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Title  

Area Manager (Ref: 28913)

Reference     (Please mention Stopdodo/Environment Jobs in your application)
Sectors   Sustainability, Climate, CSR, EMS
Location   England (East Midlands) - UK
Salary   £55,000
Type   Fixed Term and Permanent Roles
Status   Full Time
Level   Mid Level
Deadline   13/09/2019
Company Name   Natural England
Contact Name  
Website   Further Details / Applications
Also Listing:
Description  

These roles are part of the Operations Directorate in Natural England. As Area Manager for a local delivery team you must be visible and present in the geographies we are seeking, please make your preference clear on the application form.

We are looking to recruit for:

• 4 permanent roles: Cumbria; Devon, Cornwall & IoS; East Midlands; Northumbria, and
• Seeking interest in permanent role in Yorkshire & North Lincolnshire, and
• Seeking temporary role in Norfolk & Suffolk until March 2020, with potential to become permanent.

Exceptionally it has been agreed that there will be a 12 month reserve list for successful candidates who do not secure a post from this recruitment.

The Area manager is responsible for leading delivery of Natural England’s remit in their area.

The policy context which determines our focus is the Government’s 25 year plan, which sets out a vision for the Environment in England to become the healthiest and the most beautiful place in the world in which to live, work and bring up a family

We set out our own strategy in C21, which identified the need to:

• create resilient landscapes and seas
• put people at the heart of the environment, and
• grow natural capital

To enable us to deliver the 25 year plan and C21 effectively with the resources we have available we are focussing our work into four main areas, as set out in the NE road map. The four areas/ programmes are a mix of ongoing activity, development of new programmes of work, backed up by evidence and projects to test new approaches. These will be further developed, building on our experience to date.

If we are to successfully deliver the outcomes identified we will need to change the way we do some things and build partnerships with others to help us do this, nationally and locally. Our area teams remain central to our success in delivering our outcomes.

The Area Manager will lead their team to deliver Natural England priorities. They will need to build local capacity, enable and encourage efficient delivery across all the four main areas of work, ensuring alignment with organisational priorities. They will develop relationships and partnerships to facilitate the understanding and delivery of local priorities, depending on local circumstances. This will include encouraging innovation in how we deliver our outcomes and seeking new sources of funding to support our work.

Area Managers will:

• Provide local leadership internally to build capacity and inspire new ways of working;
• Provide local leadership externally convening local partnerships to deliver local, shared ambitions for the natural environment;
• Innovate to make best use of existing tools and programmes; to develop new delivery mechanisms and funding sources; and broaden delivery partnerships;
• Provide local voice and external presence to enhance Natural England’s reputation;
• Be accountable for Natural England’s local delivery, nested within our overall Corporate Plan, working with and through others delivery teams;
• Deliver an agreed contribution to organisational priorities as commissioned from the four Programmes; and work flexibly across local and national operations to manage organisational risk;
• Model a spirit of co-operation, working collaboratively and flexibly with other teams.
• Prioritise effectively to investing in long-term outcomes; and being decisive on those areas where we will stop, deliver less, or defer.

We have vacancies for up to 6 Area Manager roles. Area Teams cover a geographic area of approximately 2-4 counties, with approximately between 60 and 110 staff. They will include a local Leadership Team, to work alongside the Area Manager to manage the team and help build local partnerships. An Area Manager is responsible for their team’s planning, resources and performance and will be line managed and accountable through an Operations Director and the Chief Operations Officer.

Area Managers work as a team as part of the Operations Leadership Team (OLT) and are expected to play a full and active contribution in developing the overall work of the Operations Directorate, as well as the wider organisation.

Key tasks/principal accountabilities.

You will understand and describe the breadth of our business and decide where your Area’s local delivery priorities must lie in order to deliver the overall long term aims of the organisation within the resources available to you. Seeking to maximise the delivery of outcomes as part of the local Defra group whilst ensuring that essential contributions to our strategic priorities and core programmes are delivered.

You will find ways to deliver better outcomes by building and investing in productive relationships and partnerships across a wide range of stakeholders, in order to bring people and communities with us and play to our strengths as an expert adviser, and lead the step change in area team culture that will allow this.

• You will work collaboratively with the Operations Leadership Team and other teams across Natural England, and be flexible and responsive throughout the year to deliver the organisational priorities.
• You will lead through complex situations to reach positive solutions, through an understanding of local politics, NGOs, business and customers and sound judgement of risk to relationships and the natural environment. You will instil the commercial mindset required to drive up cost recovery and chargeable income.
• You will role model a coaching approach and develop people’s potential.
• You will manage team performance, risks, budgets, health and safety, resources and other corporate responsibilities to a high standard, eliminate unnecessary burdens and support continuous improvement for our staff and customers, identify ways of freeing up the necessary headroom and being clear and decisive about work that will be stopped, deferred, or done less of, supported by a local leadership team.

Skills and knowledge

• You will provide inspirational and visible leadership at a local level to create the conditions to allow creativity, innovation, partnerships, and practical local delivery to happen in Area Teams, through an engaged and united leadership team that understands their purpose and leads the changes throughout the rest of the Area team.

Technical/specialist knowledge/qualifications

• Be able to create and lead a confident team where individuals work to the limits of their discretion, to gets things done effectively by working collaboratively with other teams and through partnerships with others.
• Ability to develop strong personal relationships with senior people in a range of organisations (e.g. partners and stakeholders).
• Experienced in building strong internal relationships across Natural England/organisations to support delivery and exchange of ideas.
• Ability to build strong leadership teams aligned to the purpose and values of the work area that has the necessary capabilities to deliver the business.
• Be relentless in ensuring everyone in the work area understands the need to offer great customer service and be seen as practical, helpful, impartial and trustworthy.
• Have the ability to encourage everyone to look for simple and innovative ways of getting things done, and to overcome the fear of the novel and different.
• Experienced in managing organisational/corporate responsibilities, alongside responsibilities to people, and advocating equality.
• Ability to lead and manage change.
• Please clearly specify which geography/(ies) you are interested in.

Competencies

Competence 1
Professional competency

Detail
Leading and Managing People- Level desired - Expert

Description

- Develop an inclusive and trusting team environment that proactively safeguards team members' physical and mental wellbeing
- Set clear plans and expectations, engage your team and other partners, make things happen, delegate, drive and deliver outcomes
- Set the direction and engage and support your team through change

Competence 2
Professional competency

Detail
Putting people at the heart of the environment- Level desired – Practitioner

Description

- Develop an understanding of the objectives and needs of our partners and customers
- Collaborate, influence and build trusting relationships to achieve pragmatic outcomes
- Understand and explain the outcomes that we seek in your local patch and how these fit in with local and national priorities

Competence 3
Professional competency

Detail
Work delivery– Level desired – Expert

Description

- Manage your team in line with available financial and non-financial budgets and constraints, and implement plans to generate more resource
- .See the big picture and organisational strategy so you can set your team's work within the context of the wider organisation and beyond, and help team members to understand how their work relates and supports this
- Apply risk assessment and safe working practices to everything you do

Competence 4
Professional competency

Detail
Communicating effectively – Expert

Description

• Listen well and take time to understand the other person’s point of view.

• Use clear and appropriate language, communication styles and techniques that engage your audience

Competence 5
Professional competency

Detail
Creating resilient landscapes & seas – [Practitioner]

Description

• Understand the key drivers and agendas which motivate relevant partners and actors including local communities, planners, funders and developers, who could be engaged to secure positive environmental outcomes for people and wildlife.

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