Job opportunity: Engagement Assistant, Birds of Poole Harbour (Dorset)

The charity Birds of Poole Harbour (the fabulous team behind the Osprey Reintroduction Project, amongst many other things) is advertising for an Engagement Assistant to help them deliver a number of exciting public engagement projects this year.

This includes helping out on their brilliantly popular and award-winning ‘bird cruise boats’ around the harbour, providing the public with an opportunity to see Ospreys, White-tailed Eagles, Marsh harriers, Peregrines (and loads more!), as well as guided walks, ID courses and pop-up watches.

This is a rare opportunity to work at one of the UK’s premier wildlife ecotourism sites and join a world-class and friendly team.

Here’s the job spec:

Job Advert: Birds of Poole Harbour Engagement Assistant

Birds of Poole Harbour is a Dorset-based charity with a local community focus, committed to conserving and interpreting the important birdlife in the Poole Harbour area. We deliver a range of exciting events and projects. We are looking for an enthusiastic Engagement Assistant to support our team in delivering our public engagement and project work. Part-time, permanent.

Position: Engagement Assistant

Hours: 20 hours per week, with the possibility of extra hours during the high season (April to September). Due to the nature of our events, this role requires regular weekend work (typically 3 weekends per month) and occasional early-morning/evening hours.

Location: Poole and Wareham-based, with travel to events around Poole Harbour

Annual Leave: 28 days inclusive of bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time roles)

Salary: £13,988.52 (FTE £27,976)

Essential Criteria

• Friendly and warm interpersonal style
• Excellent verbal communication skills and a confident public speaker
• Ability to work effectively as part of a busy team
• Proactive and self-motivated attitude
• Excellent bird identification skills

Desirable Skills and Experience

• Experience of working with volunteers
• Strong written communication skills
• Experience in delivering events
• Knowledge of local birding sites and conservation projects, including the Poole Harbour Osprey Reintroduction Project
• Full driving licence and access to a vehicle

What you’ll be working on

You’ll be helping our team deliver an ambitious events schedule throughout the year, including our award-winning boat trips, our Carey Osprey Tours (led in partnership with Careys Secret Garden), and our guided walks, ID Courses and Pop-up watches. This role will be well-suited to an enthusiastic ornithologist with excellent communication skills and a strong knowledge of British birds.

You’ll also be involved with our project work and youth engagement programmes, including our School Bird Boat Project and Young Birders Club.

Full training will be provided, and more details on our project work and events can be found here: www.birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk.

If you would like to apply, please email our Operations and Finance Assistant, Helen, at helen@birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk with a CV (2 pages maximum) and a PDF with answers to the following questions:

• What attracted you to apply for this position? (200 words max)
• Why do you believe you are well-suited for the role of Events Assistant at Birds of Poole Harbour? (500 words max)

Interviews commencing W/C 16th February 2026 with the option for online interviews available. Please note that the interview will involve a UK bird species identification test.

Closing date for applications: Friday 30 January 2026.

ENDS