Vacancy at North Wales Wildlife Trust
Youth Development Officer (North East Wales)
Salary
£ £25,000 - £29,000 per annum
Hybrid (Aberduna Office)
Vacancy listed
21/10/2025
Application deadline
14/11/2025
Details
Youth development officer (ne wales)
JOB DESCRIPTION
JOB DESCRIPTION
Location: Hybrid working (Aberduna office facilities available). The role involves regular travel across Denbighshire, Flintshire, Wrexham and Conwy.
Responsible to: Youth & Communities Manager
Contract: Full time, fixed term until 31st Dec 2027
Overall purpose of the role:
Work with secondary schools, colleges and community groups in NE Wales to improve the health and future job prospects of young people aged 11-24; by delivering activities which foster greater nature-connectedness and equip them with the skills and knowledge to pursue careers in the green sector.
Main responsibilities:
- Lead the design and delivery of an engaging nature-based learning and personal development programme with up to five secondary-aged groups (11-16 yrs) from schools and community settings across the three eastern counties of North Wales (Denbighshire, Flintshire & Wrexham). These groups will be considered as 'new to nature' and the focus will be predominantly on improving their health and wellbeing through fostering a greater sense of nature connectedness.
- Work with our Education & Community Officer to design and deliver a programme of workshops for secondary school groups (14+ yrs) in these same regions, that are focussed on developing skills and building knowledge for careers in the green sector. These more vocationally-themed sessions will cover topics such as sustainability, carbon literacy, nature-friendly farming and natural solutions to climate change.
- Establish and facilitate our first, youth-led environmental forum in NE Wales. This group will mirror the forum that we’ve had in NW Wales for the past five years and will support interested young people to learn about nature on their doorstep (including threats to it and how they can protect it), develop green skills, get involved in community events and gain practical work experience.
- Manage the successful delivery of an annual, week-long, youth traineeship course (12 people per year), coordinating internal staff expertise and accredited learning modules. (12 people per year); to be based out of our Aberduna office. Using the knowledge and expertise of staff from across the Trust to deliver accredited learning modules covering a wide range of conservation-related topics.
For the organisation to work effectively you may be required to assist with other areas of work and therefore, you should be prepared to undertake other duties appropriate to the post, and any other reasonable duties required.
All staff are ambassadors for the organisation both internally and externally and are expected to always act in a professional manner. They are required to abide by organisational rules, policies and procedures as laid down in the staff handbook, adopt environmentally friendly working practices, set and maintain high personal standards of efficiency and customer care and foster a ‘can do’ culture based on ownership, initiative, teamwork and exchange of information.
Personal requirements:
We're looking for a proactive, resilient, and engaging individual who is passionate about both youth development and the natural world. The ideal candidate will be an adaptable team player who demonstrates ownership and initiative, always seeking innovative ways to achieve outcomes for young people.
- Commitment to and enthusiasm for outdoor learning and youth development
- A strong affinity for wildlife and habitats; and demonstrate commitment to wildlife issues
- Ability to actively challenge the status quo to find new ways of doing things and seek good practice
Key competencies
Ability to develop and maintain positive working relationships with schools, community groups and volunteers
Ability to work using own initiative and also to thrive as part of a team
Ability to absorb complex information quickly, and to communicate it to a non-expert audience in a concise and engaging way
Ability to deliver events and activities through the medium of Welsh
Experience
Working collaboratively with children, young people and adults in formal and/or informal settings
Leading and coordinating events and activities with young people in the outdoors
Designing and delivering learning and development programmes for young people in both classroom and outdoor settings
Experience within a wildlife related field, particularly in relation to working with communities and/or young people
Practical conservation or habitat management
Have coordinated volunteers or voluntary projects
Experience of contact with press and media
Knowledge and skills
Excellent communication / interpersonal skills; especially speaking and presenting to groups
A good working knowledge of risk management and safe working practices in the outdoors
Local knowledge of North Wales’s environments, demographics and local challenges
Knowledge of wider environmental and conservation issues
Strong IT skills
Good understanding of safeguarding in the work context
Current driving license
Degree (or equivalent) in an ecological/environmental subject
Knowledge of the Wildlife Trust movement and our programmes of work
Knowledge of the role of key organisations in the environmental sector
First aid qualification
D1 minibus driving entitlement
Outdoor activity qualifications
Ability to develop and maintain positive working relationships with schools, community groups and volunteers
Ability to work using own initiative and also to thrive as part of a team
Ability to absorb complex information quickly, and to communicate it to a non-expert audience in a concise and engaging way
Ability to deliver events and activities through the medium of Welsh
Experience
Working collaboratively with children, young people and adults in formal and/or informal settings
Leading and coordinating events and activities with young people in the outdoors
Designing and delivering learning and development programmes for young people in both classroom and outdoor settings
Experience within a wildlife related field, particularly in relation to working with communities and/or young people
Practical conservation or habitat management
Have coordinated volunteers or voluntary projects
Experience of contact with press and media
Knowledge and skills
Excellent communication / interpersonal skills; especially speaking and presenting to groups
A good working knowledge of risk management and safe working practices in the outdoors
Local knowledge of North Wales’s environments, demographics and local challenges
Knowledge of wider environmental and conservation issues
Strong IT skills
Good understanding of safeguarding in the work context
Current driving license
Degree (or equivalent) in an ecological/environmental subject
Knowledge of the Wildlife Trust movement and our programmes of work
Knowledge of the role of key organisations in the environmental sector
First aid qualification
D1 minibus driving entitlement
Outdoor activity qualifications
Benefits
generous holiday package, life assurance, Salary Exchange Pension Scheme, Retail discounts, Employee Assistance Programme, flexible working