Garden Jobs

The Mudlarks Community is a Hertford based charity supporting adults and young people with learning disabilities and mental health concerns. Through supported learning and meaningful work in the community we help people build confidence and self-worth whilst developing important skills.

Since its inception in 2008, Mudlarks has become a much valued and respected part of the community in Hertford and the surrounding area. We are now looking for an inspirational leader to join us on a full-time, permanent basis and continue to strengthen this legacy.

 Location of job: Mudlarks’ office and across all services provided by Mudlarks, as well as regularmeetings with sponsors and other stakeholders. This is not a remote working position.

Hours: Generally 40 hours a week, but flexibility is required. Events, fundraising and networking take place outside office hours.

 The Benefits

· Salary: Circa £45,000 pa, depending on experience

· NEST company pension scheme

· 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays

The Role

As the Chief Executive Officer, you will:

•  Develop and deliver a strategic plan and annual budget.

•  Develop Mudlarks’ public profile, build relationships with, and influence key stakeholders

•  Provide effective and dynamic leadership across the Mudlarks organisation.

•  Establish and monitor key indicators of the charity’s impact and financial health.

•  Lead fundraising activities including applications to win contracts from public bodies and income from individual and corporate donations, legacies, trusts and grants.

•  Manage direct reports effectively, providing supervision, support, development and annual appraisals for all managers, and ensure they do so for all staff.

•  Uphold the charity’s culture of care, ensuring employees, participants, customers, partners and volunteers are respected and valued.

•  Ensure that Mudlarks’ policies and practices are up to date, relevant and fair in the current charity environment and that the organisation is managed in line with the current best practice in employment and equality legislation

•  Undertake any other duties as required by the trustees.

About you

To be considered as our Chief Executive Officer, you will need:

· Proven experience in senior leadership and inspirational team management.

· Expertise in strategic planning, operational delivery, and monitoring outcomes.

· Outstanding advocacy and relationship-building skills.

· Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal.

· Competency in the use of IT applications

· Own vehicle and clean driving licence

· Attributes such as integrity, resilience, and adaptability are essential, along with a deep commitment to our mission.

Qualifications

An undergraduate degree is expected. Further qualifications in social care or the environment would be helpful but not essential. Experience of working in the learning disability sector is desirable.

Full Job description and application form available on request.

Closing date for applications: 24th January 2025

An exciting opportunity to support young people at Jamie’s Farm.  We are looking for an enthusiastic and dedicated individual with a passion for working with young people and diverse groups. This is a key role in delivering life-changing farm visits, ensuring young people receive the support they need to build resilience and personal growth.

What is Jamie’s Farm?  Jamie’s Farm is a charity that supports young people by combining therapeutic work, farming, and purposeful activities to help them thrive. Through residential visits to our working farms, we provide a nurturing environment where young people can reflect, build confidence, and develop the resilience they need to overcome personal challenges.

At an exciting time of growth for our charity, we are recruiting several delivery roles to support the opening of our 7th farm, set in beautiful woodlands and parkland adjacent to our existing Bath Farm.  This role may be based at either farm, as part of our new hub model.

Known within the organisation as ‘Senior Visit Coordinator’

More about the role:  As Senior Visit Coordinator, you will manage up to four visits a month, acting as the primary contact for a portfolio of schools and organisations. You will work closely with the Team Leader to ensure the visits are well-planned and executed, and you will deputise for them during visits when required. You will lead and support visits, deliver engaging sessions in areas such as woodwork, gardening, and horse care, and contribute to daily farm activities like walks, mealtimes, and evening activities that strengthen the connections between young people and staff.

You will ensure the smooth operation of each visit, overseeing the completion of documentation to track and monitor progress. and work closely with visiting staff to ensure they get maximum value from the experience including the follow-up process ensuring lasting change beyond the visit itself.

About you :  We are looking for an organised, motivated and friendly individual with experience working in a social work, therapeutic or educational setting. You will excel at developing relationships with diverse individuals and organisations. Your communication and teamwork abilities will be key in ensuring the success of each visit, while your passion for working with young people will drive positive outcomes.

Please see the full job description, desired experience and employee benefits by exploring our recruitment pack below.  Don’t meet every single requirement? We’d still love to hear from you – your unique skills and experience could be just what we’re looking for.

How to Apply:  Please apply via the Jamie’s Farm website, by clicking on the “Apply” button below. Read through the full recruitment pack and return both a completed application and equal opportunities form to the email address stated. We look forward to hearing from you!

Pennyhooks Farm Trust, a unique and vital organic farm in the Vale of the White Horse, seeks an experienced and passionate Head of Fundraising to lead our fundraising activities and spearhead an ambitious campaign.

