Zoo Jobs: National Beaver Officer

National Beaver Officer

This position is based nationally

Role Description

The National Beaver Officer (NBO) is a new role that will be key to the successful reintroduction of beavers in England. The NBO will be the main point of contact for beaver reintroduction and management both internally in Natural England and externally with partners, stakeholders and the general public. The NBO will provide support for licensed beaver reintroduction projects and Management Partnerships formed around unlicensed populations of beavers in England. The NBO will also oversee a programme of monitoring for these beaver populations.

Key Tasks/Accountabilities

The role holder will:
• Be a national point of contact for beaver reintroduction in England, providing support and information for external stakeholders and the general public about beaver reintroduction projects in England.
• Lead on Natural England’s engagement with stakeholders regarding beaver reintroduction in England.
• Liaise closely with Natural England’s partners, in particular the Environment Agency.
• Form and maintain close links with beaver wild release projects, principally through the Beaver Project Officer/s and Project Steering Groups, providing support and guidance as required.
• Form and maintain close links with Management Partnerships for unlicensed beaver populations, providing support and guidance as required.
• Oversee delivery of beaver wild release projects (including unlicensed populations), ensuring consistency of methodologies, management principles and monitoring.
• Oversee work to identify and survey unlicensed populations of beavers in England.
• Oversee training and coaching of staff across Natural England, especially within Area Teams and the Natural England Field Unit, in order to build capability to provide advice on beavers and their management.
• Design and deliver training for Beaver Project Officers (and local beaver management groups as appropriate).
• Report and provide advice to the Beaver Management Forum and relevant topic subgroups, including collation of monitoring reports from beaver projects
• Provide comment on licence applications to release beavers.
• Liaise with Natural England’s Wildlife Licensing Service and Natural England Enforcement, providing support to investigations into licence breaches.