The Land Trust

Estates Officer / Contracts Manager

Permanent, Part Time

Working from Beaulieu Community Garden Cabin, Chelmsford

From £13,250 for 18 hours p/w (FTE 26,500)

The Land Trust is a registered charity dedicated to the management of green spaces for community benefit.

The Estates Officer/Contracts Manager will report to the South East Estates Manager to manage our existing and emerging sites. This will involve close working with Land Trust colleagues, managing agents, developer partners, contractors and external stakeholders across the South East of the country.

The post holder will be responsible for managing the grounds maintenance contracts and contributing to customer engagement at four of the Land Trusts’ existing service charge sites at Beaulieu, St Michaels, St Lukes & Wolsey. This will be to maximise the economic and social value which can be delivered from the green spaces around these developments, funded via the service charge paid by the home owners.

About the Role

The post offers a unique opportunity to become the main point of contact within new local communities, helping to champion the impact of well-maintained open spaces. The post holder will also be required to collaborate with a diverse range of partners and contractors responsible for the day-to-day management of our sites, ensuring they are delivering as efficiently as possible

The post holder will work across different teams within a friendly and forward focussed organisation. This includes collaboration with Estates, Fundraising, Finance and Project Management teams as well as other partners to ensure projects are delivered to budget and on time.

Close working with the Land Trusts’ Communications Team will be essential in ensuring sites are promoted and marketed creatively and effectively through a variety of events and activities. The post also offers the opportunity to identify commercial revenue generating opportunities that help support the delivery of the Trusts charitable aims.

The post holder will help to champion the role of the Land Trust in the creation and development of sustainable communities.

Essential Skills:

• Contract Management
• Excellent communication skills including the ability to develop and manage relationships with residents and the public, partner organisations and contractors
• IT literate with proven skills in using MS Office packages
• Ability and confidence to work on own initiative, as well as part of a team, and to resolve problems as they arise, remaining calm under pressure
• High level of tact, diplomacy and confidentiality
• Confidence to manage competing priorities from a number of sites
• Ability to balance a long-term vision with attention to detail to ensure that the vision can be successfully realised

  

Essential Experience in:-

• Managing parks, nature reserves and other open spaces for public benefit
• Dealing with the public in a customer facing role (not necessarily in a landscape management role)
• Developing, implementing and monitoring management agreements, landscape management plans and management contracts
• Working with a range of partners in the management of sites including public, private and voluntary sector organisations
• Setting up and running landscape management contracts

   
Desirable Experience in:-

• The design and development of new areas of open space
• The management of sites funded through service charges
• Customer Relationship Management Systems

   
Benefits

• Hybrid working - Flexitime
• 25 days holiday (plus statutory Bank Holidays) increasing up to 30 days with service
• Holiday Purchase option
• A defined contributions pension, with Land Trust matching employee contributions up to 6%
• Life Insurance (4 x salary)
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Health Care Cash back scheme
• Training and Development support

   
APPLICATIONS

In line with the requirements of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996, all applicants must be eligible to live and work in the UK

For full information please visit: www.thelandtrust.org.uk

Applicants should send a CV and covering letter, stating the position applied for in the subject header to: recruitment@thelandtrust.org.uk

Closing date for applications: 9am Monday 26th June

Interviews will take place on week commencing 3rd July 2023

The land trust is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in employment and its employment policies for recruitment are designed to ensure that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender re-assignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Closing Date: 26/06/2023  Location: Beaulieu Community Garden Cabin, Chelmsford