About Pennyhooks: Pennyhooks Farm Trust, in Oxfordshire, provides a haven for over 30 individuals with autism, many of whom are non-verbal or have complex sensory needs. Here, our clients (know at Pennyhooks as students), actively participate in farm life, from animal care and horticulture to rural crafts and conservation and are fully involved in our renowned fundraising events (Christmas, Spring and Summer Open Days)

The Role: In this pivotal position, you'll design and execute a fundraising strategy for Pennyhooks Farm Trust to secure and meet ongoing revenue targets. In addition, you will work on an urgent and vital capital project to secure essential funding to develop residential accommodation on the farm, to sustain the purposeful working of these young people as they grow older, providing them with a home and a job for life. This will be through the management of a portfolio of major donor, foundation and corporate projects, high-level volunteers and other influential individuals and organisations, working with Trustees and other farm team members.

Your Impact: You will be in key role, raising funds to sustain the purposeful live of young people on the autistic spectrum, creating opportunities for them to live and work full-time in a nurturing and supportive environment.

The capital project will directly address the pressing concerns of families, as captured in a parent's heartfelt plea, 

"As parents, we have a date stamped on our forehead of when we will no longer be able to care for our children. What happens to them then?"

Your work will provide ongoing support and bring our vision to life - a model of care and opportunity, rarely available in the UK.

What You'll Bring: We're looking for a driven fundraising professional who can:

• Build and implement successful fundraising campaigns.
• Engage and inspire donors, stakeholders, and the wider community.
• Develop and manage capital projects.
• Bring creativity, determination and compassion to everything you do.

Why Join Us?: This role offers flexibility, including hybrid working arrangements and the opportunity to make a profound difference. You'll be part of a close-knit team that is passionate about ensuring a bright future for those we support. Pennyhooks provides a cutting edge autism service with strong ecological principles and the successful person will be joining a friendly, supportive team.

Further Information: Please find more information about Pennyhooks Farm Trust and the role in the attached Job and Person Specifications.

How to Apply: Please email your CV and supporting statement (max 1,000 words), outlining you suitability for the role, with the subject line 'Head of Fundraising'

Closing Date: 27th January 2025

Shortlisting:  will take place during January

1st Interviews:  will take place via zoom w/c 3rd and 10th February

Our Communications and Awareness Executive will play a crucial role in the rollout of our awareness and education programmes to women and girls across the UK. This will include supporting our Education Manager with the rollout of year round activations across UK universities and schools as well as managing our social media accounts with educational content. 

This role is unique, from the breadth of responsibilities, to the ownership it allows for an individual to flourish and grow in their role. 

We are looking for a confident, outgoing individual, comfortable in managing competing priorities and who is able to work collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders. The successful candidate will be energetic, flexible and reliable in their day to day activities, have a keen eye for detail and excellent writing and organisational skills. In return we offer a role in a growing, enthusiastic, fast moving team and the opportunity to make a real difference.
 

Responsibilities and Duties

• Support the management and delivery of our student education programme across UK Universities.

• Management of our network of university student ambassadors across the UK.

• Managing the activation of our student ambassador network.

• Drafting of fundraising and charity activity impact reports.

• Administrative assistance to the wider team including calendar management, 

• Website management, email marketing and database management. 

• Work with our Lady Garden supporters with lived experience to help them share their stories and get involved with our social media, events and community programmes.

• Liaise with our social media agency to ensure growth across all our channels including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok. This includes the Facebook for Business account and LinkedIn

• Support with capturing content for the Lady Garden Foundation’s social media sites - Instagram,  Facebook and Tiktok (possibly Twitter) as well as website, including support with writing blogs, posts and  multimedia content 

• Attend events when required, including occasional weekends and evenings and provide support to the wider team when required.

• Awareness and research of key health issues and updates in the gynae arena (general)

• Awareness and research of activity from other charities within the sector (general)

• To undertake other duties across the Lady Garden Foundation that may be required.

Qualifications and Skills: 

• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail

• Strong IT skills including Microsoft Office

• Proficient skills in Canva and Squarespace

• A good understanding of the charity landscape including Fundraising Regulations 

• Effective diary management including your own 

• Ability to manage multiple activities at one time including direction from multiple individuals

• An understanding of women’s health issues and the gynae landscape including the five gynaecological cancers.

• Excellent communication and presentation skills

Person Specification:

This is a front-facing role and the post holder will need to identify and exhibit behaviours which promote our values and purpose. The right candidate will demonstrate a flexible approach, and an affinity and empathy with our charity: 

• Animated and enthusiastic

• High energy and reliable

• The ability to work independently and as part of a larger team

• Ability to use initiative and work positively and independently 

• Strong attention to detail and accuracy in all areas of work 

• Demonstrable time management skills

• Passion for our cause

Desirable Skills:

• Some charity experience

• Experience of using the Microsoft Office suite software

• Confident using MS Teams, Zoom and similar platforms (preferred) 

• Experience of using CRM software

• Confident in sharing ideas and knowledge

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: 

The Lady Garden Foundation  recognises the positive value of diversity, promotes equality and challenges discrimination. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and lived experiences.

