Conservation Officer - Mourne Catchments, Down

TITLE: Conservation Officer - Mourne Catchments

EMPLOYER: Mourne Heritage Trust

The Officer will support the development and delivery of habitat management plans including conservation grazing elements for the NI Water in their Mournes (upland) catchments.

You will work in collaboration with existing MHT teams engaged in Peatland/ wet heath restoration, and erosion control measures and you will facilitate meetings of the Mourne Wildfire Group.

You will collaborate on behalf of MHT and NIW with the NIEA led development of the NI Wildfire Action Plan.

You will work in partnership with NIEA MHT and NIW to enable condition assessment of protected areas in NIW ownership for the purposes of compliance with habitat regulations.

The post holder will be proficient in Microsoft Office and digital mapping software such as ARC GIS or Q GIS in the field (uplands). They will be able to record analysis data and conduct desk based research.

Good all round communication skills are essential as are the ability to write complex documents and action plans.

S01 - NJC Pts 23-25 (2025); £34,434 - £36,363 gross per annum.

Contributory pension with employers pension contribution 5% per annum.

Appointments will be made at the first point of the scale.

Based at Mourne Heritage Trust (MHT) offices, 19 Causeway Road, Newcastle with hot desk access at other locations, and hybrid working by agreement.

Occasional travel throughout the UK and Ireland will be required.

Fixed Term Contract to 31st March 2028, an extension is subject to addition or funding extension. This job is likely to include weekend and evening work and may include focussing hours in particular seasons. Time off in toil for overworked hours.

This post is subject to a 6-month probationary period.

25 days annual leave and 12 statutory holidays.

Landscape Services Development Manager

Access to a work vehicle will be provided to facilitate access getting to and from site locations (i.e., from base).

Access to a suitable form of transport to travel to MHT office locations will be required along with a full clean driving licence.

Flexi – time system, onsite parking and a basic health care plan, provided by the Hospital Saturday Fund.

Prospective candidates must have the legal right to work in the UK. This will be verified with shortlisted candidates at the interview stage.

Basic Access NI check will be completed prior to appointment.

Mourne Heritage Trust (MHT) supports Northern Ireland Water (NIW) to improve the condition of 

important upland habitats across the Mourne catchments, with a particular focus on the Eastern Mournes Special Area of Conservation (EMSAC) and the Western Mournes ASSI. These landscapes are internationally and nationally important for their biodiversity, peatland habitats and their role in supplying clean drinking water for a fifth of Northern Ireland's population.

 

A key part of NIW land management plans is the use of conservation grazing on NIW land in the Silent Valley catchment. Conservation grazing involves the careful management of herbivores to help maintain and restore habitats such as species-rich grassland, peatland and wet heath. When planned, monitored and 

adopted effectively, grazing can improve habitat condition, support species recovery, reduce the build-up of vegetation that contributes to wildfire risk, and strengthen the overall resilience of the landscape.  

Grazing also complements other practical conservation measures, including erosion control, peatland recovery and habitat restoration. Collectively the range of conservation approaches supports DAERA's Northern Ireland Peatland Strategy and wider net zero objectives and is expected to feature as a key management tool for the forthcoming DAERA Fire Management Strategy for the Mournes. 

 

As Conservation Officer, you will work closely with other MHT project teams, NIW (SCAMP), graziers, 

mountain users, other key stakeholders and forums to help deliver conservation and enhancement of 

habitats and the species they support in the Mournes catchments.  

The role includes supporting targeted grazing, habitat restoration, fire prevention and response, ecological and other surveys, habitat condition and species monitoring in the Mourne uplands, and stakeholder engagement. You will provide practical and technical support on the ground, ensuring safe working practices while helping deliver conservation projects across the uplands.  

Responsibilities include field surveying, data collection and analysis, supporting sheep movements for targeted grazing, trialling grazing technologies, and overseeing works such as boundary repairs, erosion control, and habitat restoration. You will help facilitate Mourne Wildfire Group Meetings. 

You will also support NIW graziers with any initiatives that support positive change to habitat condition in the Eastern Mournes SAC including potential participation in DAERA's Environmental Farming Schemes (EFS) and other nature-based approaches that have the potential to strengthen habitat and species recovery within the Mournes. This role will support the delivery of that work by helping to coordinate grazing activity, monitor outcomes, record and analyse data, reporting to appropriate key stakeholders including graziers 

and partners, and contribute to wider habitat management across the Mournes.