Date as postmark
Dear Sir/Madam
Thank you for your interest in the post of Senior Warden and Team Leader at Thurrock Thameside Nature Park.
Please find enclosed with this letter a copy of the following information about the post
· A Job Description for Senior Warden and Team Leader at Thurrock Thameside Nature Park
· Terms and Conditions of Employment
· Our current staff structure
· An application form for the post
· Some background to the site
The successful applicant will be required to live in a cottage on site and a letter showing the terms and conditions of this arrangement is also enclosed.
Thurrock Thameside Nature Park was a large landfill site and we are transforming this into an 845 acre nature park on the banks of the Thames with magnificent views over the wild and industrial vistas of this important river. Thameside Nature Park Limited is a subsidiary of Essex Wildlife Trust and both are working together on this site.
This is an important position – the nature park was opened by Sir David Attenborough in May 2013. You will be leading a team of staff and volunteers on one of Essex Wildlife Trust’s biggest projects with a great opportunity to be involved in creating a large landscape for people and wildlife. You will be offering the team leadership, organisational and motivation skills to ensure this project is the success it deserves to be. This will be a challenging position inside a busy organization.
We encourage you to visit the site beforehand if you wish to. The Visitor Centre is open each day from 9 am to 5 pm and you can walk in part of the Nature Park and appreciate the amazing views and potential of this area. Large parts of the future Nature Park are still a restoration and construction area and not accessible at present but soon will be. You can also visit the adjoining Nature Reserve of Stanford Warren which will be part of the Nature Park complex. You can see Crown Cottage, the Senior Warden’s house. At present the entrance road goes past the house but this will change when the entrance is moved and a cottage garden will be established. Details of Thurrock Thameside Nature Park and Visitor Centre are on our web site www.essexwt.org.uk
To apply for the post please return the application form together with your full CV and a short covering letter explaining why you think you are suited to the job. Your application must reach the above address by 5pm on Wednesday 19th June 2013 Interviews will be held on Thursday 27 June 2013. As we are a charity and endeavor to keep costs down, we will not be able to respond individually to all applications. If you are selected for interview, we will phone and confirm in writing so if you have not heard from us by the interview date you have not been successful and we take this opportunity to thank you for your application.
The main interviews will be at Thurrock Thameside Nature Park followed by a practical section.
Thank you for your interest in the work of the Trust and Thurrock Thameside Nature Park and I look forward to receiving your application.
Yours faithfully
Steve Beary
Sales Company Manager and Centres Management Team
JOB DESCRIPTION FOR SENIOR WARDEN AND TEAM LEADER THURROCK THAMESIDE NATURE PARK
Job Title: Senior Warden and Team Leader
Location: Thurrock Thameside Nature Park
Overview Essex Wildlife Trust aims to protect wildlife for the future and for the people of Essex. It is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. It is one of 47 Wildlife Trusts which form the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts. The staff of Essex Wildlife Trust and its subsidiaries Essex Wildlife Sales, Essex Ecology Services, Thameside Nature Park and Chafford Gorges, work alongside large numbers of volunteers and work within the policies and budgets agreed by the Board of Trustees and set out in the Strategic Plan. We are a dynamic and fast growing organisation with many opportunities, both to maintain our existing activities and to take on important new initiatives.
Title of Post: Site Manager and Team Leader
Responsible to: Sales Company Manager
Line managing the following posts: Centre Manager, Education and Community Officer, and Site Warden (part-time post which will be appointed at a later date as the Nature Park expands)
Key working Relations:
Reserves Manager South - who provides technical expertise.
Centres Management Team - consisting of Senior Reserves Manager, Sales Company Manager and People and Wildlife Manager; who manage our Reserves with centres.
Thameside Nature Park Ltd - the charity that holds the lease on the land of Thurrock Thameside Nature Park.
