Landscape Recovery Project Manager

West Dorset Wilding

West Dorset Wilding (WDW) is a landowner and farmer-led charity set up in 2021 with big aspirations to bring about large-scale positive change for nature in West Dorset. Our three pillars are about supporting: natural process-led ecosystem restoration; regenerative agriculture and; wellbeing through connection with nature.

Brit Catchment Recovery Project

WDW were successful in round 2 of the ELMs Landscape Recovery scheme, and will be starting the two-year Project Development Phase (PDP) in April. The PDP will develop plans for land-use change over 20+ years in c. 3,700 ha. of the wider Brit catchment, working with more than 50 farmers and with the area’s rivers as the project’s arteries. For more details see this the additional information at https://westdorsetwilding.org/jobs

About the role

This new opportunity is ground breaking for West Dorset, so we are incredibly excited to be recruiting into this position. The role will be fulfilling, meaningful and exciting to those who share our passion.

Reporting to the Executive Director, the purpose of the Project Manager role is to coordinate and manage the delivery of the two-year Project Development Phase of West Dorset Wilding’s Landscape Recovery project in Dorset; the Brit Catchment Recovery Project. The deliverables of this phase are a set of plans, covering areas of work from land-use change through to stakeholder engagement.

These plans together set out a viable, coherent and visionary proposition for large- scale improvements to nature over nearly 4,000 ha of land in Dorset over the subsequent 20+ year period. This will include how much funding is needed to pay farmers to undertake this work, and how the changes will be monitored and verified over that period.

As well as having your own deliverables, you will work closely with the rest of the team on their areas of work, and ensure all work is proceeding according to plan and budget. You will use your outstanding project, financial and administrative management skills to ensure the project achieves its goals, and your experience, passion for nature and vision to help drive strategy, not just over the initial two years, but for 20+ years.

You will have oversight of all of the work, have data at your fingertips, ensure resources are well planned and used appropriately, and understand and manage the project risks. You will work closely with the WDW team and Trustees, project partners, specialist consultants and the wider community.

Download our full job description and person specification at https://westdorsetwilding.org/jobs

Selection process

• Please send a CV and covering letter by email to jobs@westdorsetwilding.org by March 20th 2024. We expect the covering letter to directly address the person specification, against which you will be scored, and include a personal statement about why you would like the role and what you can bring to it. You will also need to demonstrate a right to work in the UK. Please send PDF files, and your filenames should start with your surname in CAPS.
• We will interview shortlisted candidates by Teams or Zoom as part of a rolling process.
• We will then look to meet the preferred candidate(s) as soon as possible for a second interview.
• We hope to appoint the successful candidate to this role as soon as they are able to start after April 1st 2024.

Additional notes

• Candidates who may require adjustments to our interview process are welcome to discuss their needs with us.
• Please be aware that this is a rolling process, so we may contact you before the closing date. 
• If you have not heard from by a week after the closing date, you will not have been successful.
• Although the post is advertised at 0.8FTE, there is the potential for it become full time should other, suitable, funding for West Dorset Wilding become available.
• Unfortunately, West Dorset’s public transport system is not usable for this role so you will need a means of getting around the catchment

West Dorset Wilding’s Values

• Our values as a charity and employer are based on a high level of integrity, transparency and mutual respect for all.
• We embrace diversity, seek to ensure equality as an employer and as a charity, and aim to be inclusive throughout all that we do.
• We adopt a collaborative approach, one that is locally led, drawing on, and supporting local skills and experience.
• We try to embed sustainability in all that we do, and consider the wider local and global implications of our actions at all time.

Contact

For further details about the role, please email sam@westdorsetwilding.org. To apply, please send your CV and covering letter (see above for details) to jobs@westdorsetwilding.org For other information about the charity, go to: westdorsetwilding.org