Dear Sir/Madam
Thank you for your interest in the post of Warden at Blue House Farm, Essex Wildlife Trust.
The successful applicant will work 37.5 hours per week, 9am – 5pm, across Monday – Sunday. This role will require working as part of a rota and a minimum of alternate weekends is expected. With this role there is the wonderful opportunity to live in the farm house. It would be favourable for the successful applicant to live on site, although this could be open for discussion.
Please find enclosed with this letter a copy of the following information about the post and the Essex Wildlife Trust:
· A Job Description for the post of the Blue House Farm Warden
· Terms and Conditions of Employment
· Our current staff structure
Essex Wildlife Trust is the county’s leading conservation charity. It has more than 35,800 members, manages and protects over 8,400 acres of land on 87 nature reserves and 2 nature parks and runs 11 visitor centres. The aim of Essex Wildlife Trust is to Protect Wildlife for the Future and for the People of Essex. It is supported financially by members, local businesses and grant making organisations. It is one of the largest of the 47 county wildlife trusts that work together throughout the British Isles as The Wildlife Trusts.
Blue House Farm is a 250 hectare farm situated on the north bank of the River Crouch. It has been managed by Essex Wildlife Trust since 1998. The Flat Fields have been grassland for the last 100 years and are used as a feeding ground for Brent Geese. Around 2,000 geese come to the area during the winter. Around 2,000 geese come to the area during the winter. This wonderful coastal grazing marsh is a SSSI that sits on the bank of the River Crouch, attracting large numbers of wintering and breed waders and wildfowl. The reserve is also home to Water Vole, Brown Hare and many species of moth and dragonfly, making it an amazing wildlife haven.
The main aims of this post are:
· Delivering high quality wetland conservation management in order to improve the reserve for threatened species.
· Maintaining a robust programme of species monitoring and surveying to inform the site management.
· Recruiting and managing volunteers to ensure reserves tasks are completed to a high standard.
· Ensuring safe working practices and high levels of site and equipment maintenance are kept.
· Provide an inspiring site for visitors, enabling them to connect with nature and the natural environment.
· Line manage one member of staff, sharing expertise and knowledge for the effective delivery of nature conservation.
· Manage livestock to ensure optimum grassland habitat conditions for the benfit of wintering and breeding wildfowl and waders.
Please note this role will require regular weekend working as part of a rota, minimum of alternate weekends is expected. Flexibility to your working pattern is essential.
To apply for the post please return the application form together with your CV and a covering letter explaining why you think you are suited to the job. Your application must reach the above address by 17.00 on 25th June 2017. Please ensure that you name your documents with your full name.
Interviews will be held on 12th July 2017 at Blue House Farm.
Due to the high number of applicants we are not able to respond to your application unless you are selected for interview. If you have not heard from us by the interview date you have not been successful in getting an interview.
For further information please contact 01621 862960 or visit www.essexwt.org.uk
Thank you for your interest in the work of the Trust and I look forward to receiving your application.
Yours faithfully
Marc Outten – Reserves Manager South Essex
Essex Wildlife Trust Job Description and Person Specification
JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title: Blue House Farm WardenLocation: Blue House Farm, North Fambridge
Reports to: Reserve Manager
Professional lead: N/A
Responsible for: 1 staff and 5 to 10 volunteers.
Directly responsible for:
Staff
Blue House Farm Assistant Warden
Volunteers
Blue House Farm Volunteers
Financial Responsibilities: Income Expenditure
Overall responsibility
Direct responsibility 58,400 47,400
Job Purpose:
To ensure the good management of Blue House Farm for its conservation interest and to promote good visitor access
Responsibility Areas
Service Delivery (50% of time)
Key Activities:
· To manage 270 Ha of Coastal Grazing Marsh for its wildlife interest
· To provide, to the public, a safe and enjoyable nature reserve
· To achieve Health and Safety best practice at all times
· Site security, repair and maintenance of the reserve infrastructure and machinery.
· Wildlife recording and monitoring
· Be responsible for the day to day management of up to 800 sheep and 200 cattle.
· To assist in the management of other EWT reserves with in a 20 mile radius of BHF
Planning/organising (30% of time)
Key Activities:
· To prepare, administer and control income and expenditure budgets.
· To complete the Health and Safety Site Audit
· To comply with wildlife and other legislation.
· Management of new projects on site including resources/budgets for these
· Planning and leading of events
People (10% of time)
Key Activities:
· To manage the Blue House Assistant Warden, including their performance and development (including 1:1’s and annual reviews), resolving issues and disputes and the recruitment and selection of this role.
· Ensure Staff and Volunteers are working to best health and safety practice through the implementation of risk assessments for each site and activities where appropriate
· To recruit and manage a team of 5 to 10 volunteers and ensure they are well organised, well trained, to work effectively and safely.
Problem Solving/Innovation (5% of time)
Key Activities:
· To deal with issues from members of the public
· To organise the repair of machinery and equipment
· To overcome practical habitat management issues
· Issues associated with livestock grazing.
Communication (5% of time)
Key Activities:
· To Promote the reserve through newsletters, walks and talks, and provide the media team with good news stories
· To provide good interpretation of the reserve through trail leaflets,, interpretation boards
· Good internal communication with staff
· To promote Living Landscapes to the public, neighbours and stakeholder groups
· Respond to correspondence and emails
· Write reports about the management of the nature reserve and write up the results of wildlife monitoring
To undertake any other duties which are commensurate with the role.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
· Degree or HND or equivalent in Conservation, Biology or similarly related discipline or experience in making land management decisions to benefit wildlife and people. Significant experience of managing staff and volunteers
· Good experience of grassland habitat management and good understanding of wildlife and other land based legislation
· Experience of producing and managing financial reports and budgets
· Proven IT skills in Microsoft Office particularly Word, Excel and Outlook.
