Operations Intern

Curious about what it actually takes to run conservation at scale? Excited by the idea of learning from experienced operators, rolling your sleeves up across real working estates, and helping build the systems that keep everything running safely and well? This is your chance to start your career at the operational heart of one of the UK’s most ambitious conservation organisations. You'll travel to our estates across Scotland, see how conservation actually works on the ground, and help build and maintain the systems that keep everything running safely and well. Some days you'll be at a desk. Some days you'll be on a hillside. Most days you'll be doing something you didn't expect. You'll work directly alongside our Head of Operations and estate teams — the people who make things happen day to day. You'll learn by doing, ask questions freely, and leave knowing how a fast-scaling conservation organisation actually operates from the inside. If you’re early in your career, driven by impact, and genuinely excited to learn what great operations look like in a fast-scaling conservation business, we’d love to meet you. About You You’re curious, organised, and keen to learn. You bring care and attention to detail to everything you do, and you’re not afraid to ask questions or get stuck in. You like systems, you spot patterns, and you’re genuinely excited by the idea of helping protect and restore landscapes at scale. Like everyone at Oxygen Conservation, you’re purpose-driven, collaborative, and talented. The kind of person who brings positive energy to long site days, team challenges, and the unglamorous operational details alike. Here’s a snapshot of the strengths you’ll bring: Environment A genuine belief in environmental impact and real excitement about the role operations plays in enabling world-class conservation work. Our mission underpins every decision; you feel the same. Impact Early-career professional, graduate, apprentice, or career-changer with an interest in operations, estates, sustainability, or conservation. Organised and methodical, with a natural comfort around documentation, spreadsheets, and structured information. A clear communicator — written and verbal — who can turn observations into tidy notes, reports, and updates. Comfortable picking up new systems and tools quickly (we use Claude, Asana, Excel, Power BI, and a range of estate management platforms). You take doing things properly seriously — not because you have to, but because cutting corners bothers you. Adventure You enjoy variety — time at a desk building systems and reports, days on estates learning how things really work, and the occasional muddy boot. You welcome the unexpected and are happy to get stuck in wherever needed. Together A natural collaborator and relationship-builder who is comfortable working with people at all levels — from senior leadership through to estate teams and contractors. And yes — you must be a cool person. Sharing snacks on long journeys is practically part of the job description. We believe in recruiting exceptional people and creating the role that allows them to do incredible things. We are committed to having a genuinely diverse team drawn from across the country, with a wide range of lived and learnt experiences. You might have strengths in some, but not all, of the areas above. Whatever your skillset, we’d love to hear from you if you think you can make a real difference with Oxygen Conservation and the communities where we’re fortunate to work. About the Role This is a learning-rich internship at the heart of how we deliver safe, efficient, and scalable work across our estate portfolio. You’ll gain broad exposure to how a conservation organisation actually runs — from health and safety and contractor management through to process design, estate audits, and data automation. You’ll balance office-based work (supporting documentation, reporting, and system improvements) with hands-on engagement (shadowing audits, visiting estates, and supporting day-to-day operational activity). Throughout, you’ll be mentored by experienced operators and trusted with real responsibility for meaningful work. You won’t be making coffee. You’ll be helping build the operational backbone of one of the UK’s most ambitious conservation organisations. Key Responsibilities Operational Support: Help maintain RAMS, SOPs, and wider operational documentation. Support the team in drafting process maps and keeping our document library accurate and up to date. Health, Safety and Wellbeing: Support HSW audits and assessments across sites — helping gather evidence, capture observations, and contribute to reports, KPIs, and trend analysis. Estate Assurance: Shadow and support onsite audits, spot checks, and inspections. Help track findings through to closure, and flag patterns worth a closer look. Contractor Coordination: Support contractor onboarding, compliance tracking, and documentation. Help monitor performance and keep records clean. Team Support: Act as a reliable extra pair of hands for the Operations team and Estate Managers — coordinating tasks, chasing actions, and supporting operational queries. Data and Reporting: Work alongside our GIS and Data Visualisation Expert to support dashboards, audit tools, and reporting — helping turn raw data into useful insight. Learning and Development: Take full advantage of the learning opportunities on offer — site visits, mentoring, cross-functional exposure, and structured time to reflect on what you’re picking up. What You’ll Gain By the end of your internship, you’ll have: A practical, hands-on understanding of operations within a conservation and land management context. Real exposure to health and safety practice, contractor management, and audit processes. Experience working with operational data, dashboards, and automation tools. A network of mentors and colleagues across estates, operations, data, and leadership. A portfolio of tangible contributions to the systems that enable conservation at scale — and a credible foundation to build the next step of your career on. About Us Oxygen Conservation was founded in 2021 by the Oxygen House Group and Dr Rich Stockdale with a clear mission: Scaling Conservation. We acquire land at scale on behalf of asset owners to deliver transformative environmental and social impact — creating profit as a result of what we do. In just three years, we’ve completed twelve transactions, assembling a portfolio of over 43,000 acres dedicated to restoring and protecting nature. Our vision is intentionally aspirational and inspirational: by 2030, we aim to have £1 billion of natural capital assets under management, enabling us to protect and restore 250,000 acres of land for people and wildlife. By combining our scale, reputation, cutting-edge data, and exceptional skills, we’re redefining conservation. Our work hasn’t gone unnoticed. In 2022, we were named Start-Up of the Year at the Business Leader South West Awards, followed by Team of the Year at the 2023 Edie Awards, and our nature funding agreement with Triodos won ESG Deal of the Year at the 2024 Insider South West Dealmakers Awards. Our founder and CEO, Dr Rich Stockdale, is featured in the ENDS Power List as one of the top 100 UK environmental professionals driving significant impact, and was shortlisted for Edie’s Leader of the Year Award in 2024. At Oxygen Conservation, we’re scaling impact, creating opportunities, and leading the charge for a nature-based economy that works for people, wildlife, and the planet. Key Information Term: Fixed-term, 3 months Salary: £26,500 per annum, pro rata (approximately £6,625 for the 3-month term) Location: Scotland, with regular travel to estates across that great country, as well as England and Wales. (Driving license required) Closing date: 18th May 2026