North East Farm Business Support Service Manager

Northumberland National Park Authority; Hexham; Hybrid; GBP 41,771 - 46,142; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hybrid working

Opportunities for professional development

Job summary

A regional park authority in England is seeking a Service Manager for the North East Farm Business Support Service. This role requires strategic leadership, management of a project team, and collaboration with regional partners to support rural communities. The ideal candidate will have a degree in a relevant field, experience in managing projects and teams, and strong communication skills. Flexible hybrid working options are available, offering a unique opportunity to contribute to farming support in the North East.

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing teams and budgets, ideally within grant-funded programmes.
• Knowledge of farm businesses and the policy landscape affecting rural communities.
• Excellent communication skills for working with landowners and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategic development of the North East Farm Business Support Service.
• Manage a team and oversee programme delivery.
• Engage with delivery partners and manage project budgets.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Project management

Communication skills

Leadership

Collaboration

Education

Degree in land-based or project management discipline

Tools

Microsoft Office 365

GIS applications

Job description

North EastFarm Business Support Service Manager

£41,771 - £46,142 per annum| Fixed Term (3 years) | Full Time

Rothbury or Hexham (hybrid working available)

About the role

We’relooking for an experienced,motivatedand collaborativeleader to take on the role of Service Manager for theNorth EastFarm Business Support Service, an exciting regional programme supporting farm businesses and rural communities across theNorth East.

Working within our Park Management Directorate,you’llprovide strategic leadership for the service on behalf of Northumberland National Park Authority and key regional partners.You’llmanage a small project team, oversee programme delivery and budgets, and act as a key ambassador for the project locally,regionallyand nationally.

This is a high-profile role offering the opportunity to shape andshowcaseinnovative support for farming, landmanagementand rural enterprise during a period ofsignificant changefor the sector.

Whatyou’ll be doing

• Leading the strategic development and delivery of theNorth EastFarm Business Support Service
• Managing and supporting asmall team, fostering a positive,collaborativeand high-performing culture
• Working closely with delivery partners including Northumberland County Council, Durham County Council, Gateshead Council and theNorth EastCombined Authority
• Holding overall responsibility for budget management, claims,reportingand programme governance
• Promoting andshowcasingthe programme internally and externally, including engagement with land managers, education providers, food and drink initiatives and theagri-tech sector
• Leading monitoring, evaluation and reporting to funding bodies and partner organisations
• Preparing and presenting reports to ensure effective governance,complianceand accountability

About you

You’llbring a strong mix of strategic thinking, partnership working and practical delivery experience, along with a genuine understanding of farming and rural economies.

We’relooking for someone who has:

• Degree-level education in a land-based or project management discipline (or equivalent experience)
• Strong knowledge of farm businesses and the policy landscape affecting farming and rural communities
• Proven experience of managing people,projectsand budgets, ideally within grant-funded programmes
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the confidence to work with landowners,partnersand senior stakeholders
• Experience of collaborative partnership working and externally delivered contracts
• The ability to lead independently, build relationships and engage stakeholders early and effectively
• Be part of a forward-thinking National Park Authority with strong values and a collaborative culture
• Play a key role in shaping the future of farming and rural enterprise in theNorth East
• Flexible hybrid working and the chance to work across one of the UK’s most inspiring landscapes
• Work on a flagship regional programme with real impact for farm businesses and communities

How to apply

If this role sounds likeit’sfor you, then we really would like to hear from you.

The Park Authority is an inclusiveorganisation,and we welcome applications from everyone irrespective of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, religion and belief, pregnancy and maternity, relationship status, disability,ageand social class.Ifyou are an applicant with disabilities who meets the essential requirements of the post, we will interview you.

For more information, please see ourjob packavailable on our website.

The application form is here:

Application Form – Fill in form

Northumberland National Park Authority

Job Description

Post: North EastFarm Business SupportServiceManager

Directorate: Park Management

Responsible to: Head of Farming and Rural Enterprise

Responsiblefor: Project team with 4 team members

Grade: Band6

Term: 1FTE Fixed Term Contract from 1stApril2026through to 31stMarch 2029.

