BUSINESS
Business Manager
Salary: £26,000 - £28,000 (depending on experience)
Full time – 2 Year Fixed Term Contract
Wild things! is a thriving environmental education charity which, in this exciting time of growth and expansion, is looking to recruit a Business Manager. This senior position will be responsible for the day to day running of the charity and will oversee all non-field work aspects of the organisation, especially the project and financial management of both grant funded and income generating programmes. Working in close partnership with the Executive Director, the Business Manager will ensure that the Charity delivers its exciting and ambitious plans over the next two years. These plans include major new conservation and social inclusion projects as well as significant growth of our income generating programmes.
About Wild things!
Founded in 2003, Wild things! is a Scottish Charity based in Moray. Our vision is to inspire people to understand, appreciate and care for their natural environment, and by doing so, improve their quality of life and the health of the planet. We particularly seek to benefit people with educational, behavioural, social or economic disadvantages.
We work with most of our clients over a period of time so they can enhance their personal development skills and gain environmental awards, qualifications and volunteering experience. These repeat and regular experiences enable clients to improve their employability, develop lasting interests in the natural world, improve their health by being active outdoors and participate in the conservation of our wild and natural places. Many return as peer volunteers to share their skills with others.
Over the past eleven years, we have helped over 12,000 people to access, enjoy, learn about and protect Scotland’s spectacular wilderness regions, as well as benefit from being actively involved in caring for their own local natural environment.
Job Description
Business Manager
This newly created post will be responsible for the day to day running of Wild things! in all non-Field Work areas, such as finance, administration and personnel. Working closely with Wild things! Executive Director a vital role ensuring that the charity continues to be sustainable and to further its social and environmental purpose through delivering the best possible outcomes against our grant funded programmes, as well as by generating independent income.
The Business Manager will report directly to the Executive Director and will line manage the administration team and the finance manager.
This role is responsible for delivering against the objectives in the charity’s 3 year Business plan as approved by the Wild things! board of directors, as well as ensuring the financial stability of the charity.
KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY:
Project Management
To project manage the non-Field Work aspects of all programmes, ensuring that resources (finance, staff, etc) are utilised to best effect and that procedures are in place to comply with the requirements of stakeholders such as funders, contractors and local authorities.
This will involve:
· Working with the finance manager to ensure that all grants are spent as per the agreed budget, and where necessary, to propose and discuss amendments to the programmes to support greater grant compliance.
· To establish bookings for programmes by build relationships with organisations who supply clients, thereby maximising the benefits of social inclusion programmes and fulfilling income-generating ambitions.
· Managing the administrative team to support the effective delivery of all programmes and the efficient day-to-day running of the office
· Implementing appropriate systems and procedures for the collection and collation of feedback and other evidence of the efficacy of programmes, including photographs, case studies and statistics.
· Produce professional, accurate and timely reports as required for grant compliance, by directors or other stakeholders.
Income generation
To work with the Executive Director to maximise income generation through the social enterprise activities of the charity.
This will involve:
· Implement the annual income generation business plan with relevant key performance and impact indicators.
· Working with the finance manager to optimise income generation from social enterprise programmes
· Ensuring the measurement and impact evaluation of marketing and PR activities is analysed and used to maximise the number of clients attending courses and returning for further training on future programmes
· Identifying, researching and developing proposals for the expansion of income generation activities.
· Assessing different accreditation options for our accredited training programmes such as endorsement from the General Teaching Councils of Scotland and England
· Horizon scanning to keep abreast of all relevant developments in income generation opportunities, legislation and tax issues relating to employement law.
Relationship Management and Development:
Maintaining and developing relationships with existing stakeholders and to broaden the client-base for programmes through the development of new partnerships
This will involve:
· Working along side the Executive Director to identify major partnership prospects, developing the approach plans and building the key relationships. Examples will include businesses, councils, accreditation bodies etc
· Overseeing the management of existing stakeholder relationships and communications through appropriate channels
· Working with the Executive Director and the marketing Manager to ensuring all marketing material,s both digital and paper-based, are co-ordinated and comprehensive.
· Overseeing the production of reports and reviews as required by various stakeholders
· Database management and maintenance to ensure that relationships with all stakeholders are recorded and co-ordinated
· Carry out any other duties as and when required in support of Wild things! goals and objectives.
BUSINESS MANAGER
Person Specification
Required skills and experience.
- Proven business management experience
- Outstanding organisation and methodological skills
- Proven budget management skills
- The ability to collate and analyse marketing and programme evaluation data
- Excellent written and verbal communications skills
- Strong interpersonal skills
- Relaxed yet effective communication skills
Desirable Skills and experience:
- A relevant business qualification
- Experience in a third sector organisation
People qualities / competencies
- A ‘can do’ attitude with a committed and flexible approach to the needs of the job.
- Excellent problem-solving abilities along with good communication skills
- Honest and open and flexible approach to working as part of an effective team
- Excellent organisational skills
- A collaborative working style
- An excitement to work as key member of a senior management team in a growing charity
Values
To have an empathy with the environment and the welfare of people.
Closing date for applications: 15th January 2015
Interviews: Saturday 24th January 2015
Please apply with an application form and covering letter. CVs will not be accepted.
(Application forms are available from the Wild things! office – visit www.wild-things.org.uk/about-wild-things/vacancies , call 01309 690450 or email
Scottish Charity No: SC034873. Registered Office: FVC, Findhorn, Forres, IV36 3YR
Registered in Scotland as a Limited Company No: SC251691