Avalon Marshes Business Manager & Engagement (Ref: 6326)
2 days ago
Lincoln
South West England Job Summary This position is based at Shapwick Heath NNR, Glastonbury Job Description The team Do you have a passion for nature and the environment? Do you want to make a real difference and secure significant environmental gains in the present and the future? Do you enjoy working in a team? Can you see yourself advising communities and customers to maximise gains for the Natural Environment? If this appeals to you, a career at Natural England offers rewarding opportunities to secure environmental improvements and play your part in creating a better future for people and nature. The Priority Work Natural England Is Delivering Includes: • Establishing a Nature Recovery Network to help wildlife thrive;, • Monitoring environmental changes to identify and help reduce the effects of climate change;, • Working with farmers and landowners to develop greener food production methods;, • Advising on plans for new developments to maximise gains for nature, and, • Providing ways for people to better connect with nature, including green social prescribing. We are the Government’s Adviser for the natural environment, playing a vital role in delivering the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan, an ambitious vision which brings new opportunities to protect and enhance and to achieve real outcomes for the environment. Find out more about the work of Natural England at Job Summary This role is based at the Avalon Marshes Centre in Glastonbury, Somerset, with some homeworking and flexible arrangements. The candidate will be required to be located within Somerset or able to travel to the office at least 4 days a week, given the partner and public-facing aspects of the role. Due to the location of the centre a driving licence is desirable. The role will also involve occasional weekend / out of hours working. Job Description The Avalon Marshes Business Manager & Engagement role will be part of the Somerset National Nature Reserves (NNR) team based at the Shapwick Heath NNR Office. The NNR office is based at the Avalon Marshes Centre which is owned by Natural England and shared with a number of our partner bodies and sits at the heart of the Somerset Wetlands National Nature Reserve. The Somerset NNR team is part of Natural England’s Somerset Team and in turn the Wessex Area Team which covers the counties: Somerset, Avon, Wiltshire and Dorset. The Area Team delivers environmental outcomes, primarily through the protection and enhancement of biodiversity and landscapes, using a range of mechanisms including direct management of our own land, advice on land management and planning, and engagement with stakeholders and connecting people and nature. The NNR team works closely with the wider Somerset and other Wessex teams, including SSSI officers, farming advisors, and licensing and planning colleagues. Natural England Wessex Area Team is seeking a NNR Business Manager & Engagement Senior Officer to lead on the daily operations and strategic development of the Avalon Marshes Centre, being the first point of contact for all users of the site. Key Responsibilities Include: Managing operational tasks, Health & Safety compliance, coordinating with and overseeing Facilities Management providers and tenant and stakeholder engagement. The role ensures a safe, accessible environment for staff, tenants, businesses, volunteers and the public, while meeting legal obligations. The role will also contribute towards NE’s ‘Connecting People with Nature’ portfolio by collaborating with partners like the NHS to facilitate public engagement events and promote social prescribing, enhancing mental and physical health and overall wellbeing. Implementation of Health & Safety (H&S) Frameworks and Legislation • Provide leadership of a safe working practice culture to all staff across one or more NNR Groups, including implementation and cascading key H&S information, ensuring local systems and ways of working are in place that support the implementation of H&S policies and procedures., • Provide feedback on risks and issues to H&S team and national operations colleagues, and support development and implementation of new guidance and procedures where required. Financial Management & Monitoring • Assist in identifying needs and works towards securing longer term investments (capital investment, external funding etc) to support future NNR operational delivery. Provide support with planning and coordinating major capital projects., • Research and produce a strategic plan for alternative Facilities Management provision for NNR work bases, resulting in substantial cost and efficiency savings. Partnerships Management • Manage stakeholder relationships with our tenants, contractors and visitors. Be the first point of contact, respond proactively to emerging challenges, and ensure that NE are meeting legal requirements., • Develop opportunities for local and regional networks and partnerships across NNR delivery, including with Approved Body partners and other potential NNR managing partners. Connecting People with Nature • Looking for opportunity to link into wider partnership ambitions and promote inclusion with diverse audiences., • Work with Area Team and national comms and engagement leads to promote our NNRs, and their role in delivering both our Connecting People with Nature and Nature Recovery Network (NRN) strategies., • Work with national NNR teams to seek innovative opportunities for NNRs to demonstrate organisational goals for inclusion, outreach, and visitor experience. Benefits Wherever possible Natural England accommodates requests for both full-time and part-time hours and other flexible working patterns to help employees achieve a good work/life balance and maintain their health and wellbeing. Natural England provides excellent opportunities for career progression, training and development tailored to your role. From induction to ongoing learning and development, everyone in Natural England is supported to develop their skills and capabilities. Everyone has 10 days to devote to personal learning and development, as well as an additional 3 days to volunteer. You will have access to Civil Service Pension and benefits arrangements and generous leave allowances (33 day per year pro rata), as well as flexible working, to help you achieve a work-life balance that works for you and us. You will have access to a range of benefits including discounts on shopping vouchers, cycle to work scheme, and childcare vouchers. You can also join the Civil Service Sport club which offer discounts on a range of sports and leisure opportunities as well as social events. Natural England is a fantastic place to work, where difference is celebrated. We’re committed to fairness and equality for all, so you feel valued for who you are and what you do. Our shared values help us