passion for the marine environment. Over 60,000 children and young people have engaged with its education programme.

Experience – SSC operates one of the leading nature visitor centres in the UK, welcoming over 170,000 visitors a year, and was awarded the Gold Green Tourism Award in April 2025.

SSC recently published its strategic plan for 2026–2031.

The SSC’s Policy and Campaigns Programme

With over 18,000km of coastline and 900 islands, Scotland’s marine environment is diverse and unique. It is also home to globally important seabird populations, with more than 5 million breeding here, including around half of the world’s great skuas and northern gannets. Iconic seabirds like puffins and seabird islands such as Bass Rock, are also culturally significant and act as gateways for public engagement with the marine environment.

However, seabirds are in trouble. Two-thirds of species which breed in Scotland have declined over the last 20 years. Pressures include unsustainable fishing practices, invasive species, pollution, and, increasingly, climate change and avian flu. Offshore wind has also emerged as a threat and an opportunity. The successful and rapid deployment of offshore wind in Scotland’s seas is critical if the UK is to meet its renewable energy and climate targets, but if done insensitively it risks driving seabird population declines and deployment will be stalled.

The SSC’s mission is to halt the declines and to conserve Scotland’s seabirds for current and future generations. To achieve this goal, urgent action is needed, and that means SSC needs to do more to advocate and campaign for seabirds. This role will build on SSC’s successes to date, continuing to develop and deliver a policy and campaigns programme that mobilises supporters and delivers the change needed over three priority areas:

1. Delivery of the Seabird Action Plan, holding the Scottish Government to account for delivering this ambitious and urgent plan.
2. Improving Scotland’s Marine Protected Area (MPA) network, through working with partners to campaign for progress and advising on the development of effective management measures for protected areas that are particularly important for seabirds.
3. Nature positive offshore wind – working with developers and the Scottish Government to ensure that Scotland’s offshore wind industry develops in harmony with nature, avoiding the most sensitive sites and encouraging robust and effective investments in compensation and enhancement.

Role Description

This is an exciting new role that will give the postholder the opportunity to build an influential programme. Working as part of the conservation team, and closely with the CEO and marketing and communications team, the postholder will develop and deliver advocacy strategies and campaigns, mobilising supporters and delivering the change that seabirds so urgently need. The postholder will bring strong advocacy skills, a passion for nature, and a background in policy and/or campaigns, underpinned by solid organisation and programme management skills.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the SSC’s policy and campaigns programme, including producing regular reports for Trustees and funders.
• Develop and deliver advocacy plans.
• Draft consultation responses, drawing on the postholder’s own expertise and that of colleagues, volunteers and supporters to provide evidence-based and compelling arguments.
• Produce policy communication materials, including reports, briefing notes, and letters.
• Convene an expert group to advise the programme and inform the production of an annual assessment of Scottish Government progress in delivering the Seabird Action Plan.
• Meet with stakeholders, MSPs, officials and Ministers to advocate on behalf of the SSC, and manage engagement with SSC ‘Nature Champions’ in the Scottish Parliament.
• Monitor the Scottish Parliament and the media to identify opportunities for influence.
• Develop and deliver campaigns targeted at delivering legislative or policy change, mobilising supporters and SSC’s members.
• Set up and deliver online e-actions in support of campaigns.
• Create accessible resources to engage the general public with key campaigns.
• Work with communications colleagues to produce social media content and identify and take media opportunities.
• Support any other reasonable activities allocated by the line manager, which support the overall work of the charity.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Experience in developing and delivering campaigns and/or policy development and advocacy.
• A strong analytical approach.
• An excellent and authoritative communicator.
• Ability to write for a range of audiences.
• Proven ability to manage projects/programmes.
• A passion for the natural world.

Desirable Skills and Experience

• An understanding of the policy-making process and politics in Scotland.
• Proven ability to deliver successful online campaigns.
• Experience with and a passion for community campaigning and movement building.

Benefits

• Work for a successful conservation and education charity in a stunning location.
• 35 days annual leave.
• Workplace pension.
• Training and development opportunities for everyone.
• Access to Cycle to Work Scheme.
• Access to Health Cash Plan.
• Other benefits include: 20% discount in the charity’s Gift Shop and Seabird Café, 10% discount on the Scottish Seabird Centre boat trips, and free access to a range of Scottish visitor attractions with an Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions card.

To Apply

The Scottish Seabird Centre welcomes applicants with the right skills and experience and is happy to explore different working hours or patterns to support the right candidate. To discuss this role, please email Carrie at carrieb@seabird.org.

Please email a cover letter and CV to Carrie at carrieb@seabird.org by 10:00 on Friday 18 September, setting out how you meet the essential and desirable skills and experience specified in the job description.

Interviews will be held at the Scottish Seabird Centre on the 28 and 29 September.

A note on AI & recruitment: AI can be a helpful tool, but please use it responsibly. Applications should be authentic; please avoid copying and pasting AI generated text. All applications received will be reviewed by humans, though there is no capacity to provide feedback to candidates who are not shortlisted.

More information: https://www.seabird.org/vacancies/policy-and-campaigns-officer