Head of Rural Surveying

Head of Rural Surveying - England

Reference: AUG

Location: Flexible in England

Salary: £42,768.00 - £61,479.00 Per Annum

Hours: Full Time

Contract: Permanent

Benefits: Pension, Life Assurance, 26 days Annual Leave

Can you lead a team of brilliant rural surveyors and support the RSPB's ambitions to grow the land area where we actively bring nature back, both in strategic partnerships and as the UK's leading nature conservation body?

About us

The RSPB takes action for nature on every front, be it through hands-on delivery of habitats and species recovery, influencing decision-makers, or inspiring the next generation of conservation practitioners. Thanks to our significant base of support, we give nature a voice where it needs it most.

RSPB England has a significant land & property estate extending over 60,000ha of some of the most important internationally recognised places for wildlife. Importantly with 84% of the UK population in England we also have a key role in connecting people wherever they are to the mutual benefits of protecting and enhancing nature.

About the role

RSPB England has an incredibly diverse portfolio of reserves, with over 100 sites ranging from iconic places like the Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve, to key coastal reserves like Minsmere and Labrador Bay, through to working farmland such as our Cambridgeshire Hope Farm and large complex partnership delivery models with water companies such as United Utilities at Dove Stone Moors, all delivering incredible results for species recovery and in many places acting as a key destination for people too. You would personally lead the team that ensures our professional responsibilities for effective estate management are in place for these special places.

As Head of Team, you will provide the professional and operational overview, leadership, and coordination of England's Land Agency function in order to achieve RSPB's policies and required standards of estate management. You would be responsible for overseeing the technical expertise requirements of surveyors to develop and maintain an exemplar level of delivery standards, and in doing so, manage a comprehensive and high-performance rural surveying team as well as personally undertaking some of the more complex casework.

We are looking for an individual with excellent personal experience of estate management in land and property, covering the full breadth of the different areas of technical work. Experience would include dealing with standard legal conveyancing work covering acquisitions, disposals of interests in land, options, leasing and licensing, experience of valuation and acquisition of land and rights over land, experience of line-management and project management, and experience in conservation management of land such as working knowledge of designations, legal compliance, and agri-environment schemes.

Like nature our survival depends on diversity. Nature has no borders, and neither do we. We recognise that everyone is an individual, and we value what that difference brings to the RSPB. We want to support everyone to unlock their potential and better reflect the communities in which we work.

Essential skills knowledge, qualifications and experience:

• Corporate member of Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
• A wide breadth of post qualification experience and technical knowledge in estate management of land and property.
• Demonstrable knowledge of acquisition/disposal work. Able to acquire knowledge from other disciplines/colleagues to relate to land agency function.
• Experience of managing a multi-discipline team to achieve optimum outcomes. Manager of teams and projects, skilled in working across regions and departments.
• Well developed communication skills to be able to represent complex and technical issues.
• Ability to speak and present confidently to a range of audiences including external agencies and senior managers.
• Ability to travel and work flexibly.
• Personal experience of estate management of land and property, covering the full breadth of the different areas of technical work.
• Experience of dealing with standard legal conveyancing work covering acquisitions, disposals of interests in land; leasing and licensing. Experience of valuation and acquisition of land and rights overland.
• Experience of line management and project management.

Desirable experience:

• Experience in conservation management of land. Knowledge of designations; legal compliance; agri-environment schemes.
• Experience in estate management planning, balancing competing needs.

Closing date: 23:59, Sun, 25th Sep 2022

As part of this application process, you will be asked to complete an application form including evidence on how you meet the skills, knowledge, and experience listed above.

The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer. This role is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

No agencies please.