Country Parks Manager

Medway

£43,855.53

37 Hours per week (Monday to Friday, 8am-4pm) 

Medway Norse is one of the biggest joint ventures within Norse Group, partnering with Medway Council to deliver a growing number of frontline public services to residents, such as Grounds Maintenance, Building Maintenance, transport, etc.

Leading the Senior Park rangers in Medway’s Parks and Countryside areas. To continue the focus on delivery of the green flag and management plans, ensure that park management, events / educational programmes are delivered. Working with the team of Rangers to ensure high standards are delivered across the service areas.

Main Responsibilities

• In this role, you will be responsible for all aspects of the operation and management of the two country parks, with a particular emphasis on the continual development of the visitor centres and working with the catering manager, also looking at the cafes.
• You will have relevant knowledge of local conservation, flora and fauna and be able to apply it to the parks management plans and strategies.
• You will also develop income generating strategies across the parks to ensure the facilities are optimised, budgets managed, and that all areas, including the Cafés, achieve the agreed business targets.
• Leading a team of dedicated individuals, you will ensure high standards are maintained, issues are resolved and performance and customer service sit at the centre of everything they do.
• Report through to the senior management team KPI result data, board report information and any other service monitoring required.
• Developing the commercial potential of the facilities, you will develop and oversee education programmes, conference bookings and services, ensuring the facilities and services are managed to meet customer, partner, and tenants’ expectations.
• You will ensure that the Countryside Team are supported in ensuring that conservation and biodiversity management is carried out in accordance with agreed priorities (habitats and species) and targets for income from grants, such as grazing rights, are achieved.
• Direct and lead the team on working with volunteers / friends groups during practical task days and carry out wildlife surveys.
• This role will be for 37 hours a week, some weekend/evening working will be required. Attendance at meetings for friends groups etc that are generally held in the evenings.
• Manage staff including HR, Performance, Sickness and all other line management responsibility.
• Undertake training / mentoring of staff to ensure skills are retained and meet the required standards.

Key Requirements

• Demonstrable technical/specialist/policy & procedural knowledge which can be applied across a wide range of activities
• Knowledge of Health & Safety / COSHH / IOSH / NEBOSH
• Degree in countryside management  (if none, then applicable other learning and experience must be demonstrated)
• Minimum of five years’ experience of Grounds or Park management, or a similar role with transferable skills.
• IT literate in MS word, excel, PowerPoint and Project.
• Able to use GIS mapping and asset management equipment
• Health & Safety Management – Understanding  / able to write method statements and risk assessments
• Good communication skills both written and verbal.
• Good people skills and ability to handle conflict and potentially stressful situations.

What we offer

• 25 Days holiday, plus bank holidays
• Nest Pension
• Genuine work life balance
• Progression routes
• Opportunities for additional qualifications

An enhanced DBS check will be required for our successful candidate, payment will be met by the employer. 

We are committed to employment practices and behaviours which encourage diversity, promote equality of treatment and eliminate unlawful and or unfair discrimination.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy once we have received sufficient applications. If you have not been contacted within two weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application has not been successful and will not be progressed to the next stage.