Assistant Director

Job title: Assistant Director

Location Merseyside/Cheshire/Greater Manchester

Salary £58,000 – £62,000 dependent on experience

Closes 7th June 2024

Organisation: Mersey Rivers Trust

Hours: Full Time, 37.5 hours per week. Flexibility required (some evening
& weekend work)

Overview

The Mersey Rivers Trust (MRT) is an environmental charity focussing on the protection and
enhancement of rivers and waterbodies in the Mersey Catchment. We have a turnover of c£1m and
employ 17 staff delivering up to 30 projects per year. Operating in an area covering Greater
Manchester, Merseyside, and Cheshire. The Trust works with partners, local communities, and
volunteers to deliver a wide range of projects including river restoration, reduction of flood
risk by Natural Flood Management techniques, river monitoring, volunteer events (eg river
clean-ups/invasive species control and citizen science), community engagement and education
events, farm advice/plans and biodiversity net gain. The Trust continues to evolve to meet the
increasing challenges of protecting and enhancing rivers and waterbodies in the catchment.

We are seeking an Assistant Director to join our team and collaborate with the directors,
project teams and external partners. You will play a vital role in enhancing productivity and
ensuring adherence to rules and regulations.

As an assistant director, you should possess expertise in performance and operations
management, allowing you to effectively handle delegated responsibilities. Your leadership
skills and critical thinking abilities will enable you to proactively address challenges and
streamline processes.

If you are a motivated professional with a passion for driving organisational success, we
invite you to apply and contribute to our team’s growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Work with the senior management team to develop and deliver the Trust’s objectives and
  strategies.
• Work with the director to coordinate and supervise daily operations.
• Maintain and develop partnerships with stakeholders, including Environment Agency, Local
  Authorities, Natural England, local water company, other NGOs and community groups.
• Work with Trust Directors to prepare and manage budgets, provide input to the Trust’s
  business plan and strategic initiatives.
• Work with Senior Project Managers to identify and apply for project funding to support
  delivery of our objectives.
• Working with the directors to coordinate and supervise daily operations
• Advise and assist the project teams to submitting applications to obtain necessary consents
  and permissions (including Environment Agency Permits, Landowner Agreements and Planning
  Permissions).
• Contribute to, and in some cases lead, the procurement process.
• Help the Trust team to engage and consult with existing community groups, schools, clubs,
  voluntary sector, interest groups, etc. and local councils to foster learning and a sense of
  ownership in the works.
• Implement rigorous safeguarding and health & safety procedures and lead by example in
  prioritising health and safety and wellbeing.
• Ensuring compliance with regulations and internal policies
• Create reports and submit them to the director or other executives.
• Fulfil duties as assigned by the directors.

The post holder will be home based with travel throughout the Mersey catchment. The applicant
will need to live within or close to the Mersey catchment to facilitate regular travel to
meetings, site visits and to regularly meet with staff. Remote working from other parts of the
country cannot be considered for this role due to the need for regular face-to-face
interactions and outdoor activities.

Candidate Profile

Essential

• Educated to degree level or equivalent, ideally in a relevant subject with a strong track
  record in environmental management and project management.
• Valid driving licence and own car, insured for business use.
• A confident and clear communicator with experience in leading collaborative partnerships
  and delivering projects with a variety of stakeholders and groups.
• Leadership skills; developing, coaching and managing teams.
• Experience of successful programme delivery, including budget control and reporting.
• Experience in working with and managing external consultants and contractors.
• Self-motivated and able to work effectively from home with strong communication skills and
  with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to prioritise and plan activities to meet strict deadlines.
• Ability to set performance objectives and ensure these are achieved.
• Excellent organisational / admin skills and attention to detail.
• Outstanding communication and public speaking skills
• Aptitude in problem-solving
• Excellent literacy, numeracy and report-writing skills.
• Good computer literacy skills (e.g. with Excel, Word, PowerPoint and project reporting
  systems).
• Ability to work flexibly, including some evenings and weekends.

Desirable

• Experience of working in the charity sector.
• Knowledge of the Mersey Catchment.
• Extensive understanding of river and estuary environments.
• Experience in developing successful funding applications.
• Experience of managing and working with volunteers

General Notes

• Extensive travel around the Mersey Catchment will be necessary therefore a current driving
  licence and access to a vehicle is essential.
• This position will from time to time require work during some evenings, weekends and public
  holidays to meet the needs of the post. A time-off in lieu system is operated by the Trust.

Term and Conditions

The following terms and conditions are typically offered to Mersey Rivers Trust staff and
are set out as a guide only. Terms and conditions may vary according to circumstances and this
summary does not form part of any subsequent employment 

Annual leave: 28 days annual leave pro rata plus bank holidays 

Location: Home Based

To apply: 

If you wish to apply, please send a CV (no more than two sides of A4) and covering letter (no
more than two sides of A4), outlining how you meet the requirements of the person specification
and job description and email to the Operations & Delivery Director of the Mersey Rivers
Trust, Paul Henbrey ([email protected]).

Applications must be received no later than 7th June 2024

Interviews will be held June 2024; venue and format to be confirmed. 

If you would like more information on the role before submitting an application, you may
contact the Directors: Paul Henbrey 07747 446103 ([email protected]) or John Sanders 07821 117396
([email protected])