Overview
Castle Bromwich Hall and Gardens Trust is a partner to the Love Your River Cole (LYRiC) project; a partnership project to help transform the Cole Valley, enhancing natural spaces and training local people to look after this important natural river corridor.
With funding from the Green Recovery Challenge Fund, the project is led by Tame Valley Wetlands, and includes a range of partners: The B37 project, Birmingham City Council, Castle Bromwich Hall & Gardens Trust, North Warwickshire Borough Council, The Prince’s Trust, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust and Warwickshire Wildlife Trust.
The project overall will involve tree planting, wildflower meadow creation and wetland habitat enhancements, as well as access improvements to paths and trails through several key sites.
Castle Bromwich Hall and Gardens Trust is now looking for an experienced and flexible Project Manager to oversee, plan and manage our part of the partnership.
We are a small charitable Trust which owns and manages the 400 year old formal Castle Bromwich Gardens (B36 9BT) adjacent to the Parkland.
The Parkland is part of the old Bradford Estate (appx 50 hectares); a highly protected and significant range of buildings and landscapes on the edge of Birmingham. The overall estate is in a Conservation area which includes a range of Grade I,II and II* buildings, the Parkland is a local nature reserve as well as a Grade II* listed Park and Garden.
Each of the elements of the overall estate is currently in a variety of different and separate ownerships – ranging across private business, charitable trusts, ecclesiastic and local authority ownership and management.
This project is the first time for over a decade that the owners and managers of the Parkland site have been able to work together to support the important natural and historic aspects of the 12 hectare Parkland.
The Lyric project runs for 12-14 months and involves surveys, planning with a variety of agencies and direct restitution and management work on the Parkland.
The varied works on site will be carried out by involving professional contractors, people from the local community, volunteers from the Trust and the project’s Trainees.
This is an exciting and innovative project which will suit an ambitious, skilled and flexible manager looking for a challenge. Although the post is time limited there may be opportunities to grow within the local and wider partnership.
JOB PURPOSE
Undertake all aspects of leadership and management of the Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens Parklands project and to ensure that it fulfils the needs and requirements of the wider Lyric programme, and to make sure the project is successfully completed within the time frame and budget.
REPORTING LINE
The project manager will be employed by the Gardens Trust and report initially to the Head Gardener.
Working with the Trust’s management team the post holder will be responsible for liaising with, and reporting on behalf of the Trust, to the Lyric management group on practical aspects.
STAFF MANAGEMENT
The post holder will be responsible initially for the Lyric funded trainee based with the Gardens.
Working in consultation with the Head Gardener, they will also be expected to manage work parties. These may include current Trust staff and volunteers, community working groups (via our community partner B37) and the wider Lyric trainee group (6).
BUDGETARY RESPONSIBILITY
Shared management of budgets allocated to the Trust for this project.
CONTRACT LENGTH
This post is funded for 12 months
HOURS.
Full time, 37.5 hours.
Generally Monday to Friday with some weekend working by negotiation(community and working with the public)
Holiday entitlement: 28 days including public holidays – nb some of the project’s work tasks are seasonally crucial and must be carried out at the right time. Holidays must be agreed with these in mind.
REMUNERATION: £23,000
OTHER:
Based at Gardens
Appropriate PPE
Key Responsibilities
- Lead on creating, managing and implementing the work programme for the project, including managing contractors and ensuring that purchases and processes are carried out in a timely and efficient manner
- Working with the onsite team to ensure that all relevant stakeholders are involved appropriately, permissions confirmed and that work methods are in keeping. (NB as a highly protected site the preservation of historic and natural assets are equally important.)
- Take the main responsibility for on-site management of the Parkland during the project; and carrying out the funded aspects of estate management which include improving visitor experience, undertaking biological surveys, monitoring of work and data entry.
- To share responsibility for the care and maintenance of the Trust’s vehicles, equipment and storage in liaison with the Trust’s Head Gardener as appropriate.
- Develop, organise, and support key volunteers and teams of volunteers as required in practical work and projects. Take responsibility for the health and safety of all those working within the project and ensure safe working practices are adhered to at all times.
- Complete requisite paperwork and records to ensure legal and health and safety compliance.
- To award and supervise external contracts as required in order to achieve management objectives.
- To be responsible for own management of activity budget and contribute to the overall budget reporting process, as agreed with the Trust’s team.
- Contribute to the production of current and future management plans and other policies or strategies.
- Adhere to all Trust policies, procedures and systems. To represent the Trust in a professional manner and to act at all times in a manner which will not damage its reputation.
- Provide regular reports as required.
