SOUTH WEST WILDLIFE FUNDRAISING
LIMITED (SWWFL) APPOINTMENT OF
TEAM LEADER (X3)
INTRODUCTION
The Wildlife Trusts in the south west are charities and membership organisations. Members are vital to them as key sources of income and volunteers; and with over 150,000 members, they provide a powerful mandate for the Trusts to undertake their conservation work and to have significant local influence. Membership often provides the only stable, predictable source of income to the Trusts.
South West Wildlife Fundraising Ltd (SWWFL) supplies face-to-face fundraising solutions to Wildlife Trusts in the south west. Teams of Membership Recruiters led by a Team Leader, will work at pre-arranged venues such as supermarkets, local events and county shows across six south west counties; Gloucestershire, Avon, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, and Devon. This method uses a static display or activities to assist the recruiters in engaging with the public to gain memberships.
The Business Director, supported by Team Leaders, will establish county level recruitment teams across the south west. The Business Director will delegate responsibility for the day to day management of county based teams of Membership Recruiters to the Team Leaders. Team Leaders have responsibility for maintaining staffing levels and the close performance management of Membership Recruiters including oversight of venues and recruitment opportunities. Vital to success will be establishing good working relationships with the Membership Recruiters through effective line management and the development of a dedicated and professional team. Team Leaders will cover teams within an agreed geographical area with administrative work carried out from home. However, you may be asked to work anywhere in the south west area.
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SWWFL’s CLIENTS
The Wildlife Trusts in the South West
Avon, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire.
Combined, these six South West Wildlife Trusts represent more than 150,000 members, employ over 300 staff, engage nearly 8,000 volunteers, manage 350 nature reserves and 10 education centres, protect 30,000 acres of habitat by investing £14m a year in conservation work.
The scope and scale of each trust is dependant upon the level of funding it can secure. Importantly it is the unrestricted income derived from memberships that allows for targeted campaigning, education, public participation events and investment in key resources to support conservation delivery. Although many projects are funded through fundraising from grant bodies, statutory agencies and charitable trusts this route is unpredictable, restricted in how funds can be used and under pressure from increasing cuts.
In the South West the six trusts are supported by an average of 3% of the population through memberships. However, a number of trusts have succeeded in achieving penetration in excess of 5%. Through South West Wildlife Fundraising Limited the South West Trusts hope to achieve a greater synergy between themselves and the public face of their membership recruitment. The aim is to maximise opportunities, improve quality and increase the financial security this area of funding allows. An increase of 1% penetration across the SW population would secure an additional £3.6 million of unrestricted income.
The SW Wildlife Trusts have ambitious visions for their counties – to rebuild biodiversity to create a vibrant and wildlife rich Living Landscape.
The Big Plan
‘A Living Landscape is one of the biggest conservation plans in British history. It will restore natural areas by reassembling damaged and fragmented blocks of woodland, meadows and marshes. It will reconnect the living tissues – the streams, and hedges and waysides – that link them to the pockets of wildness in our towns and villages. It will rebuild nature in our midst and put it to work for us. A reinvigorated natural world will become our ally in coping with environmental threats.’
What the SW trusts are doing for Living Landscapes:
· Managing, expanding and linking habitats so wildlife can thrive across whole landscapes and in our towns.
· Providing advice to farmers and other land managers to help wildlife and allow nature to adapt to climate change.
· Managing important nature reserves as havens for wildlife and showcasing where everyone can experience nature.
· Providing opportunities for people from all walks of life to get involved with the natural environment.
· Ensuring wildlife has a voice when decisions on development plans, policies and funding are made.
Conservation and planning
Working with planning authorities such as District and Borough Councils is one of many Wildlife Trust's activities.
SW trusts review over a thousand planning cases a year, ranging from the small-scale such as mobile phone masts to district-wide development plans. They restrict their strongest objections to where the threat to wildlife is significant in the context of the whole of the county or region. Typically they will only look to be involved where sites important for wildlife at a county or greater scale are affected due to limited resources. Trusts understand the need for negotiation and mitigation, and that often the most positive outcome for wildlife is working alongside developers and the planning system to achieve solutions.
Education
Many trusts are committed to helping young people learn about their natural environment. One of the most important goals for the future of our children is to ensure a steady improvement in their quality of life, in a way that respects our common heritage and the planet we live on. It is believed that integrated learning both inside and outside the classroom can help students to assume responsibility for creating and enjoying a sustainable future.
Wildlife Trust resources allow students to learn in context, by practical engagement and personal discovery. They have been designed to combine current educational thinking with rigorous, active learning. This contributes significantly to raising standards and allows students to work collaboratively with others and develop a better sense of themselves and their potential. The aim is to provide contemporary and relevant materials, which have the scope to be adapted to individual classes' particular learning activities.
Campaigning
All trusts prioritise local issues and design and deliver campaigns to meet those challenges with limited resources, this is where their membership can have real influence on a county or national scale. In the South West campaigns are currently running on subjects such as Marine Conservation Zones, Love Your Beach, Sustainable Fishing, Badger Vaccinations, Green Infrastructure within The Planning System, and Over Draining of Rivers.
Membership
This is at the core of all trusts, it drives their operational ability as membership income is unrestricted. It impacts heavily on the ability to design and deliver successful campaigns and it creates a framework through which Wildlife Trusts can widen their influence within education and partnerships – increasing their ability to protect and enhance wildlife and the important habitats it requires.
