The role

The City of London Corporation owns and manages approximately 11,000 acres of historic and natural green spaces for public recreation and enjoyment. These include Epping Forest, Hampstead Heath, West Ham Park, West Wickham & Coulsdon Commons, Burnham Beeches & Stoke Common, and Ashtead Common.  These are registered charities and are part-funded by the City Corporation along with a range of external funding sources.

The Natural Environment Division enhances the City of London Corporation’s reputation as a global leader in climate action and sustainability by proactively delivering climate solutions and increasing biodiversity, collaborating extensively with the local community to provide outstanding natural environments.

Purpose of Post

The Director of Natural Environment is responsible for leading the Division, which manages and delivers services on behalf of the NE Charities, establishing, and delivering a strategic vision and five-year plan, implementing conservation activities to support the City of London Corporation’s Climate Action Strategy, and increasing the visitor numbers and improving the visitor experience.  Fundamental to this role is leading the transformation of the open spaces charities and developing a sustainable funding model to secure the future of these assets and our natural capital. 

• Lead the management of the eight open spaces charities in line with charity governance, and the transformation of those charities for a more financially sustainable future
• Act as Head of Service for all aspects of the Natural Environment Division, providing strategic direction and leadership across the Division.
• Deliver funding models in a collaborative manner, ensuring that options for funding are fully developed to ensure success.
• Deliver and develop the Division’s services achieving the aims, objectives, statutory and charity obligations, set goals and targets in line with Departmental and Corporate Business Plans.
• Be a full member of the Directorate’s leadership team (SLT) and proactively contribute to creating a culture that values diversity, innovation, builds resilience and identifies and develops talent.
• Service and support the effective operation of relevant Grand and Sub-Committees, including authoring, approving, and providing expert specialist advice to Members.
• Act as the Corporation’s lead policy advisor on all areas of responsibility, functions and legal jurisdiction of the Division. Implement all relevant legislation for which the Division is responsible.
• Act in the absence of the Executive Director for the full discharge of Departmental functions.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

1. To provide strategic direction for all services that are the responsibility of the post holder in accordance with City, Pan-London and national policies.
2. To work with Members to drive strategy, service delivery and change. Identify, develop, and implement recommendations to the relevant Committees regarding the future governance of the spaces, including consideration of the current and any new charitable trusts, ability to effectively fund the habitat, estate and visitor management activities at the spaces over the long term, and ensure best practice for charitable trusts. 
3. To lead the Division in developing services that will put it both at the forefront of service delivery and with a reputation for the highest standards of customer care.
4. To lead on and develop a capital programme that secures the future use of NE divisional assets (both charity and non-charity) which will initially need a root and branch review requiring close collaboration with City Surveyors, Chamberlains and City Solicitor. The goal is to secure new income in perpetuity for reinvestment into the open spaces and their associated charities.
5. To embed a culture which is motivational, fosters excellence performance, innovation and trust amongst staff, and facilitates cross-team working and a strong team culture; and to promote continuous improvement that values learning, development, commitment to quality and equality, diversity and inclusivity.
6. As a member of the directorate’s Strategic Leadership Team, work with the Executive Director and other team members to be a key contributor on crosscutting corporate projects and initiatives that impact on the Corporation’s effective management of change and service
7. To lead and oversee the development and implementation of the Division’s Business Plan and five-year plan ensuring that all decisions are taken in the best interests of the spaces for the benefit of London and Londoners.
8. To ensure that capital and revenue budgets for the Division are developed, monitored and managed effectively in accordance with departmental arrangements, Corporation policy, standing orders and charity legislation; identifying opportunities for increased income and funding streams, including but not limited to commercial initiatives, donations and grants.
9. To be responsible for the effective and efficient use of the Division’s resources and to take responsibility for the management of all relevant risks in their area of responsibility, in line with good practice and legal and regulatory requirements.
10. To lead division-wide planning, prioritisation, and performance assessment; helping the team to understand and commit to the execution implications of strategic ideas and goals, while maintaining cost effectiveness and a pragmatic and agile approach to staffing and resourcing
11. To work in partnership with the public, private, voluntary and community sectors, taking account of the most up to date research and analysis of the external context, priorities and good practice.
12. On behalf of the City Corporation, to liaise with and seek to influence at a senior level government departments, DEFRA, Charities Commission and local authorities and their representative bodies with a view to achieving the City’s aims and objectives.
13. To provide briefings for the Town Clerk, Executive Director, other senior managers, Committee Chairmen, Aldermen, Councilmen and others as required.
14. To lead, direct and support a team of employees to deliver the Division’s objectives to a consistent high quality and in line with the City Corporation’s values, ensuring decisions are effective, efficient and meet governance requirements.
15. To ensure that staff are developed to realise their potential and that individual and team performance is reviewed and monitored throughout the year, to ensure quality service provision. Leading staff, ensuring that all are supported in their development and continual learning, building a collaborative working environment and an innovative culture; encouraging staff develop specialisms to broaden in- house capabilities. 
16. To actively seek to implement the City of London’s Occupational Health and Safety Policy in relation to the duties of the post, and at all times give due regard to the health and safety of both themselves and others when carrying out their duties.
17. To actively seek to implement the City of London’s Equal Opportunity Policy and the objective of promoting equality of opportunity in relation to the duties of the post.
18. To undertake any other duties that may reasonably be requested appropriate to the grade.

