Somerset Environmental Records Centre Manager

Somerset Environmental Records Centre Manager
Salary: £31,321 - £36,750
Contract type: Permanent
Working hours: Full time
Location: Taunton, Somerset, with opportunities for hybrid working

For almost 40 years Somerset Environmental Records Centre (SERC) has been the focal organisation for holding data on wildlife sightings, types of habitats and geological information for Somerset.

This is an exciting time for SERC as we drive forward in a mission to have at least 30% of land managed positively for nature by 2030 (30 x 30). We are looking for an experienced and ambitious manager to implement the strategy and grow and manage the SERC Team, whilst positioning SERC as the ‘go to’ ecological data evidence provider for an increasing range of stakeholders in the county.

Job Description – Key Responsibilities and Tasks

Strategy and Business Development:

The SERC Manager will be part of the Operational Management Team of the Somerset Wildlife Trust, supporting the Senior Leadership Team through clear strategy and business development by:

• Developing and overseeing the strategic growth, business planning and operational management of SERC.
• Ensuring SERC is financially sustainable and growing by seeking income generating opportunities to develop SERC business, identifying additional markets and services, and developing and implementing a Business Plan.
• Positioning SERC as the ‘go to’ ecological data evidence provider for the county and leading the marketing and communications to drive this forward.
• Ensuring SERC has capability and resource to achieve commitments through Service Level Agreements, ensuring that SERC is having a positive contribution to planning and policy across the county.
• Overseeing the development and delivery of the Somerset State of Nature Report, ensuring the team can analyse and interpret data to establish trends and identify where action for nature recovery needs to occur as the process for monitoring delivery of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Somerset.

Responsibility 1: Data Analysis and Services

Manage a robust data collection and interpretation service by:

• Establishing customer requirements, including researching and monitoring of users’ needs.
• Ensuring high quality information underpins data searches to enable effective planning decisions
• Overseeing the work programmes in data capture, entry, management, analysis, interpretation and dissemination to support evidence driven decision-making.
• Negotiating SLAs with key existing and new service users.

Responsibility 2: SERC Team Management

Achieve the aims of the Business Plan agreed with SERC Executive Group and Somerset Wildlife Trust through:

• Managing the SERC team in the setting of objectives, considering succession, priorities and work programmes to ensure high quality, efficient and timely delivery of projects and services to users.
• Developing and applying Local Records Centre protocols and policies, meeting the requirements of data users and providers, as well as professional codes of conduct and the promotion of national standards, through achieving ALERC accreditation.
• Keeping abreast of and contributing to political and technical developments in biodiversity data management and make presentations of SERC’s work and national policy development to appropriate audiences.
• Receiving and resolving complaints and representations about SERC services from data users and providers.
• Setting and managing budgets, risks and issues.

Responsibility 3: Develop though Advocacy, Influence and Delivery

Be a specialist and nurture strong relationships by:

• Developing excellent relationships with national and local recording communities and support them to contribute high quality useful data that informs an evidence-led strategy to improve Somerset’s natural environment.
• Coordinating the SERC Executive Group to deliver and monitor an effective strategy for the Records Centre that provides usable data for planners, Service Level Agreement holders and working with Somerset Wildlife Trust, in the provision of a conservation strategy for the county.
• