Park Manager – Weald Country Park

Park Manager – Weald Country Park

Permanent, Full Time

Up to £35,522 per annum

Location: Brentwood

Working Style: Operational field-based worker

The Opportunity

We're on the lookout for a passionate and experienced Park Manager to join our dynamic team at Weald Country Park. If you're enthusiastic about nature conservation, habitat management, and creating memorable visitor experiences, this could be the perfect role for you!

Essex is a diverse county with some of the highest levels of deprivation in the country through to highly affluent communities, which gives us a wide variance in life expectancy and quality. Culture and Green Spaces deliver exceptional customer experiences, demonstrating the benefit of Essex’s strategic location, with the objective of developing a financially sustainable operation.

The Park Manager is responsible for all operational management of Weald Country Park and contributing to all activities that develop the Park and effectively manage the green space as a hub of biodiversity. The Manager will develop and implement a plan to ensure the correct level habitat management is achieved, undertaking duties to effectively manage the land, including nature conservation, increase resilience against climate change, landscape, and horticulture.

Responsibilities

• Park Operations
• Oversee the day-to-day operations of the country park, ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for visitors.
• Ensure the smooth operational running of the site and its facilities.
• Guarantee a safe and clean environment for park visitors and users.
• Liaise with and manage partners, stakeholders, community groups, volunteers/volunteer groups, contractors, and third-party commercial franchises.
• Conservation and Environmental Stewardship
• Lead conservation efforts to protect and enhance the natural environment within the park.
• Collaborate with environmental agencies and stakeholders to implement sustainable practices.
• Responsible for the development of robust Park Management Plan (PMP), taking into consideration the unique requirement of the park, the impact of climate change, good practice green space management, whilst contributing to county-wide park management planning process.
• Be a visible ambassador for Country Parks, developing effective relationships and partnerships with stakeholders including borough and district councils, landlords, Natural England, Historic England, ECC’s Place Services, parking partnerships, and other key stakeholders.

Team Leadership

• Responsible for creating and maintaining an effective park team, by line management of the whole park team providing guidance to Rangers, Park Operation Assistants and other site staff.
• Lead, manage and motivate team to ensure service objectives are met.
• Responsible for recruitment, induction, training, work planning, evaluating performance, managing conduct and disciplinary matters.
• Accountable for implementation of consistent processes, controls, ways of working and operating practices within the park.
• Responsible for providing robust analysis of performance information, including financial and quality data to inform business decisions with the Country Parks Manager.
• Manage third party commercial relationships and tenancies, with support from ECC corporate functions.

Budget Management

• Accountable for budgetary control for the park, ensuring compliance with all financial processes and good practices.
• Ensure control of general expenses and ensure the park is managed within budgeted guidelines and to the agreed high standards.
• Produce regular financial and non-financial performance reports against key performance indicators.
• Contribute to the submission of grant applications for additional funding and ensuring work and reporting is completed in the agreed timeframes to receive monies, whilst highlighting further funding opportunities across the site. Deliver against all commitments under all grants received, including Countryside Stewardship and National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The Experience You Will Bring

• Educated to degree level in land management, countryside management or equivalent by experience in country park management.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and people management skills.
• Good understanding, knowledge and experience of ecological/habitat management and conservation issues.
• Understanding of the ‘Country Park’ ethos and commitment to promoting enjoyment of the countryside.
• Excellent attention to detail, ability to use initiative and to spot and resolve problems efficiently.
• Good IT skills – working knowledge of various computer software programs (MS Office).
• Flexibility.

Why Essex?

Essex County Council has a location to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England’s oldest town, Colchester, and two of its newest – Basildon and Harlow – are right here. Along with the City of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our major population centres. It means real choice and makes Essex the ideal place for your career.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.

We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

What you should do next

If you are interested in finding out more about this role, we would love to hear from you. Please click APPLY now.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email Laura.O’Connor@essex.gov.uk