Director of Resources

Dartmoor National Park Authority; Highweek; On-site; GBP 71,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Director-level salary

Generous annual leave

Cycle to work

EV pool car

LGPS membership

Office on National Trust estate

Free parking

Discounts at visitor centres

Make a lasting difference

Job summary

Dartmoor National Park Authority is seeking a Director of Resources to join our Senior Leadership Team in Devon. This pivotal role leads finance, people, IT, property and governance to deliver our Vision for Dartmoor and our Local Plan.

Reporting to the Chief Executive, you will drive financial resilience, sustainability, and innovative income generation while developing our corporate services and organisational culture. A true strategic partner is required to guide us forward.

Qualifications

• We are looking for an experienced and dynamic senior leader with a strong track record of managing complex organisations, leading change and developing people.
• Ideally, you will bring experience from commercial or charitable backgrounds, great leadership and people skills and a commitment to making us a great employer and leaders in this very special place.
• You will bring strong financial, commercial and strategic leadership skills, together with the ability to think creatively and develop innovative approaches to organisational and financial sustainability.
• You will be a confident communicator and collaborative leader, able to build effective relationships with Members, staff, partners and stakeholders.
• Most importantly, you will share our ambition to make Dartmoor National Park Authority a great organisation to work for and help us deliver an exciting new chapter for Dartmoor.

Responsibilities

• Reporting to the Chief Executive and as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Director of Resources will provide strategic leadership across the Authority's corporate resources.
• This is a broad and influential role, bringing together finance, people and organisational development, commercial activity, communications, IT, property and governance.
• We are seeking an experienced and dynamic leader to join the senior team, with a particular focus on ensuring we are developing innovative and sustainable programmes to increase our financial independence and sustainability.
• You will support our amazing frontline teams to deliver our vision and provide great opportunities for our existing staff to develop and for new routes into working with and for us.
• A key priority will be to strengthen the Authority's financial resilience through innovative and sustainable approaches to income generation, commercial activity and asset management.
• You will also lead the continued development of our corporate services, digital capability and organisational culture, ensuring we have the people, systems and resources needed to deliver our ambitions for Dartmoor.
• You will provide strategic advice to the Chief Executive, Senior Leadership Team and Members, supporting effective governance, financial stewardship, risk management and organisational performance.
• Subject to qualifications and experience, the postholder may be designated as the Authority's Section 151 Officer or assume other statutory governance responsibilities as appropriate.

Job description

Director of Resources Bovey Tracey, Devon

About Us

Dartmoor National Park Authority is seeking a Director of Resources to join our Senior Leadership Team. As we celebrate our 75th anniversary, we enter a new era for Dartmoor and the Authority. A new Chair and new Chief Executive are leading the Authority into its next period, with a strong focus on transforming the organisation to better support delivery of our new Vision for Dartmoor, our Partnership Plan and Local Plan.

Dartmoor National Park Authority is the body that oversees the vibrant, living, working landscape and communities of Dartmoor National Park.

Our vision is to work with others to make Dartmoor alive with nature, a great place to live and work, celebrated for its natural beauty and cultural heritage, carbon negative and providing a warm welcome to all.

We are a small organisation, but our staff, Members and volunteers are committed to making a difference – leaving Dartmoor in a better condition than we inherited it.

Dartmoor is a special place, and this is an exciting opportunity to join us at a pivotal moment and help shape the Authority's future.

The Benefits

• Competitive Director-level salary (from £71,000 per annum)
• Generous annual leave and flexitime policies
• Cycle to work scheme
• Access to electric vehicle pool car fleet
• Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme
• Beautiful office location on a National Trust estate, with free parking and café on site
• Discounts at National Park Visitor Centres and car parks
• The opportunity to make a lasting difference in one of the UK's most special landscapes

The Role

Reporting to the Chief Executive and as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Director of Resources will provide strategic leadership across the Authority's corporate resources.

This is a broad and influential role, bringing together finance, people and organisational development, commercial activity, communications, IT, property and governance.

We are seeking an experienced and dynamic leader to join the senior team, with a particular focus on ensuring we are developing innovative and sustainable programmes to increase our financial independence and sustainability. You will support our amazing frontline teams to deliver our vision and provide great opportunities for our existing staff to develop and for new routes into working with and for us.

A key priority will be to strengthen the Authority's financial resilience through innovative and sustainable approaches to income generation, commercial activity and asset management. You will also lead the continued development of our corporate services, digital capability and organisational culture, ensuring we have the people, systems and resources needed to deliver our ambitions for Dartmoor.

You will provide strategic advice to the Chief Executive, Senior Leadership Team and Members, supporting effective governance, financial stewardship, risk management and organisational performance.

Subject to qualifications and experience, the postholder may be designated as the Authority's Section 151 Officer or assume other statutory governance responsibilities as appropriate.

About You

We are looking for an experienced and dynamic senior leader with a strong track record of managing complex organisations, leading change and developing people.

Ideally, you will bring experience from commercial or charitable backgrounds, great leadership and people skills and a commitment to making us a great employer and leaders in this very special place.

You will bring strong financial, commercial and strategic leadership skills, together with the ability to think creatively and develop innovative approaches to organisational and financial sustainability.

You will be a confident communicator and collaborative leader, able to build effective relationships with Members, staff, partners and stakeholders. You will be commercially minded, while understanding the importance of public service and Dartmoor's unique environmental and community context.

Most importantly, you will share our ambition to make Dartmoor National Park Authority a great organisation to work for and help us deliver an exciting new chapter for Dartmoor.

A Unique Opportunity

This is an exciting opportunity to join Dartmoor National Park Authority at a pivotal moment and to help shape our future.

If you have the leadership experience, ambition and values to help us build a sustainable, high-performing organisation that can deliver for Dartmoor, we would love to hear from you.

Please contact Tom Surrey, CEO (National Park Officer).

Closing date for applications

Monday 28 September 2026 (12 noon)

Dartmoor National Park Authority is an equal opportunities employer.

We value diversity and are strongly committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants. We believe that the more inclusive our environment, the better our work will be