Chiswick House & Gardens Trust is looking for an entrepreneurial, strategic and commercially focused person to fill a key position within a small dynamic team.  The Commercial Development & Events Manager role combines strategic planning, partnership cultivation, and event management to support our social and  charitable mission while driving income growth and community impact.

In this role you will contribute to our mission by refining and developing our commercial strategy to align with our social, charitable and audience development goals.  You will be responsible for growing our commercial income through securing corporate partnerships, events and filming opportunities, engaging our existing and new audiences.

This post requires commercial acumen, partnership development and a creative mindset with the proven ability to develop unique income generating experiences that celebrate and are sensitive to our Grade 1 listed gardens, buildings and are anchored by our mission.

We are seeking an ambitious and motivated corporate fundraising professional to join our Development Team as Senior Corporate Partnerships Manager, Business Development. You will be responsible for building relationships for Kew with leading UK and international companies, developing a pipeline of potential corporate clients and contributing to the team’s ambitious income and engagement targets.

At a time when more and more and businesses are committing to nature-related disclosures and setting science-based climate targets, this is a fantastic opportunity for you to use your expertise and track record to leverage significant business relationships for Kew and to improve outcomes for nature.

You will have a confident and highly professional attitude, and an excellent track record in developing creative new business approaches and building successful corporate partnerships in the corporate or charity sectors. You will have sound analytical skills, the ability to work collaboratively in a complex environment and enjoy the challenge of achieving ambitious financial and engagement targets.  You will be a strong communicator with the ability to articulate complex information into compelling propositions. You will have line-management experience and be able to prioritise tasks and work calmly under pressure to meet multiple deadlines.

Interviews are expected to take place w/c 19 January 2025.

The role is based at Kew, with the option of regular home working, depending on operational requirements.

About Us

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (RBG Kew) is a leading plant science institute, UNESCO World Heritage Site, and major visitor attraction. Our mission is to understand and protect plants and fungi for the well-being of people and the future of all life on Earth.

We are working to end the unprecedented extinction crisis and to help create a world where nature is protected, valued by all and managed sustainably. We will achieve these goals by drawing on our leading scientific research, unrivalled collections of plants and fungi, global network of partners, inspirational gardens at Kew and Wakehurst, and our 260 years of history.

Join us on our journey as protectors of the world’s plants and fungi. 

Our fantastic benefits package includes opportunities for continuous learning, a generous annual leave entitlement, flexible working to help you maintain a healthy work-life balance, an Employee Assistance Programme and other wellbeing support such as cycle to work scheme and discounted gym membership. We also offer a competitive pension, an employee discount scheme and free entry into a wide range of national museums and galleries, as well as access to our own beautiful gardens at Kew and Wakehurst.

We are dedicated to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from all sections of the community. We are committed to interview disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post.

No agencies please.

We are seeking an experienced and successful corporate fundraising professional to join our Development Team as Corporate Partnerships Manager, Strategic Accounts (maternity cover). You will be responsible for building relationships with and working with some of the leading companies in the UK.

This is a fantastic opportunity for you manage an existing portfolio of partners and deliverables, inclusive of our high value Corporate Members, whilst developing new engagement opportunities with existing and potentially new partners. You will have a good track record in fundraising from companies and delivering partnership activities, successfully retaining and developing relationships with companies. You will understand strategic account management, fundraising techniques, the motivations for corporate involvement in charity partnerships, sound analytical skills, a highly professional approach and experience of achieving financial and activity targets.  The ability to work collaboratively across teams is essential, and you will ideally have experience of line-management and of working in a large and complex organisation. You will be a strong communicator with the ability to prioritise tasks and work calmly under pressure to meet multiple deadlines.

Interviews are expected to take place w/c 12 January 2025.

The role is based at Kew, with the option of regular home working, depending on operational requirements.

About Us

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (RBG Kew) is a leading plant science institute, UNESCO World Heritage Site, and major visitor attraction. Our mission is to understand and protect plants and fungi for the well-being of people and the future of all life on Earth.

We are working to end the unprecedented extinction crisis and to help create a world where nature is protected, valued by all and managed sustainably. We will achieve these goals by drawing on our leading scientific research, unrivalled collections of plants and fungi, global network of partners, inspirational gardens at Kew and Wakehurst, and our 260 years of history.

Join us on our journey as protectors of the world’s plants and fungi. 

Our fantastic benefits package includes opportunities for continuous learning, a generous annual leave entitlement, flexible working to help you maintain a healthy work-life balance, an Employee Assistance Programme and other wellbeing support such as cycle to work scheme and discounted gym membership. We also offer a competitive pension, an employee discount scheme and free entry into a wide range of national museums and galleries, as well as access to our own beautiful gardens at Kew and Wakehurst.

We are dedicated to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from all sections of the community. We are committed to interview disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post.

No agencies please.