Workbase: Basedfromour offices inRothburyor Hexham including travel within theNorth Eastregion. Hybrid work from home options also available.

Job purpose

This post will report to Head of Farming and Rural Enterprise and willbe responsible forthe following main tasks:

• Strategicand deliverylead forthe North EastFarm Business Support Service on behalf of Northumberland National Park Authorityand regional partners.
• Work closely with thedelivery partners;Northumberland County Council, Durham County Council, Gateshead Council and theNorth EastCombined Authority.
• To lead and manage the North EastFarm Business Support Service team, working witha range ofpartnersin order tosuccessfully deliver theprogrammeand deliverables.Promote a culture based on teamwork, open communication and collaboration throughout the Authority and the widerpartners.
• Overall responsibility for budget management, projectclaimsand reporting, including oversight of all project deliverables.
• Tobethestrategiclead on thepromotion andshowcasingof this excitingregionalproject, both internally and externally.Develop frameworks whichfacilitatecommunication and engagement betweenpartners, the land management community andotherkey stakeholderssuch asrural further education institutes, theregionalfoodand drink initiatives,theagri-techsector; specifically promoting the Landscape Recovery Project.
• Lead project andprogrammelevel evaluation, including reporting to funding bodies andkeyprogrammepartners, includingthe National Park Authorityand Northumberland County Council as lead delivery partner.
• Lead the preparation and presentation of reports in respect of the North EastFarm Business Support service toprogrammedelivery partnersto ensure effective governance and compliance.
• Work closely with colleaguesacross various organisations, particularly thosekey programme partners as outlined above.
• When acting as a manager,leadby example indemonstratingthe Authority’s agreed Culture andValues, andLiving Values through your work. Motivate teams and individuals by providing clear direction,timelycommunication andmaintainingpositive relationships with all stakeholders.

Other Duties

• Ensure that work and service provision is carried out in a manner which safeguards the health and safety of the workforce and thegeneral publicobservingand applying Health & Safety Policy and Practices.
• Proactively support the promotion of equality and inclusion in all areas of work.
• Comply withGeneral Protection Data Regulation (GDPR)and implement Memorandum of Understanding with key partners, asappropriate.
• Any other duties consistent with the nature, level and grade of the post as may berequired.

Person Specification

Knowledge

• Educated to degree level in aland-baseddisciplineor project management related discipline or equivalent level of experience.
• Knowledgeand understandingoffarm businesses.
• Knowledge of current policy and issues facingfarming andrural communitiesin theNorth East.
• Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of all relevant policy and operational matters in respect of natural capital, publicaccess,landscape, farming, woodland and forestry and historic environment.

Skills

• Excellent interpersonalwritten and verbal communicationskills, in particular an ability to discuss and negotiate effectively with landowners and other stakeholders.
• Ability to influence partnersin a way that leads to effective delivery and good working relationships.
• Confident in the use of information technology systems, the use of Microsoft Office 365, MSTeamsand GIS applications.
• Ability tomonitorand manage budgets.
• Thorough understanding of relevant legislation, best practice and contemporary issues infarm businessand upland rural economies.
• Excellent organisational skills, including project management and financial planning.

Experience

• Experience in managing and directing staff andteam workplanning, including experience in appraisal and performance management at a project and individual staff member level
• A track recordof working with partners in collaborative projects.
• Experience ofworking withfarm businesses.
• Experience of managing grant aided projects e.g. working to deadlines, management of budgets using spreadsheets and reporting to funders.
• Experience in procurement of externally delivered services or contracts.

Personal Qualities

• Ability to work a flexible pattern and travel to sites to fulfil the requirements of the post.
• An ability to provide visible and supportive leadership in empowering and enabling staff.
• An ability to lead, take the initiative and work independently.
• An ability to engage key stakeholders in projects at an early stage.
• An outstanding ability to communicate in a variety of ways to a range of audiences, including written word, digital communications, formal presentations and inone to onemeetings.
• Ability to build relationships with a wide range of people.