Job Description

 Land & Farm Advice Service Manager

Future Nature Wildlife Trust Consultancy

Hours of work: 37.5 per week, or part time 25+ hours per week. Flexibility in working pattern, in agreement with line manager

Type of contract: Permanent

Based at: Hybrid working with travel to other sites as required

Croner rank: 3

Job purpose                         

The post holder has principal responsibility for the strategic development, and day to day running, of Future Nature Wildlife Trust Consultancy’s Land & Farm Advice Service.

Reporting line

Reports directly to the Managing Director of Future Nature Wildlife Trust Consultancy.

Staff management

Managing a team of two staff and one shared part-time staff resource. Responsibility for managing contractors.

Key Responsibilities

Deliver a successful Land & Farm Advice Service (LFAS)

• Lead the business development of the LFAS, growing the profile and market share, and building a network of partners, contacts, and clients

• Estimate, bid for and win new contracts in a competitive market. Increase the pipeline of opportunities, quotations, and commissioned projects

• Ensure the quality of LFAS proposals, tenders and reports are consistently high and meet industry best standards

• Provide wildlife-friendly land management advice to landholders, farmers, partners and colleagues, to ensure that good outcomes for nature result from LFAS involvement

• Work in partnership with the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust’s Conservation Strategy and Landscape Recovery team, to collaborate on opportunities for the Trust to secure funded projects, where a joint approach leads to positive landscape-scale impacts for nature

Manage Land & Farm Advice Service operations

• Head-up project management within LFAS, delivering projects from opportunity to client handover at high utilisation rates, and co-ordinating team resources for projects to be delivered on time and on budget

• Manage incoming requests, client liaison and allocate project responsibilities within the team, quoting customers promptly, tracking opportunities and measuring client satisfaction

• Implement core operational procedures, including innovative use of tech and software, alongside rigorous health & safety and project management procedures.

Develop opportunities for landowner engagement

• Engage with landowners, to find and develop opportunities for the consultancy’s services and opening doors for The Trust’s participation

• Provide up-to-date working knowledge of sources of funding and financial incentives for land management practices, such as Countryside Stewardship, Biodiversity Net Gain, Environmental Land Management Services, and initiatives for Nature’s recovery, including conservation approaches, agricultural policy and agri-environment schemes

• Organise and deliver training and networking events for farmers, land managers and landowners

Person Specification

• Experienced in delivering environmentally beneficial land management advice to clients, ideally in a consultancy environment

• Experienced in writing and reviewing project proposals, technical reports and management plans, able to ensure the quality of the consultancy’s products is of the highest standards

• Responsible for all aspects of project delivery – desk and field based – with the necessary project management skills and experience to achieve budget and programme targets

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, to ensure effective communications with colleagues, clients, and external stakeholders. Able to lead meetings and present to groups

• Evidence of working with a range of landowners, farmers, and estate managers, with the ability of forming long-term relationships at all levels

• Willingness to travel within the three counties to meet farmers, landowners, and colleagues in commercial, rural, and agricultural environments

• A current UK-valid driving licence

• Well-developed IT skills with a working knowledge and understanding of MS Office and experience with GIS

• Ability and willingness to demonstrate the BBOWT values and behaviours

• Flexible approach to the demands of seasonal field surveying or client-related events, that may require occasional unsociable hours of work

Measurements Of Success

• Significant contribution to the growth, strategic direction, business development and quality of output of the consultancy

• Best-practice standards in land management advice, support and reports provided to clients

• Expert guidance and mentoring provided to the LFAS team

• Meet or exceed the LFAS budget through successful bidding and contract wins and maintaining or increasing the pipeline of opportunities, quotations, and commissioned projects

• Projects are effectively overseen and achieve best value in the timeframe to ensure the LFAS team is generating profitable income