Job Title: Gardener Project Officer for Young Marketeers Plymouth

Position Type: Freelance

Reports to: Development Manager

Based at:Home-working and at schools in Plymouth

Working Hours: 14 days @ £165 per day from March – July (£2310); 8 x school gardening sessions at £110 per session plus 1 day planning @ £220 (£1100). Total budget £3,410 + expenses

Contract: Temporary 

Job Purpose

· To manage the delivery of Young Marketeers in Plymouth in four primary schools

Background to School Food Matters

School Food Matters (SFM) exists to teach children about food and to improve children’s access to healthy, sustainable food during their time at school. We provide fully funded food education programmes to schools. Our experience delivering these programmes informs and strengthens our campaigns, bringing the voices of children, parents and teachers to government policy.

Young Marketeers

This much-loved programme was started in London in 2012. It is now running in 12 cities across England and is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund for three years.  The programme provides hands-on opportunities for children from primary schools to grow fruit and veg from seed to sell at their local market. Young Marketeers is also a platform for School Food Matters to promote food education to schools and communities as a way to support children to live happy and healthy lives.  Children learn the art of growing veg from seed, and market traders will share their secrets on how to create a winning market stall.  Primary schools will be visited by our gardener in March/April and then again in May/June and receive further tips on how to ensure a bumper crop. And in July, they head to the market to sell their produce, and to meet the mayor!

Key Tasks include:

· Assist with recruitment of four schools to take part in Young Marketeers

· Build and maintain relationships with teachers, teaching assistants and senior leaders to ensure the smooth running of the project

· Build and support relationships with contacts in partner organisations

· Schedule, organise and deliver

o One assembly in each school

o Two food growing sessions in each school

o One market trader training session in each school

o Market Day in the city centre in July for four schools

· Maintain accurate records relating to the programme

• Complete monitoring and evaluation forms in accordance with instructions from our Evaluation team
• Take photos of workshops and events where possible
• Keep Development Manager fully updated on progress

· Keep up to date with safeguarding requirements and reporting procedures

• Maintain the ethos of the charity and positively promote our work at all times

Person specification

Essential  

· Experience of delivering food growing sessions to children

· Knowledge of fruit and vegetable growing

· Excellent administrative and organisational skills with great attention to detail

· Excellent IT skills including excel, word and email

· Experience of building relationships with partner organisations and individuals 

· Ability to work in a team, and seek help when needed

· Self-motivated and optimistic with a can-do attitude

Desirable  

· Experience of working for a charity or not for profit organisation

· Experience of working in primary schools and engaging children

The Facilities Coordinator is a new role for SMH and there will be a collaborative process to finalise the working patterns. The ideal candidate is passionate about working within and maintaining historic, community focussed buildings, and has an interest in arts and wellbeing.

The role is full-time, 35 hours per week, with a flexible working pattern due to the nature of this role being reactive to the needs of the organisation. Typically, the role will be 6 hours per day, Monday-Friday from 4:30pm - 10:30pm, with the remaining 5 hours per week either being ‘on call’ at the weekend, or spread across the week.

Please download the Candidate Pack below (or via the SMH website) for the full job description and how to apply. 

Job Title: Horticultural Engagement Officer (hybrid/flexible working) 

Location: RHS Garden Harlow Carr, Harrogate, Yorkshire

Salary: £ 23,893

Hours:   28hrs per week (i.e. 0.75 FTE)

Contract: permanent

As part of an engagement team across the Royal Horticultural Society, the Horticultural Engagement Officer will implement the RHS’ careers promotion and diversity initiative New Shoots at and in the vicinity of RHS Garden Harlow Carr in Yorkshire. This consists of careers outreach activities as well as onsite engagement programmes, such as taster days, work experience, youth volunteering and horticultural skills development programmes.

The Horticultural Engagement Officer will need to be creative, personable, and happy to be part of a remotely managed team based at all five RHS gardens, and will enjoy working with people from the age of 14 from a varied range of backgrounds. The successful candidate will have excellent interpersonal skills, be able to problem solve, have experience of engaging with diverse audiences and of working across teams. As the delivery of horticultural training is an essential part of the role, a horticultural qualification equivalent to RHS Level 2, or similar experience, is essential.

Closing date for applications is January 22, 2025, and we are aiming for first round online interviews in the week beginning January 27, and in-person second round interviews the week beginning February 3, 2025.

Details of our great benefits can be found here.

Overview of the Role: 

As Horticultural Engagement Officer you will be responsible for

• Delivering the RHS’ inclusivity and engagement programme New Shoots at and around RHS Harlow Carr, focussed on building representation in horticulture from previously underrepresented groups. This includes occasional weekend work and travel across the UK with overnight stays.

• Developing and maintaining the Practical Training Hub, a training garden for future horticulturists within the grounds of RHS Harlow Carr.

• Building and maintaining relationships with various teams within the RHS and with groups and organisations local and regional to RHS Harlow Carr.

To work for the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is to join a thriving charity, whose mission is to be there for everyone on their lifelong adventure with gardening. Everything we do is built on the transformational power of gardening – and the benefits it brings to people, places and our planet.

