Grant Funding Support Officer - Tree Planting

Surrey County Council; Guildford; Hybrid; GBP 29,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a dedicated Grant Funding Support Officer to aid in their ambitious tree planting initiative. This fixed-term role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the Council's Climate Change Strategy by managing external grants and supporting community engagement. You will work in a dynamic environment, collaborating with diverse teams and gaining valuable experience in project management. If you are passionate about the environment and have strong organisational skills, this position is a perfect fit for you. Join us in making a tangible impact on Surrey's greener future!

Benefits

26 days' holiday (increasing with service)

Option to buy additional annual leave

Employee Assistance Programme

Carer's leave

Generous pension scheme

Lifestyle discounts

Paid volunteering days

Learning and development resources

Qualifications

• Excellent organisational skills to interpret guidance and support team efforts.
• High level of administrative and analytical skills for effective data management.

Responsibilities

• Support the ongoing external grant funding programme for tree planting.
• Maintain administrative processes to meet reporting deadlines.

Skills

Organisational Skills

Communication Skills

Analytical Skills

IT Skills

Data Management

Job description

Grant Funding Support Officer - Tree Planting

Details

• Reference: SCC/TP/288447/3056
• Positions: 1
• Contract type: Fixed term
• Working hours: 36 hours per week
• Posted on: 30 April 2025
• Directorate: Environment, Property & Growth
• Location: Merrow Depot, Merrow Lane, Guildford, GU4 7BQ

Description

We are committed to the development of our workforce.This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council.We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all.

The starting salary for this position is £29,697 per annum based on a 36-hour working week.

This is a 24-month fixed-term contract or secondment opportunity.

The role works flexibly, blending office, site and home-based working, with a requirement to be on-site at either Merrow (Guildford), Dakota (Weybridge) or Woodhatch Place (Reigate) as and when required. You may also be required to undertake site visits throughout the County, supporting the liaison of residents, community groups, volunteers and council members.

We're on the lookout for an exceptional individual to fill our important role of Grant Funding Support Officer - Tree Planting, within the Tree Planting & Establishment Team. This is an opportunity to both support and contribute to meeting our ambitious 1.2 million tree initiative, as part of the Council's Climate Change Strategy.

Rewards and Benefits

• 26 days' holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 days after 5 years' service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources

About the Role

The Tree Planting & Establishment Team are delivering, championing, and facilitating the creation of tree planting projects within and beyond Surrey County Council's estate. We work with partners, volunteers and engage the community to meet our large-scale planting targets. The Grant Funding Support officer will provide specific and fundamental support for our essential, ongoing external grant funding programme. Working with the wider team, you will contribute to the overarching objective of our tree planting objectives, and Surrey's Greener future.

The programme has been successful in over 10 different grants and funding submissions totalling over £1.3million. Your support will be vital to the continued success of the work to meet our Tree Planting targets by maintaining the administrative processes to meet mandatory reporting deadlines associated with our multiple grants, and support our business as usual, including some administrative support for volunteering days and tree planting events.

Working in the heart of our climate change agenda, increasing the canopy cover for Surrey with biodiversity at the forefront, will be a chance to make a difference and play a role in meeting our target. Without our external grant funding we may not be able to deliver our strategy aims. With your organisation, support and data management we can continue to contribute to our residents and our greener future.

This is a dynamic environment, where every day is a learning experience. You'll have the chance to grow professionally, acquiring new skills and knowledge to support your professional development. Through cross team working you will collaborate with experienced colleagues, subject matter experts, and receive peer to peer support.

Shortlisting Criteria

To be considered for shortlisting for this position your CV and answers to the questions below will clearly evidence:

• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to interpret guidance and be a team player
• Ability to communicate effectively with team members and stakeholders
• High level administrative, analytical and IT skills
• Experience of collating accurate data and working with spreadsheets
• An interest in the environment would be welcomed too

Surrey has both urban and rural areas and as part of this role you will be expected to have a valid driving licence to drive in the UK, access to a vehicle and be willing to travel across a wide geographical area. Reasonable adjustments where needed will be made for successful applicants who have a disability or long term health condition to enable them to fulfil the requirements of the job.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to upload your CV and answer the following questions:

• Tell us about your involvement with data management when working on a previous project or programme
• Describe a time when you had to juggle multiple tasks with tight deadlines. How did you prioritise and manage your time to ensure success?
• Describe the qualities that you possess that makes your application for this role stand out above other applicants.

Answers to these questions will be scored and used for shortlisting purposes. Please use the information contained in the advert and attached job description to help inform your answers.

Contact Us

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Elliott Street, Tree Planting & Strategy Manager.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 25th May 2025. Interview date to be confirmed.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Our Values

Our values are as important as our abilities and shape who we are as an organisation. Discover more aboutour values .

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description. OurLife at Surrey handbook also provides insights of the culture at Surrey and how as a valued employee, you can help shape our Council.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applicants where:

• The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
• The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form

Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role.

We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.