Restore Nature Delivery Manager

National Trust; Dorking; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A conservation organization seeks a Restore Nature Delivery Manager in Dorking to lead nature restoration projects across Surrey Hills. The role requires strong strategic leadership and ecological expertise, fostering collaboration among teams and stakeholders. The ideal candidate will motivate and guide large teams to deliver impactful projects. The position promotes an inclusive culture and offers substantial benefits, including a pension scheme and flexible working options.

Benefits

Substantial pension scheme up to 10%

Free entry to National Trust places

Rental deposit loan scheme

Season ticket loan

EV car lease scheme

Gym membership discounts

Holiday allowance up to 32 days

Flexible working

Employee assistance programme

Free parking at most Trust places

Qualifications

• Proven ability to lead transformational change across complex landscapes.
• Strong ecological or land management expertise.
• Excellent leadership and communication skills to motivate teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate nature restoration projects and programmes.
• Integrate expertise and ensure delivery meets quality, cost, and time.
• Influence stakeholders and unlock funding opportunities.

Skills

Strategic Leadership for Landscape-Scale Nature Recovery

Ecological Expertise and Technical Credibility

Countryside management

External Stakeholder Leadership

Programme and Financial Leadership

Partnership Development and Policy Advocacy

Self-Awareness and Role Transition

Job description

Summary

Important notice In line with our redeployment policy,we’llprioritise applications from employees who are under formal notice of redundancy.

We’re looking for a Restore Nature Delivery Manager to lead the delivery of nature restoration across the Surrey Hills property group. This role is central to achieving our strategic ambition to restore nature at scale, working collaboratively with the General Manager, Countryside teams, specialists, external partners and communities. You’ll be responsible for enabling and coordinating the delivery of projects through multi-disciplinary teams, ensuring our work is impactful, inclusive and sustainable.

You’ll be an excellent communicator, ready and able to communicate and celebrate success. Importantly you are a passionate advocate for nature and its recovery.

What it's like to work here

Reporting to the General Manager, you’ll champion good practice. You’ll be an inspiring leader who is flexible according to the needs of your property, supporting the whole team. Our work is across seven days so weekend working will be required at times. You bring projects and people to life and work at pace to deliver in a timely fashion.

Surrey Hills is a large Countryside property group located in Surrey and within 20 minutes of the outskirts of South London. It comprises of 5200 Hectares spread over different properties mainly within the Surrey Hills National Landscape.

The areas are spread across Surrey from Frensham Ponds in the West to Limpsfield Common in the East of the County. Some 3000 hectares of land have protected status mostly for Heathland, Chalk Downland and Ancient Woodland. Working with National Trust tenant farmers on nature recovery is a priority as are our partnerships with statutory agencies and communities in Surrey.

The Surrey Hills property group includes Box Hill, Leith Hill and The Devils Punchbowl at Hindhead,, Denbies Hillside and Ranmore Common which are iconic countryside sites in the South East of England. . .

The Surrey Hills are some of the most visited and valued landscapes in the National Trust and there are many opportunities for increasing benefit for nature and people.

What you'll be doing

You’ll lead and coordinate the delivery of nature restoration projects and programmes, ensuring alignment with our strategic plan. You will be leading a large countryside team across the landscape and be part of the property leadership team. You’ll facilitate collaboration across teams, integrate expertise and good practice, and continuously evolve our delivery methods. You’ll manage risk, maintain compliance, and ensure delivery meets agreed quality, cost and time parameters. You’ll also play a key role in influencing stakeholders, unlocking funding opportunities, and driving system-wide change to restore nature at scale.

Who we're looking for

Applications from redeployed employees are assessed against the minimum criteria for the role. In your application, please provide details of how you meet the minimum criteria below :

• Strategic Leadership for Landscape-Scale Nature Recovery – ability to lead the vision, strategy and delivery of transformational change across complex landscapes beyond NT boundaries.
• Ecological Expertise and Technical Credibility – understanding of how to apply deep ecological knowledge to inspire, influence and lead landscape-scale transformation.
• Countryside management and delivery. To be able to deliver strategy by practical action through the countryside team.
• External Stakeholder Leadership and Convening – ability to build trust and authority with diverse external stakeholders to lead collaborative programmes at scale.
• Programme and Financial Leadership – ability to lead complex programmes and manage significant budgets to deliver strategic outcomes.
• Partnership Development and Policy Advocacy – skilled in creating and sustaining strategic partnerships to deliver NT policy and influence wider land use change.
• Self-Awareness and Role Transition – Understanding of the distinct scope of the RNDM.

Criteria for all other applicants

• Strategic Leadership for Landscape-Scale Nature Recovery – ability to lead the vision, strategy and delivery of transformational change across complex landscapes beyond NT boundaries.
• Strong ecological or land management expertise and Technical Credibility (from agroecology to low carbon farming) – understanding of how to apply deep ecological knowledge to inspire, influence and lead landscape-scale transformation.
• Countryside management and delivery including excellent leadership and communication skills, with the ability to motivate teams to be able to deliver strategy by practical action.
• External Stakeholder Leadership and Convening – ability to influence and build trust and authority with diverse external stakeholders to lead collaborative programmes at scale.
• Programme and Financial Leadership – ability to lead complex programmes, including experience in fundraising, budget management and using data to drive decisions
• Partnership Development and Policy Advocacy – skilled in creating and sustaining strategic partnerships to deliver NT policy and influence wider land use change.
• Self-Awareness and Role Transition – Understanding of the distinct scope of the RNDM role and demonstrates readiness to lead beyond operational delivery.
• Experience of leading large-scale change programmes and translating strategy into action.

The package

The National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

• Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary
• Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)
• Rental deposit loan scheme
• Season ticket loan
• EV car lease scheme
• Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts
• Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.
• Flexible working whenever possible
• Employee assistance programme
• Free parking at most Trust places