· Proven experience in running and leading volunteer work parties
· National Proficiency Tests Council and Lantra qualifications for ATV, Tractor and chainsaw
· Species identification skills
· Proven experience running and leading events and giving talks
Essential Skills and Behaviours
Team working
· Builds a sense of team spirit encouraging shared ownership of objectives and deliverables
· Understand needs of both internal and external colleagues and partners Customer focus
Problem solving and analysis
· Offers fresh and creative solutions to potential obstacles
· Maintains a broad view of the situation, identifying the key elements while keeping an overview of the detail
· Applies own judgement and criteria to adapt previous recommendations or experience in the light of the current circumstances
Professionalism
· Considers how best to add value and ensures own expertise is sufficiently developed to do so.
· Ensures high standards are achieved and customer needs fulfilled.
Determination
· Leads delivery at a team level by prioritising, setting clear milestones and establishing unambiguous measures
· Maintains enthusiasm and commitment to deliver results in the face of difficulties
· Experience of taking responsibility for own actions and making decisions without referring to others
Persuasive communication
· Speaks clearly, fluently and in a compelling manner to both individuals and groups
· Tailors communications to appeal to, include and engage different audiences
Customer focus
· Works hard to meet customer needs and looks after their interest
· Quickly builds rapport and easily establishes relationships with customers
· Relates well to different types of customers, listens and gets on with them
People management)
· Experience of motivating and empowering others in order to reach goals including setting and monitoring objectives and performance; conducting appraisals and seeking development opportunities for others
· Provides clear direction to others
· Support staff to identify and meet development needs
· Recognises and rewards good performance and rigorously tackles any poor performance of individuals
Planning
· Identifies correct working methods, reviewing methods as appropriate and identifying how best to use resources to achieve results
· Proven ability to effectively prioritise, organise, plan and schedule activities and resources
· Manages the activities of self and others through effective prioritising, organising, planning and scheduling of activities and resources.
Special Conditions:· Requirement to be able to drive and a current full UK driving licence
· Requirement to work flexible hours including at times, weekends and evenings
· Willing to live in the Wardens house which is provided under a Service Licence for better performance of duties
· To work on a rota for livestock checking which would include weekend working, bank holidays and may include Christmas and Boxing day and emergency call outs - day or night.
· Heavy lifting, physically fit and ability to work all day long
· First aid at work certificate
TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT
Name of Employer: Essex Wildlife Trust Ltd
Title of Post: Warden
A detailed job description is available but this does not form part of the terms of employment.
Responsible to: Marc Outten, Reserves Manager South Essex
Place of Work: Blue House Farm
Hours of Work: 37.5 hours per week, normally 7.5 per day. Normal office hours are 9.00 am to 5.00 pm, however, work will be required outside these hours, including work at evenings, regular weekend work as part of a rota (usually working every other weekend) and Bank Holidays for which time may be taken off in lieu. Guidance and procedures on claiming time off in lieu are included in the Staff Handbook, located on SharePoint.
Itinerary: You must complete a staff itinerary in advance for each week for your Line Manager to read, this must show the days you are working, the hours you intend to work and indicate key jobs you are undertaking. This is held on Microsoft Outlook Calendar. Instructions are in the Staff Handbook.
Salary: up to £22,300 per annum depending on experience and qualifications and subject to review with your Line Manager. Salary is paid monthly in arrears. If for some reason it is clear that the Trust has over paid or under paid on one month it will adjust this by deduction or addition on the next month. Rates of pay are reviewed in November each year. Details of salary during Probationary period will be set out in your letter of appointment.
Travelling: When using your own vehicle on Trust business (excluding ordinary commuting) a mileage allowance may be payable (full details and current rates are available in the Staff Handbook). When you make a travel claim you will be asked to confirm that your private vehicle is appropriately insured, taxed and has an MOT (where applicable).
Travel at the beginning or end of the working day to/from your normal place of work is within your own time. It is not classed as working time and you are therefore not entitled to record time off in lieu for these journeys. If an employee travels from their place of work to another work related location or temporary place of work, this is normally in work time. If an employee’s role requires them to travel from home to a temporary place of work at the start of the day it would be reasonable for an employee to spend the first 30 minutes of the journey in their own time. The same would apply at the end of the day if an employee travels from a temporary place of work to home in that it would be reasonable for 30 minutes of that journey to be in their own time. Full guidance can be found in the Staff Handbook on SharePoint. Specific exceptions to this can be agreed by your Line Manager for going on a particular visit or training outside of Essex, where the length of the journey is more than a normal journey time you would do within Essex.
Annual Leave: Our holiday year runs from 1st January to 31st December. For a complete holiday year full-time staff are entitled to 23 working days in addition to days in lieu of statutory bank holidays rising to 25 days after 5 years’ service.
This entitlement will be pro rata for part-time staff and given the role is 5 days per week, this will translate to 23 days holiday per year.
Holidays must be taken in consultation with other staff and with the agreement of your Line Manager. If you commence work part way through the holiday year, you need to base your entitlement on the remaining complete months in that holiday year.
You will not normally be able to take more than 3 consecutive weeks as holiday and at least three working days must be taken between November 1st and March 1st. Annual leave must normally be taken in the calendar year it is due, but some days can be carried over with agreement of the Line Manager providing they are taken by 31st March of the following year.
If you leave your employment your holiday entitlement will need to be recalculated for the completed months that you have worked in that holiday year. Discuss any over taken holidays with your Line Manager.
Bank and Customary Holidays: your entitlement to time off for bank holidays is pro rata for part time staff and given the role is 3 days per week, you will receive a fifth of your weekly contracted hours for each Bank and Customary that remains in this holiday year.