Main Aim of the Job: To lead the Thurrock Thameside Nature Park Team in managing the Nature Park, the Visitor Centre, other buildings and equipment, and staff and volunteers working on site. Developing and implementing the Management Plan following Essex Wildlife Trust policies and procedures. To follow the current Strategic Plan and deliver the objectives within that plan.
To work within national and local frameworks.
Main Duties and Responsibilities:
1. To coordinate, lead and motivate all staff and volunteers at the Nature Park and Visitor Centre to work towards the common goal of achieving a great Nature Park and Visitor Centre, part of a thriving Living Landscape and Living Sea.
2. To set and take responsibility for managing budgets and /business plan for each year.
3. To support staff in achieving their objectives and targets.
4. To ensure the team promotes the understanding, enjoyment and conservation of wildlife throughout the site by working with the staff and volunteers to deliver good on-site activities for a wide range of audiences.
5. To plan and organise practical management with staff, volunteers and contractors and undertake practical land management yourself and work alongside a team of volunteers and other Trust staff.
6. To work with contractors on specific tasks and ensure that good contracts are in place and that these are well managed.
7. To take on responsibility for the health and safety matters on the site and to ensure that a site audit and risk assessments are written and adhered to.
8. To ensure the Nature Park, facilities, buildings and equipment are maintained to a high standard.
9. To maintain and develop good relations with our neighbours and partners such as Cory Environmental, DP World, Environment Agency, Natural England, Port of London, Thurrock Council, the local communities and others to ensure that they are engaged in the long term future of the Nature Park
10. To ensure all aspects of running the Nature Park are well documented including project management and negotiations with partners.
11. To be a key holder for the Visitor Centre and attend security alerts outside normal working hours.
12. To have a flexible working pattern, working weekends and evenings when necessary as part of a coordinated rota with other staff and volunteers.
13. To work closely with the Centre Management Team (Sales Company Manager, People and Wildlife Manager and Senior Reserves Manager).
14. To liaise with other Team Leaders at other locations.
15. To ensure compliance with grant conditions, funding requirements and budgets.
16. To ensure biological records are kept and carry out an annual monitoring programme for species and habitats which are important for the site.
17. To occupy and look after the Senior Warden’s House which is provided under a Service Licence for the better performance of the Senior Warden’s duties.
18. To undertake other duties under the direction of your Line Manager which are bound to occur in a busy organisation.
Essential Skills and Attributes for Thurrock Thameside Nature Park Senior Warden and Team Leader
· Sound knowledge of ecology and conservation management.
· Experience of practical conservation and site management.
· Appreciation of challenges on urban wildlife sites such as security, anti-social behaviour etc.
· Ability to prioritise work and meet deadlines.
· Ability to manage a team of staff and volunteers.
· Computer skills – word processing, email, spreadsheets.
· Experience of project management, negotiations with partners, delivery and budget control.
· Current driving licence.
· Willingness to be flexible over days and hours of work.
· Ability to manage a site with complex health and safety issues.
· Experience or appreciation of a site or building which is receiving large numbers of visitors from a range of backgrounds and has great educational potential.
· Experience of tractor driving, PTO equipment, brushcutter preferably with certificates of competence in each and if not then significant years of experience which confirm that you would have no difficulty in passing these certificates.
· Willingness to live in the Senior Warden’s house which is provided under a Service Licence for the better performance of the Senior Warden’s duties.
Draft Form of letter to the Senior Warden and Team Leader when appointed to explain the occupation of the Senior Warden’s house
Dear
ACCOMODATION AT CROWN COTTAGES, THURROCK THAMESIDE NATURE PARK, MUCKING.
I need to confirm the terms of your occupation at Crown Cottages, Mucking.
You will occupy the house on the basis that you are the Senior Warden and Team Leader for Thameside Nature Park and this therefore constitutes a service licence where you are required to occupy the house for the better performance of your duties as Senior Warden and Team Leader. These duties include the items that are included in your job description and include providing a presence at Thameside Nature Park which supports the security of the premises including being one of the main key holders for the Visitor Centre and buildings. This service licence is such that you could not remain in the house if you were to leave the employment of Essex Wildlife Trust or Thameside Nature Park Ltd for any reason or you were to change your job from Senior Warden and Team Leader at Thurrock Thameside Nature Park.
