The Travel Foundation (TF) is an independent charity that works in partnership with leading tourism organisations to improve the impacts of tourism in destinations – bringing greater benefits for local communities, the environment and the tourists who visit.
We design and deliver tailor-made sustainable tourism programmes that enable our partners and donors to maximise the benefits of tourism and minimise the negative impacts. We do this in a way that brings tourism stakeholders together to transform the way tourism is managed collaboratively, embracing new, sustainable ways of working within organisations and across destinations with measurable results.
10YFP Cutting Food Loss in Hotels Project
For the past 12 months the TF has been working in a partnership consortium with WRAP and STI to develop a project concept for a ‘Flagship Project’ under the Sustainable Tourism Programme of the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production (10YFP) of the United Nations. The objective of the project is to reduce food loss in hotels by 20% across five destinations globally by introducing and embedding tried and tested food loss management tools. Project outputs will include adaptable models for replication in future large scale projects and project impacts will be measured in the form of carbon reductions. The expected project budget is between £5-10 million with implementation over a 3–5 year period.
With support from UNEP who are the 10YFP Secretariat and UNWTO who are the lead for the 10YFP Sustainable Tourism Programme (10YFP STP), the TF is now looking to move into a project planning and development phase working collaboratively with consortium partners. This will require taking the project concept and establishing a robust and effective project framework that can be used to secure project funding from donors, and engage relevant project stakeholders in destinations.
This process will include working with the project consortia to:
• design and establish a project governance framework
• design and develop a project implementation plan and associated budget
• design and develop a project monitoring and evaluation framework
• develop funding proposals for donors
• approach and secure project funding with support from 10YFP project leads
• approach and engage core stakeholders within short listed destinations for project implementation
As part of establishing this project, the TF are also working on additional small scale projects that will feed into the development of the Flagship project.
In order to transition the project concept to an established project framework that has funding secured and is ready for implementation, the TF are seeking to employ a Project Manager on a fixed term basis. Should this goal be realised, the TF would have the funds available to engage the Project Manager on a longer term contract to oversee the delivery of the project.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
The TF Project Manager will be required to act as the TF lead in the establishment and development of the project in close collaboration with the corresponding project leads from the consortia partners. This includes:
• Design and development of an operational project structure including (but not limited to):
- a robust governance framework
- defined levels of partnership with clear partner roles and responsibilities
- An agreed MOU for project consortia and contract templates for all other parties identified in the project structure
• Design and development of project implementation plan including:
- A detailed project scope with clear objectives, activities, outputs, outcomes and impacts
- A project monitoring and evaluation framework
- A project budget
• Development of funding proposals for donors including:
- Initial project concept funding proposals for a variety of potential funders
- More detailed funding proposals for discussion with specific interested parties
• Approach and secure project funding with support from the TF senior management team, consortia partners and 10YFP Secretariat and 10YFP STP leads including:
- Scoping of potential donors
- Meetings with potential donors
• Approaching and engaging potential project partners with short listed destinations for project implementation including:
- Identification of relevant destination stakeholders
- Development of stakeholder engagement plans for each destination
- Securing government support and buy-in to project implementation
- Securing implementation partners in destination
• Project reporting and communications including
- Reporting progress internally to TF
- Reporting progress within the framework of 10YFP STP
- Development of content for external communication
• Project management and delivery of any associated small scale projects
Person Specification
The ‘Cutting Food Loss in Hotels’ Flagship project will be a high profile, strategically important activity for the TF that will require significant liaison with senior government officials, donors and other influential stakeholders. The TF Project Manager will therefore be required to operate at a senior level with a constant focus on delivering high quality, robust work in an engaging and persuasive manner. They will need to be confident organising and attending high level meetings, building effective relationships, presenting credible proposals and conveying convincing messages regarding the importance of supporting the Flagship project and its outcomes.
Being a multi-stakeholder project delivered by a consortia of partners, the TF Project Manager will need to have exceptional communication, and negotiation skills and have proven expertise of working in collaborative partnerships. They will need to have the ability to work both independently, and as part of a project team, having well developed problem solving skills and able to develop mutually beneficial approaches to working in order to reach consensus with project partners and donors.
The TF Project Manager will also need to have excellent organisation and project management skills, being able to break complex ideas into clear, logical steps developing a project structure that is robust whilst still being practical and effective. They will be required to think strategically, taking a broad view of the project while paying attention to detail and being methodical in their work.
The successful candidate should be educated to at least degree level, have fluent written and spoken English language skills and preferably be fluent in Spanish and French. They should also be able to demonstrate they meet the following criteria:
Essential Criteria
• Experience of complex project planning, development and management of large multi-destination projects
• Success in project fundraising
• Experience working on collaborative partnership projects
• Experience co-ordinating multiple cross sector stakeholders to deliver against tight deadlines
Preferred Criteria
• Experience with resource efficiency projects
• An understanding of the travel industry/hospitality sector and/or sustainable tourism
Terms and Conditions of Employment
The position is initially being offered under a 6 month fixed term contract, however should funding be secured during this time, the TF would consider extending the contract for the life of the project.
Salary range: c.£33,000 – 35,000 per annum
Hours of Work: Full time position (40 hours per week including a half hour daily break) with a strong preference for the successful candidate to be based in the TF’s Bristol office, however other base locations in the UK will be considered for exceptional candidates.
The role will require regular travel within the UK and overseas travel.
Responsible to: Head of Sustainable Practice
Main duties: Development, fundraising and initiation of the 10YFP Cutting Food Loss in
Hotels project and management of associated projects.
Applications: Applicants should complete the online application form and submit with a covering letter and CV, highlighting experience and skills relevant to both the job description and person specification, to Cynthia Shaw: admin@thetravelfoundation.org.uk by 5pm Tuesday 30th August 2016. Please note that candidates submitting only the application form (without a covering letter or CV) will not be considered.
The recruitment process will consist of an initial long listing on the 2nd September followed by submission of a written test to shortlist for interview. Shortlisted applicants will be notified on the 9th September and will need to make themselves available for interview in Bristol on Monday 19th September 2016.
Please note that only candidates long and short-listed will be contacted.
