People & Performance Intern

Do you care about people and performance? Are you curious about what makes individuals and organisations thrive? If so, we have an exciting and unashamedly wide-ranging role that could be perfect for you!  

You might find yourself working on recruitment, people analytics, AI adoption, leadership support, or events. Some of that will play directly to your existing strengths. Some of it will push you into territory you've never explored. We will match work to what you bring, and we will ask you to grow beyond it. What you will always get is meaningful work that makes a tangible impact with an organisation doing something that matters. 

About You 

You might have recently graduated or seeking a career change. Your background might be in psychology, HR, sports science, business, or something else entirely. It doesn’t really matter what can do today. What matters is what you can achieve in the future. We are looking for someone who will embrace every task with enthusiasm, a curious mind, and a passion for learning, safe in the knowledge that there’s always someone there to help when you get stuck. Here is a snapshot of what you will bring: 

Environment 

• A genuine connection to the natural world and a belief that scaling conservation is one of the most important challenges of our time. 

Impact 

• A passion to understand how people and organisations perform at their best. 

• Curiosity about AI and how it can improve the way people work. You don't need to be an expert, but you do need to be genuinely interested. 

• The kind of initiative that means tasks get completed without being chased, and problems get flagged with a suggested solution already in hand. 

Adventure 

• You are energised by variety. No two weeks will look the same, and that excites rather than unsettles you. 

• You are comfortable being stretched. We will match work to your strengths and knowledge, and we will also ask you to go beyond them. That's how you grow. 

Together 

• An exceptional collaborator, working with people across every level of the organisation, from estate teams to the CEO. 

• You move quickly, prioritise well, keep building momentum, and know when to ask for support (which will be plentiful). 

• You are discreet with sensitive information and professional in how you handle it. 

• You build trust quickly, follow through on commitments, and bring a collaborative energy to everything you do. 

At Oxygen Conservation, character matters more than capability. We recruit for potential, not experience. Of course, the IT foundations matter but the service mindset matters more. And the genuine curiosity about AI and the future of work matters most of all. 

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 skills in some, but not all, of the areas above. Whatever your background, we would love to hear from you if you think you can make a real difference with Oxygen Conservation. 

About the Role 

The People and Performance Intern will work within the People team and be line managed by the wonderful Karis Eyres, our People Coordinator. You will work across the whole business, with the closest day-to-day relationships sitting within the People, Investment, and Legal teams. The thread running through everything you do is simple: help people at Oxygen Conservation perform even better.  

Key Responsibilities 

• Recruitment: Help us find the next generation of talented team members by screening applications, communicating with candidates, and writing interview questions. 

• People Operations: Keep our people systems accurate and running smoothly, supporting day-to-day HR administration, onboarding, and team communications. 

• AI Adoption: Support the adoption of AI tools within the People team and across the wider organisation, helping people work faster and more effectively. 

• Events and Logistics: Assist with the planning and coordination of internal team events, away days, and people-focused gatherings, ensuring everything runs smoothly from start to finish. 

• Leadership Team Support: Support the leadership team with calendar coordination and travel arrangements, helping them stay focused on where they can deliver greatest impact. 

• Performance Improvement: Support the development and delivery of performance improvement initiatives, drawing on performance science, psychology, and learning theory to help OC people do their best work. 

• Learning and Development: Assist with identifying needs, tools, organising programmes, and tracking outcomes that help people gain insight and highlights the path for meaningful development. 

• People Analytics: Help build and maintain people data dashboards, analyse trends, and surface insights that support evidence-based decisions about our people and teams. 

• Wider Organisational Projects: Get involved in projects and tasks across the organisation as they arise, taking every opportunity to develop and grow while helping OC deliver greater impact. 

About Us 

We're building the UK's first genuine natural capital portfolio, acquiring large landscapes, restoring them, and creating investable natural capital products like premium carbon credits, biodiversity units, renewable energy partnerships, and ecotourism experiences. In just four years, we've grown to a valuation of around £400m with 50,000+ acres owned and helped connect over half a million acres for nature. Our mission is simple: prove that restoring ecosystems can deliver transformative environmental, social, and financial returns. 

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. 

Key Information 

• Term: Three-month paid internship, starting May 2026, with potential to be offered a permanent role for exceptional performance. 

• Hours: Full time 

• Location: Remote with occasional travel to OC offices and estates for team events and meetings 

• Salary: £26,500 per annum (pro rata for three months) 

• Closing date: When we find the right person