We couldn’t do this without our people. We’re proud of the knowledge, enthusiasm and ideas that each one of our team members brings. From working across our social media channels, to volunteering in the RHS Gardens, from serving customers in our garden centres to running national marketing campaigns, we believe that every member of the RHS team should have the opportunity to make a difference.  Our careers portal here provides a comprehensive overview of what we offer, the teams that work at the RHS and our great benefits.

Safeguarding and Inclusion

The RHS is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk and expects all personnel to share in this commitment. We are an inclusive employer and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

If you require any additional support with making your application, please contact sharon Ellis and ensure to include the job title or job reference number REQ (found at the top of the advert) when emailing.

Job Title: Senior Institutional Fundraising Manager

Location: London

Salary: £48,000

Hours: 35 hours a week

Contract: Permanent

Details of our great benefits can be found here.

 Overview of the Role:

To work for the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is to join a thriving charity, whose mission is to inspire everyone to grow. Everything we do is built on the transformational power of gardening – and the benefits it brings to people, places and our planet.

Known globally for our inspirational Shows and five spectacular Gardens, our work extends to leading ground-breaking climate research, running community outreach programmes, and setting the standards in horticultural education. With the recent opening of RHS Garden Bridgewater and Hilltop, the world’s first dedicated Centre for Gardening Science, at RHS Garden Wisley, there has never been a more exciting time to be part of our journey to make the UK a greener, and more beautiful place.

And we couldn’t do this without our people. We’re proud of the knowledge, enthusiasm and ideas that each one of our team members brings. From working across our social media channels, to volunteering in the RHS Gardens, from serving customers in our garden centres to running national marketing campaigns, we believe that every member of the RHS team should have the opportunity to make a difference.

We are looking for an experienced fundraiser to join the Development and Corporate Partnerships Department based in London, as our Senior Institutional Fundraising Manager.  You will raise money for a wide range of projects and programmes, as well as manage a number important relationships from a portfolio of funders.  You will be a proactive fundraiser who can confidently communicate our impact and plans to funders across the UK and work as part of the wider team.  You will be happy to travel to our gardens and shows as needed, working closely with colleagues across the RHS.

Building on your strong experience and knowledge of institutional fundraising, your role will be to help us expand our income and secure support for our core work. This is an exciting time join the RHS as we move ahead with a number of new transformational programmes and seek to increase our fundraising income for a variety of new projects including our scientific research, sustainability projects and new programmes throughout the UK. Experience of fundraising for research, higher education or environmental causes would be advantageous, but is not essential.

Safeguarding and Inclusion

The RHS is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk and expects all personnel to share in this commitment. We are an inclusive employer and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

Please note:  We may review applications as soon as we receive them so if you see a vacancy that you are interested in, please apply straight away as the vacancy will be closed as soon as we hire the right candidate. Should you require any additional support with making your application please email Sharon Ellis detailing the position and REQ number reference (found at the top of the advert) that you are applying for.

Dandelion Time’s pioneering nature-based therapy seeks to rebuild the confidence and self-belief of children and families impacted by trauma, enabling them to take the necessary steps to move forward. 

To support our expansion, we have an exciting opportunity to join our close knit and hugely supportive team as the Fundraising and Marketing Co-ordinator. 

Reporting to the Director of Fundraising and PR,  you will play a key role in supporting our collaborative and successful Fundraising and Marketing team. You will be responsible for the exemplary stewardship of donors and prospective supporters, building strong and loyal relationships with your excellent written and verbal communications as well as ensuring effective and efficient management of the CRM system.

To excel in this role you will demonstrate experience of working successfully in a busy and sometimes demanding administrative support role.   You will be proficient in Microsoft Office Packages (including Outlook and Teams), have creative problem-solving skills, a meticulous attention to detail and collaborative approach.  Equally important is a great sense of humour and passion for the work that we do transforming the lives of traumatised children and their families.  

What can we offer you?

At Dandelion Time we always strive to achieve a happy and healthy work-life balance for all.   Where practicable we offer flexible working arrangements to allow you to work in a way that suits your individual lifestyle. 

In addition we offer:

25 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time staff) with the opportunity to purchase additional annual leave up to 50 days pro-rata per annum

A generous enhanced sick pay scheme

5% contributory pension scheme

Excellent communication and technology processes

Skilled, supportive, collaborative, fun and caring colleagues

The opportunity to work in and with nature and animals at our rural based settings – Matilda and Basil our two resident cats regularly join in with our team meetings. Our Donkeys, Alpacas, Sheep, Chickens and Guinea Pigs prefer to stay outside but always look forward to a visit from their colleagues

In this particular role you will work 22.5 hours each over 3 or 4 days from home and our Maidstone HQ with at least one day each week in the office.  You will also need to be available to work some evenings and weekends to support our various events and to visit our other sites including Shadoxhurst (Ashford) and Shorne (Gravesend).  Please note that public transport is limited at all our sites so you will need your own transport.