THE JOB
1. Job Purpose
To recruit, train and performance manage geographically defined teams of face-to-face Membership Recruiters in the south west. To maximise membership recruitment opportunities by identifying and building relationships with appropriate venues and monitoring performance at these sites across designated areas. To maintain good relationships with key Wildlife Trust staff members and ensure that recruiter paperwork is completed and processed in a timely manner.
2. Principal Accountabilities
· Ensure membership recruitment targets are met by maintaining an overview of membership recruitment, monitoring individual performance, utilising performance management and advising on improvements in operational delivery.
· Recruitment, training, support and line management of membership recruitment staff. This should be managed to ensure cost effective processes that meet the needs of the business.
· Ensure quality control and legal compliance in all elements of the membership recruitment process in line with Public Fundraising Regulatory Association, Institute of Fundraising, Local Authority guidelines and the Data Protection Act 1998.
· Maximise the recruitment opportunities for SWWFL by identifying appropriate venues across the county in liaison with Membership Recruiters and individual Wildlife Trusts.
· Ensure Membership Recruiters promote the Trusts amongst the general public through professional conduct at all times and maintain a good awareness of current work and strategy.
· Develop and maintain a good knowledge and understanding of the work of the Wildlife Trusts in agreed areas including activities, nature reserves and membership package.
· Ensure enquiries and complaints are dealt with according to agreed processes, escalating to Business Director if required.
· Provide regular reports as required by the Business Director.
· Attend meetings with Business Director and SWWFL Board members, as required.
· Maintain an up to date knowledge and awareness of relevant good practice guidance and requirements.
3. Person Specification
Essential / DesirableSkills & attributes / Able to lead, motivate and develop a diverse team of individuals / Proven ability in developing and training successful sales professionals
Ambitious and target driven
Flexible attitude to working environment and ability to prioritise effectively
Ability to develop effective working relationships quickly
Able to work weekends and occasional evenings where required
Able to travel throughout your territory
Knowledge & qualifications / Good knowledge of performance management within the context of face to face fundraising and of how to deal with underperforming team members / A good understanding of charity law, and other relevant legislation, regulations and good practice
Use of Microsoft software and other database packages / A good knowledge of the work of the South West Wildlife Trusts and the challenges they face
Understanding of data protection & commercial confidentiality
Experience / Experience of effectively managing or coordinating the activity of a team or teams / Proven track record of successful sales team management
Experience as a line manager / Experience in recruiting staff
Experience of effective performance management within a target driven environment / Experience of face to face or venue based fundraising
Experience of face to face sales
Analysis of data and the production of management reports
Home working and remote management of staff
An enthusiasm for wildlife and nature conservation
Personal attributes / Resilient and self motivating
Competitive and energetic
A commitment to the voluntary/charitable sector
Other / Full driving licence, access to a car with appropriate business insurance
Ability to work from home with access to a computer and broadband/internet
4. Reporting Structure
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BRIEF SUMMARY OF TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT
· Location: the post is home based with extensive travel to your teams. There are three roles to cover three geographical areas; Dorset and Wiltshire, Devon and Somerset, Avon and Gloucestshire. Team boundaries and size may change to suit the needs of the business.
· Salary: the salary is £18,000 pro rata for the number of hours worked plus commission. The commission component will be 4.5% of the annual value of all the memberships recruited (including Gift Aid) by the recruiters the Team Leader is responsible for. This is likely to be in the region of £8k per annum if current recruitment targets are met, higher if targets are exceeded.
· Working hours: are 22.5 hours a week.
· Holidays: 28 days of paid leave including Bank Holidays pro rata for the number of hours worked.
· Travel: all reasonable travel costs incurred as part of the job will be reimbursed within SWWFL's approved rates (40 pence per mile for mileage expenses).
· Benefits: SWWFL contributes 3% of salary to a personal pension scheme (following successful completion of the probationary period).
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RECRUITMENT PROCESS
SWFL’s recruitment and selection process aims to select the applicant whose qualifications, experience, knowledge and abilities most closely match the requirements of the post as set out in the Person Specification.
How to Apply
To apply for this post please complete the attached application form and send to Wendy Fernandez at the address below or via e-mail to . This should be accompanied by a covering letter of not more than two sides of A4 which you should use to demonstrate how you meet the requirements of experience, knowledge and skill as set out above. You may submit a CV but the application form must be completed in full. Please mark your letter ‘private’.
The deadline for receipt of applications is 5.00pm on Monday 29 July 2013.
Interviews
Interviews will be held on Thursday 8 and Friday 9 August. It is hoped that the successful candidate will be able to take up the post in September 2013.
The interview panel is normally made up of two or three people. The purpose of the interview is to allow us to ask questions to expand on the information which you have provided on your application form so that we can make a judgement on the extent to which you meet, or exceed, the selection criteria for the post. We aim to do this objectively and fairly and the questions we ask will be specifically aimed to test the selection criteria.
In order to provide us with as much information as possible about each candidate’s abilities we may ask you to carry out a job related selection exercise. You may be asked to prepare this beforehand, in which case we will send you details prior to the interview date or to carry out the exercise on the interview day.
If selected for interview you will be required to present documentary evidence to confirm qualifications identified in your application. These will include your Degree (or similar qualification) and any other qualifications you hold related to this post.
We regret that, for financial reasons, we are unable to respond to all applicants individually. If you have not heard from us by 2 August please assume that we will not be calling you for interview.
Thank you for your interest in South West Wildlife Fundraising Limited.
SWWFL Team Leader JAP July 13 5
Company no 8529465
Cricklepit Mill, Commercial Road, Exeter, Devon, EX2 4AB