Everything to do with the structure of the house is the responsibility of Thameside Nature Park Ltd so you may not undertake any structural alterations without consent. This extends to any fixtures such as shower, bath, sinks, stove etc. Fittings such as portable electrical goods, washing machine, cooker, fridge, etc. are your responsibility although we may be able to assist. We will discuss any work needed in the house and bring this up to a reasonable state of condition and decoration when you take over. You will then be responsible for maintaining the property in a reasonable condition and state of decoration. There is also an area around the house which will be your private outside space. The current entrance road to the Nature Park is planned to move to a new entrance and therefore we will be able to establish a garden with the house.
You will be responsible for paying Council Tax, or equivalent, and for paying bills such as electricity, TV licence, fuels, water and sewerage. The Trust will pay the telephone rental and for work related calls, but not for personal calls which you must keep account of and pay by reimbursement to the Trust on a monthly basis. You must advise your Line Manager if there are any defects or problems relating to the house and immediate grounds.
We expect you to keep the house and the grounds in good condition. This house is your home with privacy respected at all times. We do, however, expect you to seek agreement of your Line Manager for any use of the house and grounds which are outside normal use as a residence for the Senior Warden and Team Leader. If you wish to have dogs or other pets then we will need to agree how these can be accommodated.
Your Line Manager will undertake an inspection of the house once each year and retains the right to inspect at other times providing, of course, that we give you reasonable notice (in the event of disagreement reasonable would be defined as one week’s notice).
I hope you will take pride in looking after this house to maintain it in reasonable condition and I hope you will be very happy living there.
This letter forms part of your contract of employment on the day you occupy Crown Cottages. From the day you occupy you will be required to pay a Service Licence Fee which is the equivalent of 10% of your gross salary which will be deducted at source.
I would appreciate you indicating your agreement by signing and returning one of these copies.
Yours sincerely,
John Hall
CEO
APPLICATION FORM Thameside
Nature Park Ltd
APPLICATION FOR THE POST OF …Senior Warden and Team Leader,
Thurrock Thameside Nature Park………………………………….
(This information will be confidential to the Interview Panel and the line manager)
APPLICANT’S FULL NAME:
HOME ADDRESS:
TEL NO: DAYTIME ______
TEL NO: EVENING ______
EMAIL ADDRESS______
ESSENTIAL SKILLSPlease outline what experience you have to meet the following Essential skills for this post.
Please feel free to expand the reply boxes or use a separate sheet if you wish to give us further information. (Max 120 words per box)
1. Sound knowledge of ecology and conservation management.
2. Experience of practical conservation and site management.
3. Appreciation of challenges and opportunities on urban wildlife sites such as security, anti-social behaviour, engaging large numbers of local people.
4. Ability to prioritise work and meet deadlines.
5. Ability to manage a team of staff and volunteers.
6. Computer skills – word processing, email, spreadsheets.
7. Experience of project management, negotiations with partners, delivery and budget control.
8. Current driving licence.
9. Willingness to be flexible over days and hours of work.
10. Ability to manage a site with complex health and safety issues.
11. Experience or appreciation of a site or building which is receiving large numbers of visitors from a range of backgrounds.
12. Experience of tractor driving, PTO equipment, brushcutter preferably with certificates of competence in each and if not then significant years of experience which confirm that you would have no difficulty in passing these certificates.
13. Willingness to live in the Senior Warden’s House under Service Licence
CONVICTIONS
1. Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offence? If so please give details of any unspent convictions. Spent convictions do not have to be declared as the job is not one covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974(Exceptions) Order 1975)
QUALIFICATIONS
If you are invited for an interview we will require evidence of the qualifications you have referred to in your application.
REFEREES