Please find below the key skills, experience and core behaviours required to undertake this post.

This leader should have extensive experience in the conservation and/or leisure sectors, ideally both, in addition to strong leadership and management capability.

Professional Qualifications / Relevant Education & Training

• Education to at least degree level or ability to demonstrate equivalent experience of working in a similar role within the charity, grant making or public sector. (A)
• Extensive knowledge of the conservation, parks, sport/ leisure, charitable and/or voluntary sectors. (A)
• Knowledge of the relevant national and local government bodies and legislation relating to the environment, conservation, climate change and biodiversity. (A/I)

Experience Required

• Thorough knowledge of the conservation and/or sport/ leisure sectors, ideally in the charitable sector (A)
• Significant experience of developing ambitious programmes to increase conservation activities and/or sport/leisure and recreation activities (A/I)
• Experience developing collaborative partnerships and programmes with relevant stakeholders (A)
• Experience at a senior level in a similar organisation, and experience of working with boards of directors/trustees/elected members (A/I)
• A record of significant and innovative accomplishment in building and implementing effective strategies and programme delivery, and ideally fundraising campaigns (A/I)
• Proven track record at senior level leading a professional team through change that results in measurable outcomes, including monitoring, evaluating and reporting impact to key stakeholders (A/I)
• Experience of managing and developing staff, including setting and measuring objectives and managing performance. (A)
• Experience of delivering balanced budgets (A)
• Experience of working co-operatively as part of a team. (A)

Technical and General Skills/Behaviours

• A passion for the Natural Environment – the successful candidate will be driven by a concern to make a positive difference (I)
• Strategic thinker who’s driven by impact and evidence, curious to keep up to date with new ideas and innovations and sees the positive potential in change (A/I)
•  Strong interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence and authenticity that mean you can communicate with impact to different audiences, from Members and other senior political figures to volunteers to children and other learners to staff (A/I)
• Resilient – able to cope with a senior role carrying significant responsibility, juggling competing priorities and potentially demanding requirements by Members (I)
• An ability to deliver through others and build a high performing team (I)
• An ability to communicate complex issues clearly (I)
• Excellent verbal communication skills with the ability to engage with, advise and speak assertively and persuasively on complex matters, internally and externally, at all levels of seniority. (I)
• Excellent written communication skills with the ability to write high quality detailed committee reports, policy and strategy documents on the assessment, development and management of grants and grant-making and make compelling arguments to key stakeholders in relation to funding recommendations. (A/I)
• Ability to negotiate favourable positions and influence strategies which achieve strategic and organisational aims and objectives (A/I)
• Understanding of the motivations, concerns and values of different groups and stakeholders, ensuring communicative approaches are tailored accordingly. (A/I)
• Willingness to work flexibly, and sometimes out of regular office hours is required (A/I)

Recruitment – Note to Applicants

The qualifications, experience and technical skills will be used in the decision-making process for recruitment. Please give examples of how you have exhibited these behaviours in your previous role(s). It is essential you address the criterion marked as (A) on your application form in the section for supporting information. Be as specific as possible, we cannot guess or make assumptions but will assess your application solely on the information provided. Try to provide evidence, by examples, where possible, of skills, knowledge and experience contained in this person specification.