Safeguarding

Dandelion Time is committed to a culture that safeguards and promotes the welfare of children and their families with robust recruitment procedures that deter and prevent people who are unsuitable to work with children from applying for or securing employment within the charity.  All individuals working in any capacity at Dandelion Time will be subject to safeguarding checks in line with the statutory guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education.  This will include a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check against both the Adult and Child Barred List service.  Evidence of ID, your right to work in the UK, your relevant qualifications, current address and satisfactory references are also a requirement.

Equality and Diversity

Dandelion Time is committed to creating a more inclusive organisation which benefits from a variety of perspectives and better reflects the communities we serve, to make smarter decisions and better support our families.  We expect all our people to be accountable for equality, diversity and inclusion at Dandelion Time. It is only by working together in unity that we can ensure that everyone can perform at their best. We warmly welcome applications from all sectors of the community and from a diverse range of genders, age, backgrounds, ethnicities, sexual orientations and physical abilities.

As part of our Safer Recruitment procedures, we proactively remove bias by ensuring whenever possible, the recruiting panel only receive anonymised applications to complete the shortlisting process.

The Royal Ballet and Opera continues to lead the way in opera, ballet, music and dance both live on stage and through multiple digital platforms, from live streaming to worldwide cinema screenings. Our Covent Garden theatre has been at the heart of London and British cultural life for three centuries. We are home to two world-class Companies: The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera.

As a charity, we could not maintain our reputation, the range of our work, or our digital presence, without the support of our business partners, sponsors, philanthropists and members. The Development and Advocacy Department is seeking to recruit a Patrons Coordinator on a part time basis who will work with the team to provide an efficient ticketing and customer service to all Patrons by telephone, email and post, ensuring that all Patrons ticketing requirements are met. They will also ensure related records are processed, recorded and fulfilled accurately within the department`s quality of service and compliance standards.

The ideal candidate will be committed to providing excellent customer service with a consistent high level of customer care and responsiveness. They will also have high attention to detail, and the ability to prioritise tasks, especially given this is a part time position. They will be able to demonstrate:

• Solid experience in a customer facing environment
• Experience in a membership organisation and/or Box office environment (not essential but highly desirable)
• Understanding of legacy giving and administration (desirable)
• Experience of databases and MS Office (Access, Word and Excel); some working knowledge of Tessitura or other CRM systems or ability to learn

A working knowledge of our arts forms is not a pre-requisite but the ability to get up to speed on RBO membership products and services quickly is.

The Royal Ballet and Opera is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment in which everyone can thrive. We particularly welcome applications from those who are from a global majority background and/or those who are disabled, as they are under-represented within our organisation. As a Disability Confident Employer, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential minimum criteria for our vacancies.

Closing date for applications: 8am, Monday 6th January 2025

Applicants must have work authorisation for the UK. No agencies.

The Visitor Experience Manager (VEM) is an integral part of the management team responsible for the oversight of a seamless House visit and visitor engagement programme during varied opening hours throughout the year to ensure that every aspect of the experience is taken into account. With extensive management experience in a visitor facing environment, the VEM will act as an ambassador for our visitors across the property, embedding their needs and expectations at the heart of the visitor experience.

With oversight of the house-based visitor operation and shouldering direct responsibility for the seamless visitor engagement programme throughout the year, they will enable a broad range of audiences to have an outstanding and inspirational visit through the consistent quality of our welcome and the stories we tell.

The VEM will play an important role in the growth and development of the Visitor Experience department, championing excellence in operational delivery, recruitment, training, customer best practice, and engagement initiatives. Using their knowledge and understanding of best practice within the sector, they will play an integral part in developing the Visitor Experience strategy and helping to future proof department objectives and delivery of KPIs.

Working Wednesday to Sunday throughout the year, they will be experienced in supporting and delivering a large daily visitor operation and ensuring the best use of staffing and resource across the property.

Primary Responsibilities:

Operational Management

House Based Operation

• Have oversight of the House based visitor operation, supporting the AVEM to ensure;
  • the consistency of visit for all guests
  • presentation standards are exemplary throughout and meet brand guidelines
  • compliance throughout the operation
  • engagement of staff and volunteers with the purpose of their roles and environment
  • visitor feedback is recorded and reviewed, escalating where appropriate
• Create operational House planning document, updating regularly following operational changes
• Look strategically to future proof the house-based visitor operation, regularly benchmarking against other sector leading properties, and implementing change management where necessary 
• Actively support AVEM in operational delivery of house opening and tours programme
• Act as a Fire Warden for the property during opening hours
• Act as a point of escalation for the AVEM and team, confidently responding to any in-person visitor feedback or complaints, resolving any issues raised and escalating with suggestions for improvement to the HVE for review where necessary

