Team Lead, Global Policy at Bird Life International

Cambridge, England, United Kingdom -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

07 Jul, 26

Salary

53000.0

Posted On

08 Apr, 26

Experience

5 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Team leadership, Staff management, Budget management, Strategic planning, Project management, Policy development, Financial coordination, Performance management, Communication, MS Office, ERP platforms, CultureAmp, Resource planning, Reporting, Cross-divisional coordination

Industry

Environmental Services

Description

Application deadline: Friday 24 April 2026– 23:59 BST Location: Cambridge, UK (hybrid working, minimum one day per week in Cambridge). Other locations where BirdLife have a Global Office may be considered, note that the salary and benefits may change for non-UK locations. Full-time: 35 hours per week Contract: Open-ended Salary: £53,000 per annum depending on skills/experience, plus competitive 12% pension benefit Annual Leave: 25 days pro rata in year 1, increasing by 1 day p/a to 28 days We’re BirdLife International, the only global Partnership conserving birds and all life on our planet. We exist to give one voice to nature, and to unite and strengthen conservation across borders. We are looking for a Team Lead, Global Policy to line manage and support members of the Global Policy team, coordinate BirdLife work-planning and reporting and support with the budget across core and project recoveries. How you will do this: Leadership & Management: Lead and support a team of Global Policy professionals (Senior Policy Manager level and below), providing strategic direction and ensuring high-quality delivery. Directly line manage select Senior Policy Managers, overseeing work planning, performance reviews, and career development, while collaborating closely with HR, Finance, and IT. Provide guidance and oversight to wider team members, including Senior Policy Officers, Policy Officers, interns, and volunteers, fostering a collaborative and high-performing culture. Step in to deputise for the Global Director when required, contributing to Divisional Senior Leadership Team discussions and decisions. Planning & Strategic Coordination Drive the Global Policy Department’s annual planning and reporting cycle, ensuring alignment with organisational priorities and representing the team in global BirdLife planning forums. Lead contributions to organisational strategy, including input into the BirdLife Global Strategy and wider divisional programmes. Actively contribute to cross-divisional coordination, working closely with senior leaders to align policy and business engagement priorities. Budget & Resource Planning Partner with the Global Director to manage and optimise the department’s budget across core funding and project recovery. Support the development of annual budgets, identify and address funding gaps, and ensure effective allocation of resources. Oversee financial coordination, including travel budgeting and recharge monitoring, ensuring accuracy and efficiency. What we are looking for: To be successful in this role you’ll need to have a degree in a relevant subject and a strong understanding of project and budget management, alongside BirdLife policies and processes. You will bring proven experience in staff management, work planning, budget oversight, and team coordination, with the ability to perform effectively under pressure and meet tight deadlines while maintaining excellent attention to detail. This role requires a collaborative and motivating team player, able to work with cultural sensitivity across diverse teams, with outstanding written and verbal communication skills. A creative and solutions-focused mindset is essential, with the ability to address challenges across programme management, finance, administration, and staff management in line with organisational policies. Strong digital proficiency is required, including MS Office, email and web-based tools, and familiarity with systems such as ERP platforms and CultureAmp. See the full job description here. Some of our benefits: We are able to offer a hybrid model of working on-site and from home/remote for most roles, which helps to ensure a flexible work-life balance. A chance to work in the award-winning David Attenborough Building, which brings together much of the Cambridge-based conservation community on a ‘conservation campus.’ A generous pension scheme, up to 12% company contribution. Holiday starting at 25 days excluding Bank Holidays and increasing for every year of service up to a maximum of 28 days. Full access to LinkedIn Learning with access to more than 13,000 high-quality, on-demand courses. Cycle to work scheme. Employee Assistance Programme, including access to Health Assured online health portal (webinars, nutritional advice, 4-week programmes, financial wellbeing and more). BirdLife values a diverse workforce and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Find out more about our Diversity statement. We are committed to building and maintaining an inclusive and supportive culture, a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed on merit. We aim to promote a more inclusive environment, which attracts all candidates and signals our commitment to celebrate and promote diversity. We know that everyone’s needs are different. If you need us to make any adjustments to our recruitment process, let us know, we’ll do our best to make it happen. Interviews: Interviews will be held during w/c 27 April and 4 May.

Responsibilities

The Team Lead will provide strategic direction and line management for the Global Policy team while overseeing work planning and performance. They will also manage the department's budget and coordinate cross-divisional efforts to align with organizational strategy.