Structure chart of Executive Leadership Board

Find out more about our Executive Leadership Board, Senior Leadership Team, and Chief Officer Risk Management Group here.

Structure Chart of Environment Department and Natural Environment Division

This summary is given as a guide and is not intended to form part of an individual’s contract of employment.

Contract

The position is offered on a full-time, permanent basis. We are committed to considering requests to work flexibly and job share. Requests will be considered by the recruiting manager in line with our policies and business needs.

Salary

The salary range for this job is £106,790 – £122,460 inclusive of London Weighting. A Market Forces Supplement of up to £25k also applies. This figure will be reviewed annually from 1st July in line with the pay award for other salaried staff within the City of London Corporation. 

Pension

The pension scheme provided by the City of London is the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).  The LGPS is a public sector, statutory, funded, defined benefit pension scheme.  Benefits are accrued based upon scheme member’s salary and the length of time for which they are a member of the scheme.

You will automatically be admitted to the City of London Corporation’s Pension Scheme.  Member contributions are based upon the rate of pensionable pay received by the scheme member. Members contribute between 5.5% and 12.5% of their pensionable pay to the scheme, depending on salary. Please see here for the contribution bands. There is also an option to join the 50/50 section of the scheme where members pay half the contribution rate and accrue benefits at half the accrual rate.

The current employer contribution rate for the City of London Corporation is 21%.

Further details can be found on the national LGPS website and/or the City’s pension website.

If you do not wish to join the Scheme you must make a formal declaration stating, you wish to opt out.  You may contact the Pensions Office directly should you have any queries relating to the Local Government Pension scheme and your entitlements under this scheme.

Hours of Work

Normal hours of work are 35 hours per week excluding lunch breaks, Monday to Friday, inclusive but the post holder shall be expected to work the hours necessary to carry out the duties of the position.

Frequency and Method of Payment

This is a monthly paid appointment, and salaries are credited to a Bank or Building Society Account on the 11th of each month.

Annual Leave

There is an entitlement of 28 – 33 days of annual holiday plus Bank Holidays. The minimum is 28 days (on a five-day basic working week) and subsequent increases to entitlement according to continuous length of service.

Continuous Service

If you join the City of London Corporation without a break in service (subject to certain exceptions) from another body covered by the Redundancy Payments (Local Government) (Modification) Order 1999, your service with that institution will count for the purpose of continuous service. The amount of continuous service which you have will affect your entitlement to certain contractual benefits, for example, annual leave, sick leave, and maternity leave. A full explanation of Continuous Service is contained within the Employee Handbook.

Learning and Employee Development

As part of your induction, you will be guided to complete a suite of engaging online courses via City Learning. City Learning is our go-to portal for any mandatory eLearning courses, as well as offering an array of personal and professional development courses at your disposal 24/7.

The City of London also provides financial support and time off for staff to study for appropriate qualifications which relate to their duties or undertaking professional skills update training. There is also an in-house program covering more general training needs.

City Benefits

CoLOUR is our rewards, benefits, and recognition platform. As an employee of the City Corporation, you have access to exclusive discounts and privileges through a combination of internal offers from our departments and an external service we have subscribed to.

Employee Volunteering Programme

The City Corporation, in line with its aims to contribute to a flourishing society, shape outstanding environments and support a thriving economy, offers employees paid special leave time during normal hours to encourage employees to volunteer their time and skills to Volunteer Involving Organisations (VIOs) operating within the Square Mile, London and beyond.

Full-time employees may take up to 2 days or 14 hours per year in which to volunteer, between 1st January and 31st December. For temporary and part time employees these hours are adjusted pro rata. Volunteering time can be taken in smaller bite size e.g. 2 hours a week over 7 weeks, where this can be accommodated by the City Corporation and meets the requirements of the volunteer organization.

Sickness Absence and Pay

The City of London Corporation has a comprehensive Occupational Sick Pay scheme, details of which can be found in the Employee Handbook which will be made available to you upon commencement.

Probationary Period

This policy is subject to change effective 1st July. You will be updated on the approach as part of your offer of employment. Should either party wish to terminate the employment during this period, then one week’s notice will be required on either side, except for summary termination for gross misconduct.