Date as postmark
Dear Sir/Madam
Thank you for your interest in the post of Centre Manager/Team Leader at Ingrebourne Valley Visitor Centre Essex Wildlife Trust.
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 Centre Manager/Team Leader
· Terms and Conditions of Employment
· Our current staff structure
· An application form for the post
Essex Wildlife Trust is the county’s leading conservation charity. It has more than 33,000 members, manages and protects over 8,200 acres of land on 87 nature reserves, 2 nature parks and runs 9 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.
The Ingrebourne Valley Visitor Centre located at Hornchurch Country Park overlooks the river Ingrebourne and important marshes. The 97 ha park is managed by Havering Council and has a small woodland, open grasses and fields, reed bed, ponds and meadows. The park attracts approx. 144,000 people per annum, who use the extensive network of footpaths to enjoy walking, cycling and running. There is a large events field near-by as well as a play area, trim trail and green gym. Military structures can still be seen within the park
The main aims of this post are to lead, manage and support the Visitor Centre team
· Ensuring the efficient and profitable running of the centre and providing a high quality and engaging visitor experience.
· Ensuring a high quality catering offer, that will encourage park visitors to use the VC
· Ensuring the education team offer an high quality educational service for schools and groups
· Ensuring a high quality retail offer
· Supervising volunteers to ensure the smooth running of the centre
· Ensuring there is an engaging and exciting informal events programme.
Please note this role will require regular weekend working, usually alternate weekends, as part of a rota. To apply for the post please return the application form together with your full CV and a covering letter explaining why you think you are suited to the job. Your application must reach the above address by 9am on the 2nd June 2015.
Interviews will be held on 10th June 2015.
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
Lisa Smart - Operations Manager
Essex Wildlife Trust Job Description and Person Specification
This post is part funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
JOB DESCRIPTION
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Job Title: Centre Manager/Team Leader
Location: Ingrebourne Valley Visitor Centre, Hornchurch Country Park
Reports to: Operations Manager
Professional Lead: Retail Manager & Environmental Projects Programme Manager
Responsible for: 6 staff and approximately 120 volunteers
Direct responsibility Asst. Centre Manager (part time)
Catering Manager
Education & Community Officer (part time)
Asst.Education & Community Officer (part time)
Casual Centre Staff
Centre Volunteers
Job Purpose:
To lead, supervise and encourage the site team to deliver a great service, through consistent and forward looking management. To manage a welcoming and profitable visitor centre delivering a 3 year Activity Plan and Heritage Lottery Fund(HLF) linked outcomes.
Responsibility Areas and Key Activities
Service Delivery
Ensure centre is welcoming, safe and clean, a pleasant and inspiring place to visit
Ensure visitors receive a high quality and inspiring retail offer
To promote excellent customer service from everyone on the site
To ensure the delivery of the activity plan within a 3 year period
To offer a varied programme of community activities/events to the local community
To provide a varied use of the centre that is sustainable
To ensure a high quality catering offer to maximise the customer experience in line with leasehold restrictions
Ensure administration supports the smooth running of the centre.
To make and take opportunities to recruit members and supporters of Essex Wildlife Trust
Planning/organising
To have overall responsibility for all the VC income and expenditure budgets,
To ensure all financial activities related to the visitor centre are carried out to a high standard and to the required time scales
Ensure accurate completion of centre records in accordance with EWT and LBH procedures
To ensure accurate information is collated for the Programme Manager regarding funding outcomes and delivery
To ensure that a well promoted, inclusive and inspiring programme of events runs through the calendar year, to promote regular visitors to the site
People
Improve team members’ performance through coaching, training and providing opportunities for development both individually and as a team (including 1:1’s and annual reviews).
Resolve on an informal basis, staff and volunteer issues, grievances and disciplinary matters.
Interview and select staff for positions within the centre team
Recruit and manage volunteers, through effective supervision using EWT procedures
To motivate staff and volunteers through effective training, supervision and regular 1 to 1 meetings
Ensure that EWT develops great working partnerships with external partners
To ensure the centre maximises opportunities to recruit new EWT members and increase levels of donations
Maintain good working relationships with London Borough of Havering and their on-site Rangers
Problem Solving/Innovation
To manage the site team to create, develop and deliver projects and events that will move the site forward and attract new audiences
Analyse customers’ needs to define priorities
Create innovative shop displays.
