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Equality & Diversity Support Officer

We have an exciting opportunity to support the BOU’s commitment to advancing equality and diversity within ornithology.

Application deadline: 25 April 2025

Background

The BOU is one of the world’s most respected ornithological organisations, with an international membership stretching across all continents. Our mission is to promote ornithology, which we do through publication of excellent science in our journal IBIS, supporting a global community of scientists and practitioners, through conferences and online resources, and providing grants and bursaries to fund research and career development. We are especially proud of our initiatives to engage and support the global ornithological community, particularly early career ornithologists, and in promoting equality and diversity in ornithology.

The BOU and Equality & Diversity

The BOU is committed to advancing equality and diversity within ornithology. Our Equality & Diversity Working Group, overseen by the BOU’s Engagement Committee, has worked to make advances in this area, introducing, for example a Diversity Blog series, annual Unconscious Bias Awareness training for staff and volunteers, and establishing an Awards Nominations Committee to improve the transparency of our awards. The equality & diversity page on our website contains more information on our work in this area.

We now have a vacancy for an Equality & Diversity Support Officer to drive further advances, both within the BOU and more widely in ornithology.

Role of Equality & Diversity Support Officer

Our Equality & Diversity Support Officer will support the BOU’s commitment to advancing equality and diversity within ornithology. You will work closely with the BOU’s Equality and Diversity Working Group, the BOU Engagement Committee and the BOU’s Chief Operations Officer.

As the BOU’s Equality & Diversity Support Officer you will:

  • Sit on the BOU Equality & Diversity Working Group (EDWG), working closely with EDWG members to develop and implement initiatives aimed at advancing equality and diversity within ornithology.
  • Help us understand the current make-up of our membership and monitor future changes.
  • Review and evaluate progress towards the BOU’s stated equality and diversity actions.
  • Carry out research to ensure that the BOU’s equality and diversity activities are up to date and aligned with best practice, including through liaising with equality and diversity officers at other societies.
  • Conduct an annual update of our conference accessibility guidelines.
  • Optionally, sit on the BOU Engagement Committee, which oversees the EDWG, as a full member.
    • The Engagement Committee meets online twice a year and through this role you will have input into all BOU engagement activities.

Applicants should have a broad interest in ornithology and a demonstrated commitment to promoting equality, diversity, inclusion and accessibility. You should be self-motivated, able to work unsupervised, deliver to deadlines and be familiar with the BOU, its role, its activities and its standing within the ornithological community.

We are particularly seeking applications from individuals belonging to groups that are currently under-represented within ornithology.

This is one of five Support Officer roles within the BOU – the other four being Journal Publicity, Conference, Social Media and Blog Editor. The roles vary and demands on individual Support Officers fluctuate but we ask each Support Officer to provide a minimum of 18 days support service a year.

The role of a BOU Support Officer is particularly suited to an early career ornithologist as these roles progress personal development in key areas such as equality and diversity, working within a team to deliver core activities, and working at society committee level to help develop and deliver a wide range of outreach activities.

This role is initially for two years and is supported by an annual honorarium of £1,100.

Applications and schedule
Complete this form to apply for this position.

Deadline for applications: 25 April 2025

About the BOU

The British Ornithologists’ Union will promote ornithological science across the international scientific community, support the individuals who contribute to that science, and grow understanding of that science among a wider community. The BOU mission will be achieved by the following means:

  • Publishing IBIS as a leading international journal of ornithological science.
  • Organising a programme of meetings and conferences.
  • Awarding grants and bursaries for ornithological research.
  • Encouraging liaison between those actively engaged in ornithological research.
  • Providing a representative body of the scientific community, able to provide ornithological information and advice to government and other policy makers.
  • Maintaining and publishing the official list of birds recorded in Britain – The British List.

The BOU is opposed to all forms of racism and prejudice and is committed to diversity in ornithology. We aim to help overcome barriers preventing equality for ornithologists and all our activities are open to anyone interested in ornithology regardless of, but not limited to, nationality, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality and socio-economic status.