Tours and Walks Operation

• Responsible for the oversight and daily operational delivery of the public tours and walks programme non-House based, ensuring it is consistently delivered to a high standard and sufficiently resourced with staff and volunteers
• Act as a central point of contact and liaising between teams and departments to ensure spaces and resources are efficiently managed in a timely manner, in particular: Group Bookings Coordinator, Collections Administrator, and Head of Private Events
• Operational responsibility for the visitor journey and experience, staffing resources and programming at the Wedding Cake/Dairy site, as well as any satellite exhibition spaces
• Conduct informative briefings for staff and volunteer teams ahead of tours and walks
• In collaboration with the AVEM provide motivational and supportive line management and provide resources to guide and volunteer teams, encouraging them to embed the needs and expectations of visitors at the heart of the operation
• In collaboration with relevant colleagues & departments, create agreed scripts and guidance for delivery of walks and tours programme by guiding teams
• Create risk assessments and method statements, pertinent to the operational delivery of the engagement programme
• Prepare ticketing set-up for house-based activity and paid for tours in a timely manner
• Regularly attend scheduled tours and walks to monitor the consistency and quality of the visitor offer, implementing any necessary improvements
• Train to be a guide, covering staff/volunteer shortfalls to ensure consistency in the visitor offer
• Where necessary, support out of hours exclusive access tours, sharing this responsibility amongst the VE management team
• Grow and develop the public programme, with particular reference to accessible and income generating programming
• Work closely with the HVE and VEM, as well as colleagues from the Box Office, Volunteering, Collections, Gardens, Marketing and Events departments to ensure the holistic delivery of excellent visitor care and engagement
• Contribute to the planning and delivery of programming and exhibitions, ensuring all operational aspects are considered and advocating for the needs of visitors
• Work closely with the Collections department to update interpretation materials to ensure that they remain current, relevant and engaging
• Work collaboratively with the AVEM in relations to all house-based tours, supporting them to ensure the smooth running of the operation and efficient management of staff and volunteer resources, whilst ensuring scope for the AVEM to be involved in the planning and delivery of the wider tours programme

People Management

• Line manage the Assistant Visitor Experience Manager (AVEM), providing operational guidance, supporting their growth in post and prioritizing personal development opportunities
• Support & coach the AVEM in managing House based staff (Experience, Operations and Welcome Assistants) and volunteer (House Host) teams
• Consistently provide authoritative and motivational line management for guides and volunteers (Specialist Guides, Garden Guides, Wedding Cake Guides, Visitor Insights volunteers and Hosts & Eythrope Guides and Hosts) teams acting as a friendly and approachable point of contact & where appropriate sharing this responsibility with the AVEM
• Provide motivational and supporting line management for Visitor Insights volunteers and supporting HVE to analyse audiences and the visitor journey
• Create homogenous House team of staff and volunteers, striving to deliver a culture of excellence, whilst adopting a ‘one team’ approach
• Develop a culture of “exceptional service, every time, for everyone” throughout the team and be a role model of best practice
• Motivate teams to be inspired by, engage with, and safely manage historic surroundings  - demonstrating a particular interest in the house, its history and collections
• Alongside the AVEM oversee the implementation of staffing plans to ensure all aspects of the visitor operation are sufficiently resourced and align with agreed budgets
• Working with the AVEM, lead on recruiting talented and enthusiastic people, develop and coach them, driving strong performance through setting clear objectives and giving regular feedback and reviews
• Work closely with the Head of Visitor Experience, Head of Volunteering and AVEM to expand and develop a year-round integrated Visitor Experience volunteering programme – developing a strategy to grow the volunteer offer and adopt sector best practice
• Support the VE management team in performance managing shared permanent staffing teams
• In collaboration with the AVEM deliver inspiring induction and training programmes for Visitor Experience House based teams, enabling proactive staff development and ensuring that a culture of continuous improvement is in place
• In collaboration with the AVEM, develop role specific induction and training materials, continuously assessing their impact as the season progresses and updating where necessary
• Act as VE lead on planning annual best practice visitor care training for staff and volunteer teams
• Provide regular role specific training for staff and volunteer teams, including; collection and exhibition updates, security, access awareness, fire evacuation, collection care, inspecting and using ladders, and disaster management

Developing Best Practice

• Working closely with the HVE, contribute to the Visitor Experience departmental strategy
• Use experience to look holistically at house-based operation, providing a strategy for implementing best practice:
  • Efficient use of staffing resources to ensure compliance obligations are consistently met whilst maximising budgets
  • Professional development of staff team members, providing opportunities to maximise skills and experience, train further in role specific areas and opportunities to progress within the department
  • Build on the development of house-based volunteer roles, expanding the visitor engagement focus and attracting and retaining diverse volunteer
  • Ensure scope for AVEM to be involved in all of the above strategic planning
• Work collaboratively with the HVE, Group Bookings Coordinator and Marketing team to understand our audiences and to develop tours and walks aligning with visitor and group preferences
• Use experience to further develop visitor engagement programming, providing a strategy for implementing industry leading tours and experiences:
  • Research and identify audience preferences
  • Looking broadly, research and identify sector leading experiences
  • Working with the Collections and Private Events departments, take an holistic approach to developing a guide recruitment and training programme
  • Further develop existing tours programming, recruiting, training and monitoring the performance of guides/volunteers
  • Support the delivery of grounds based accessible tours and programming i.e. garden and buggy led tours
• Working closely with the HVE and Volunteering department, recruit, train and support talented and enthusiastic staff and volunteers who will deliver our public tours and walks programme and expand and develop a year-round integrated Visitor Experience volunteering offer
• Work collaboratively with the HVE, Group Bookings Coordinator and Marketing team to understand our audiences and to develop tours and walks aligning with visitor and group preferences