Respond and efficiently resolve problems as they arise
Develop new interpretation in conjunction with the centre team to improve visitor experience in the centre and on the surrounding reserve
To take overall responsibility for the centre staffing rotas and centre security.
Communication
Key Activities:
Work closely with line manager, CMT to meet EWT & LBH aims and objectives, and obtain support and resources to achieve visitor centre targets
Ensure regular communications between VC team members to maintain up to date information
Act as the main point of contact for media at the centre, encouraging the whole team to create editorial, adverts and press releases.
Maintain social media sites for the VC.
Maintain good relationships with EWT partners, such as LBH as well as external and internal.
Ensure any reports for internal and external customers are completed on time and to the requested standard eg. Funding outcomes to Programme Manager.
Promote the work of Essex Wildlife Trust and membership options.
To undertake any other duties which are commensurate with the role
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Specialist knowledge and experience
Significant experience of managing staff and volunteers
Significant retail or visitor centre experience
Experience of providing excellent customer care.
Experience of producing and managing financial reports and budgets
Experience of supervising a catering offer
Excellent administration skills.
Experience of using Microsoft office suite along with e-mail and social media
Experience of planning and managing successful and profitable events
An interest in working for a charity which is determined to protect wildlife for the future, and for the people of Essex
1. Team Working
· Builds a sense of team spirit, encouraging shared ownership of objectives and deliverables.
· Makes time to get to know individuals, listens to and builds understanding of their skills, interests and motivations, to work together more effectively.
· Handles disagreements as they occur, seeking a constructive solution.
2. Problem Solving and analysis
· A level of numeracy sufficient to be able to check and reconcile statistics, financial information etc.
· Ensures details and facts are correct, complete and consistent, ensuring that conclusions drawn from the information are built on solid foundations.
· Identifies root causes of problems.
· Offers fresh and creative solutions to potential obstacles.
3. Professionalism
· Seeks out feedback from colleagues and managers, taking the learning and development points on board and modifying own practice.
· Ensures high standards are achieved and customer needs fulfilled.
· Ensures a quality and consistent approach.
4. Determination
· Consistently delivers to expectations and commitments, meeting or exceeding agreed standards.
· Leads delivery at a team level by prioritising, setting clear milestones and establishing unambiguous measures.
· Delivers personally and through others across projects by setting clear goals and targets, monitoring progress and holding people to account.
5. Persuasive communication
· Produces written communication which is fluent, clear, concise and tailored to intended recipient(s). Speaks clearly, fluently and in a compelling manner to both individuals and groups.
· Tailors communications to appeal to, include and engage different audiences.
6. Customer focus
· Relates well to different types of customers, listens and gets on with them.
· Treats both internal and external service users with honesty, integrity and discretion
· Works with others to identify customer needs and issues to ensure service are fit for purpose
· Encourages others to understand customer need
.
7. People Management
· Provides clarity when delegating work, setting boundaries and balancing the need for delivery
· 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.
· Recognises and rewards good performance and rigorously tackles any poor performance of individuals
· Fosters creativity by encouraging ideas and building on the innovative solutions of others.
8. Planning
· Identifies correct working methods, reviewing methods as appropriate and identifying
how best to use resources to achieve results
· Manages the activities of self and others through effective prioritising, organising, planning and scheduling of activities and resources.
Special Conditions:
· Willingness to be flexible with working days,
· Work weekends on a regular centre rota, normally alternate weekends as a minimum, work evenings and bank holidays as required in order to fulfil your role
· To be a key holder for the building in the event of a security call out
· Requirement to be able to drive and a current full UK driving licence with use of your own vehicle
· Live within 30 minutes of the Visitor centre
TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT
Name of Employer: Essex Wildlife Sales Ltd
Title of Post: Centre Manager/Team Leader
A detailed job description is available but this does not form part of the terms of employment.
Responsible to: Operations Manager
Place of Work: Ingrebourne Valley Visitor Centre
Hours of Work: 37.5 hours per week, normally 7.5 (excluding 30 mins lunch break) 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 £26,606 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.
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.