Head of Countryside Management

Could you be our next Head of Countryside Management for our stunning Surrey Hills portfolio? Are you a committed and enthusiastic leader with a experience in nature conservation, ecology and wider countryside management?  We are looking for a Countryside Manager to lead our energetic and forward-thinking team to deliver our vision.

This a rare opportunity to take a leading role in a beautiful part of the country and an area that is extremely important for wildlife and landscapes. You'll lead and inspire your ranger team, as well as our many staff and volunteers together with wider stakeholder and partner organisations, in how they can also play their part in restoring a beautiful, healthy, and natural environment.

Please read more about this role in the attached brochure and view our video showcasing the beautiful portfolio here

Salary range for this role is £32,000 - to £42,000 depending on experience 

Internally this role is known as Countryside Manager

What it's like to work here

Surrey Hills is a large Countryside portfolio located in Surrey and within 20 minutes of the outskirts of South London. It comprises of 5000 Hectares spread over different properties mainly within the Surrey Hills AONB.

The sites are spread across Surrey from Frensham Ponds in the West to Limpsfield Common in the East of the County. Some 3000 hectares of land have SSSI, SPA or SAC protection mostly for Heathland, Chalk Downland and Ancient Woodland. 

The Surrey Hills portfolio includes Box Hill and Hindhead Commons- some of the busiest countryside sites in the country, being close to London and located in the South East of England.

What you'll be doing

 Reporting to the General Manager, and as part of the Management team, you'll play a strategic role in the future of the portfolio. Leading your countryside team, you will develop and deliver plans for nature conservation at a landscape scale across the portfolio including wildlife management, visitor access, community engagement and working with the farming community. 

You'll be responsible for strategic planning and the operational day-to-day delivery of everything related to the countryside management on our properties. 

You'll engage a wide variety of external stakeholders in delivering your work and you will enable a broad range of visitors to have outstanding and inspirational experiences through the quality of our welcome and the effectiveness of our conservation work.

Who we're looking for

We're looking for someone who has:

• A background in conservation, ecology, land management or forestry
• Experience in motivating, inspiring and leading people
• Experience in balancing conservation, access, presentation and visitor engagement
• Experience in delivering complex partnership working
• Safety and compliance experience
• The ability to manage budgets of 100k + and identifying new commercial income streams
• Experience in handling complex issues

The package

The National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

Wherever you’re from, and whatever your background, we want to hear from you – and it doesn’t matter if you’re jam first, cream first, or even if you don’t like scones at all. Everyone is welcome.

Benefits for working at the National Trust include:

• Flexible working whenever possible

• Free parking at most locations

• Free entry to our properties for you, a guest and your children (under 18)

• Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary

Click here to find out more about the benefits we offer to support you.