- Any other duties as delegated by the line manager.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
| Experience | Essential | Desirable |
Substantial (more than 2 years) proven practical land management and conservation experience in the following:
|
✔ | |
| Proven knowledge of ecological principles and habitat management and assessment for a range of habitat types | ✔ | |
| Experience of a range of practical conservation techniques | ✔ | |
| Project management leading projects to deadlines and to budget | ✔ | |
| Negotiation and management of contracts. Supervision of contractors to deliver projects successfully and safely. | ✔ | |
| Successful project delivery with landowners, working with volunteers and contractors | ✔ | |
| A clear track record of undertaking practical habitat surveys and condition monitoring | ✔ | |
| Management of project budgets, tracking income and expenditure and ensuring value for money | ✔ | |
| Fulfilling Health and Safety requirements for land management operations, survey work and volunteer projects | ✔ | |
| Knowledge | ||
| Ecological survey, monitoring and evaluation techniques | ✔ | |
| Good working knowledge of UK legislation and policies regarding wildlife and heritage, wildlife site designations and protected species | ✔ | |
| Landscape-scale conservation principles and practice | ✔ | |
| Skills | Essential | |
| Degree level qualification or equivalent professional experience (Level 3) in an environmental conservation and countryside management related field | ✔ | |
| Good negotiating and contract management skills | ✔ | |
| Habitat survey including wetland, watercourse, hedgerow and grassland condition monitoring systems | ✔ | |
| Good analytical and decision making skills | ✔ | |
| Excellent oral and written communication skills: | ✔ | |
| Good project management: organisational, planning, time management and prioritising skills and basic financial skills | ✔ | |
| Experience of managing and supporting trainees through | ✔ | |
| Experience and qualification to be able to assess trainees through City and Guilds Workbased Environmental Conservation skills (AQA level 3 or older awards e.g. D32/33 or A1 ) – or willingness to gain these during the contract (fees covered by employer) | ✔ | |
| Full UK driving licence and current chainsaw license (or willing to upgrade as soon as possible) | ✔ | |
| IT literate with good working knowledge of Microsoft Office | ✔ | |
| First Aid at Work Certificate or willing to work towards/refresher | ✔ | |
| Personal Qualities | Essential | |
| High level of commitment and enthusiasm for delivery of landscape conservation and nature conservation | ✔ | |
| Holds themselves personally accountable for delivering their responsibilities | ✔ | |
| Confident and assertive – able to act as an advocate and ambassador and ability to influence people | ✔ | |
| Ability to be proactive and work well on own initiative, and also works effectively as part of a team and in partnership | ✔ | |
| Willingness to be flexible and respond to changing circumstances; ability to undertake evening, weekend and occasional bank holiday work | ✔ | |
| Excellent interpersonal skills and good listening skills; ability to work with range of people & handle enquiries | ✔ | |
| Good general health and fitness – ability to access sites and difficult terrain | ✔ |
More Background
Castle Bromwich Hall and Gardens Trust
Castle Bromwich Historic Gardens are a nationally significant, highly protected, rescued early-18th century Grade II* listed walled garden on the borders of East Birmingham and North Solihull. The whole 40 acres of formal gardens and untouched ‘Parkland’ are a surprising green space entirely surrounded by motorways, highly industrial landscapes and one of the most densely populated, and multiply disadvantaged, areas of housing in the Region.
Rescued by volunteers 35 years ago, the formal gardens are owned by a small independent charitable Trust, and the Parkland by Birmingham City Council (with a management arrangement with our charity).
From early days as a remarkable restoration project, the Trust has recently blossomed and bloomed into a year-round heritage visitor attraction with a growing reputation.
Work scheduled to be carried out on the Parkland as part of the bid:
| Restoration of paths and nature trail at Castle Bromwich Hall park and garden | Materials: Timber, gravel Completed by contractors/trainees |
| Conservation Management plan and survey work | Working with partners assemble current knowledge and information and methodology statement to guide future work |
| Installation of interpretation boards at Castle Bromwich Hall park and garden | Information boards and design and community consultation time People: Contractors/trainees for installation |
| Acid grassland and arbs works at Castle Bromwich Hall park and garden | Formation of shallow scrapes – mechanical and/or manual to remove established grassland and encourage recolonisation with acidic grassland communities. Plug plants Completed by trainees and potential contractor |
| Pond restoration at Castle Bromwich Hall park and garden | Clearance of invasive species including scrub to increase wetland areas including some replanting of reed and coir matting, to suppress other species. Completed by trainees and potential contractor |
Application process and dates
Please send a cv and a covering letter outlining what you think you could offer this post and the work required by the Parkland and the Lyric project overall.
Send to cbhallgardens@gmail.com with Parkland Project Manager in the subject box.
Closing date for applications is 29th January
Given the pandemic situation interviews will be conducted online (Zoom) during early February.
It is normally expected that the candidates would have visited the site before interview – given current regulations this may not be possible.
Candidates asked for interview will normally be the only people to receive further communication from the Gardens.
Please email cbhallgardens@gmail.com to arrange a time for a preliminary phone discussion if required.
Join over 2,000 UK Ecologists