Development Officer - Active in Nature

Do you love sport and physical activity? Would you like to share that love with others?

If you love being outdoors and nature then this could be the role for you. Help our client deliver an exciting and innovative physical activity based project at a nature reserve in Essex.

Active in Nature Development Officer
Reference number: A1620717
Location: Thurrock, Essex
Salary starting at £19,602 to £21,236 per annum pro rata
Hours: Part time, 30 hours per week
Contract: Ending September 2018

Rainham Marshes is an exciting nature reserve for both wildlife and for people - they are currently trailing a new partnership project with Sport England - the Active in Nature programme. It is designed to test if engaging people in informal leisure and sporting activities on reserves can help grow support for nature.

Our client is looking for an enthusiastic, outgoing, self-motivated and inspiring individual to help deliver Active in Nature activities for new and existing audiences in this amazing location, enabling people to experience nature, and the reserve, in new ways.

This important reserve, has over 400ha of priority wetland habitat, supporting successful populations of breeding waders and other wetland wildlife. Sitting alongside the River Thames, and just outside London, it is also an important people reserve, with hides, visitor trails and nearly 40,000 visitors a year.

The successful applicant would be part of our client's reserve team, and will be responsible for managing, developing and promoting their bike hire scheme, their climbing and bouldering experience, the popular running club and a whole host of other outdoor activities. At the end of the project you will be helping the organisation to embed the activities into the day to day running of the reserve, working to support the sustainability of the site.

You will engage with the local community, youth and sport groups to promote the reserve as a venue for cycling, bouldering and other sporting activities. As part of this role it is vital for you to be able to engage with the public to convey the organisation's core conservation messages and to connect people to nature and the outside world. The job will involve working with and inspiring volunteers, and will require the ability to work weekends and some evenings.

In your application please demonstrate your knowledge and experience in cycling, climbing and running. Also, please also indicate any experience that you might have of working with and leading groups, including families, in outdoor sporting activities.

This role is for four days a week - this will include working at weekends, two weekdays and occasional evening work. The working pattern is flexible and can be agreed

Job purpose: 
To manage the Active in Nature partnership with Sport England, delivering agreed project milestones, encouraging more visitors to Rainham Marshes, enabling them to experience nature in new ways and participate in new activities.

Key results areas:

• To develop and manage Active in Nature related visitor experience at our client's nature reserve, attracting more visitors (or repeat visitors) to achieve or exceed participation targets.
• Develop and deliver a programme of activities and events, to encourage uptake of new activities on the reserve including cycle hire, bouldering, and running.
• Forge and maintain productive networks of support with community groups, sports providers including clubs, large employers and education providers to encourage participation from the local community around the reserve and further afield.
• Develop and sustain effective working partnerships with Sport England, County Sport Partnerships (London Sport and Active Essex), National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGBs) for example British Mountaineering Council, England Athletics (Run England) and British Cycling and any other organisations e.g. Sustrans which can contribute expertise and access to shared audiences.
• Work with site staff to oversee maintenance of infrastructure on the reserve, and to ensure all activities do not conflict with SSSI requirements and are carried out in a way that is conducive with the sites primary purpose for nature conservation.
• Ensure H&S requirements for all activities are appropriately managed.
• Produce quarterly reports to ensure the wider project team are fully apprised on project progress and any risks/challenges to agreed milestone.
• Work closely with HQ and regional fundraising teams to ensure Sport England and other funders are kept fully updated on progress against targets.
• Collaborate with Creative Services to produce marketing materials and with Communications Officer to promote facilities and events, to be captured in annual planning cycles.
• Ensure compliance with project risk register, immediately escalating any issues to the Site Manager and Regional Health & Safety Manager.

Closing date: 31 July 2017
Interview date: 10 August 2017

APPLICATION PROCESS:

To find out more information and apply for this position, please click the apply button. You will be taken to a simple CHM Recruit form and then redirected to the employer’s website.

Please make sure you include reference number A1620717 on any correspondence.

No agencies please.