Budgetary & Risk Management

• Working with the Head of Visitor Experience, you will manage relevant departmental staffing and operational budgets and contribute to the financial planning process
• Management of the house-based staffing budgets as agreed with HVE
• Champion access for all, ensuring that all visitor offers meet best practice guidance for accessibility and supporting the AVEM in developing and delivering visitor facing access initiatives
• Working closely with the Health and Safety Manager to proactively ensure that all health and safety procedures are consistently adhered to across the site and sufficient training is delivered to FOH teams
• Create departmental risk assessments and method statements, ensuring they are regularly reviewed
• Support in the delivery of emergency and evacuation training for Visitor Experience and other teams where appropriate

Providing Operational Cover for the Visitor Experience Management Team

• Deputising for the HVE in their absence
• Attend key operational meetings providing feedback to the wider Visitor Experience team on upcoming events, and chair the appropriate meetings in the Head of Visitor Experience’s absence
• To provide operational coverage for the VE management team, deputising for the Visitor Operations Manager during periods where the House is closed, to provide adequate supervisory cover for all aspects of the visitor operation
• To act as a second duty manager at large events, responsible for an agreed area of the site and making necessary operational decisions
• Provide operational duty management cover in the absence of the Assistant Visitor Experience Manager

Other Duties & Responsibilities

• Act as a First Aider for Waddesdon staff, volunteers and visitors, (refresher and renewal training will be provided)
• Act as a Fire Marshall (training provided)
• To train as a “White Hat” as part of the Waddesdon Disaster Response Team, and potentially take a leadership role in the event of a major incident
• Work “front line” at busy times such as major events (Easter, Chili Fest, Christmas), or to help cover unexpected or unforeseeable staff or volunteer shortages if required
• To support some out of hours events by acting as a Duty Manager responsible for the operation of the event on the day or night as required
• Co-ordinate and participate in regular Visitor Experience staff and volunteer feedback sessions
• Develop collaborative working relationships and co-ordinate activity with colleagues in other departments to ensure the holistic delivery of excellent visitor care
• Record any accidents or near-misses, working closely with the Health & Safety Manager
• Record and process hours for seasonal payroll
• Record volunteering hours and actively participate in the My Volunteering database
• Keep abreast of latest developments in the heritage/museum sector
• Carry out any other reasonable task as requested by the Head of Visitor Experience

Skills, Experience and Qualities

• 3-5 years’ operational and line management experience in a fast-paced visitor facing role, preferably within the heritage/museum sector 
• An accomplished and experienced line manager with an empowering style, and motivational skills including coaching, team development and effective communication
• Proven experience and passion for delivering a culture of exceptional visitor experience and engagement activities
• Genuine desire to work in a varied operational role, using experience to contribute to departmental strategy
• Ability to manage time effectively and efficiently, across project management and daily operations, being visible and providing support to the team, whilst progressing and implementing departmental planning
• Extensive knowledge of best practice and trends within the museum/heritage/visitor attraction sector, with experience of analysing current practices and developing and delivering operational change
• Excellent people and communication skills, building relationships with internal and external stakeholders as well as the ability to balance complex stakeholder interests
• Experience of working with and managing volunteers, understanding the different approach needed to reward, recognise and motivate volunteers
• Sound understanding of collection care/conservation strategies and techniques
• Ability to remain calm and confident under pressure, using sound operational judgement to resolve issues, with experience of coaching others to attain similar confidence
• Proven experience of managing staffing levels and rostering to deliver high levels of visitor satisfaction and meet all compliance requirements in line with agreed budgets
• Excellent written and interpersonal skills, including some public presentation or guiding experience
• Organized and efficient approach with excellent attention to detail, and demonstrable experience of coaching others to adopt the same approach
• Experience of devising and delivering in-house training
• Some experience of budgetary management and commercial awareness
• Experience of duty and incident management, leading emergency procedures in a public environment whilst remaining calm and confident under pressure
• Practical working knowledge of Health & Safety and security legislation and it’s implementation in a visitor focused environment
• Excellent IT skills, particularly around Microsoft Office, with some use of POS and ticketing platforms
• A keen interest in heritage, arts management and the outdoors, with a particular reference to decorative arts and historic gardens
• Full driving license

This role will be subject to DBS clearance.