work together to benefit the communities we serve. Our thriving employee-led diversity networks support our inclusive culture and contribute to our Diversity Action Plan. Locations Natural England is adopting hybrid working – which means our staff work from a flexible range of locations, encompassing home, offices (ours and our partners) and relevant sites. All new staff will be formally linked to one of our 25 offices across England and the expectation is that all new staff will be able to access their local office to be part of the community of staff in their geographical area. The role is based at the Avalon Marshes Centre in Glastonbury, Somerset, with some homeworking and flexible arrangements. The candidate will be required to be located within Somerset or able to travel to the Centre at least 4 days a week, given the partner and public-facing aspects of the role. Staff members are required to carry out all their duties working in this way and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time. Travel expenses will be paid if work related travel is required but does not apply to travel between home and your associated office. National team roles can be linked with any Natural England office while Area Team roles will be linked with an office in the relevant geographic area. View a map of our office locations here: Pay It is Natural England policy to employ at the entry point of the salary range. How to Apply We welcome and encourage applications from all communities. Natural England is accredited to the Disability Confident Scheme, which denotes organisations which have a positive attitude towards disabled people. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum requirements for the role at the shortlisting stage are guaranteed an invitation to interview. If you require a reasonable adjustment at interview, or there is anything else you would like the panel to take into consideration, you should notify us of this at application stage where possible, or well in advance of your interview. This vacancy uses competency-based assessment. We'll assess you against the competencies below during the selection process: • Technical Skills & Knowledge, • Working Safely, • Work Delivery, • Putting People at the heart of the environment When completing the application form you should present relevant examples using the STAR format. Give us an example of how you have demonstrated the competency (which can be work related or from another area of your life) and tell us about the Situation, the specific Task you had to undertake, the specific Actions you took, and the Result (both immediate and in a wider context) of your doing so. Please note that STAR format is not required when answering the Technical Skills & Knowledge competency. Examples should be given in no more than 250 words for each competency. Next Steps If you are successful at the shortlisting stage, you will be invited to attend an interview via MS Teams or a suitable alternative, where you will be asked to give examples for all 4 competencies as set out in the Job Description. Successful candidates will be allocated roles in merit order based on scores achieved at interview and in accordance with location preferences, taking into account the work area to which successful candidates are most suited, wherever possible. Competencies Competence 1 Professional competency Technical Skills and Knowledge • Understanding of facilities management principles, including health and safety compliance, maintenance coordination, and legal obligations for public spaces., • Ability to monitor budgets, track expenditure, and support funding applications., • Skills in managing relationships with tenants, contractors, and partners to ensure smooth operations and compliance., • Awareness of strategies for connecting people with nature, including social prescribing and outreach to diverse audiences., • Competent in using standard office software and digital platforms for communication, reporting and engagement. Competence 2 Professional competency Working Safely • Understand the duty of care owed to all visitors, contractors or others on our NNRs, and adhere to appropriate legislation and Natural England policies and procedures (Practitioner), • Apply the principles of risk management and adopt safe working practices for yourself and the people you work with in everything you do (Practitioner) Competence 3 Professional competency Work Delivery • Manage and deliver your work to meet agreed targets and deadlines (Practitioner), • Consider the financial implications of your work and seek income from our products and services (Practitioner) Competence 4 Professional competency Putting People at the heart of the environment • Understand the importance of people accessing and engaging with the natural environment, and how to balance their needs with nature conservation objectives (Practitioner), • Nurture trusting partnerships and collaborate to achieve pragmatic outcomes that help deliver Natural England's vision, mission and aims (Practitioner) The team Do you have a passion for nature and the environment? Do you want to make a real difference and secure significant environmental gains in the present and the future? Do you enjoy working in a team? Can you see yourself advising communities and customers to maximise gains for the Natural Environment? If this appeals to you, a career at Natural England offers rewarding opportunities to secure environmental improvements and play your part in creating a better future for people and nature. Benefits Wherever possible Natural England accommodates requests for both full-time and part-time hours and other flexible working patterns to help employees achieve a good work/life balance and maintain their health and wellbeing. Natural England provides excellent opportunities for career progression, training and development tailored to your role. From induction to ongoing learning and development, everyone in Natural England is supported to develop their skills and capabilities. Everyone has 10 days to devote to personal learning and development, as well as an additional 3 days to volunteer. You will have access to Civil Service Pension and benefits arrangements and generous leave allowances (33 day per year pro rata), as well as flexible working, to help you achieve a work-life balance that works for you and us. You will have access to a range of benefits including discounts on shopping vouchers, cycle to work scheme, and childcare vouchers. You can also join the Civil Service Sport club which offer discounts on a range of sports and leisure opportunities as well as social events. Natural England is a fantastic place to work, where difference is celebrated. We’re committed to fairness and equality for all, so you feel valued for who you are and what you do. Our shared values help us work together to benefit the communities we serve. Our thr...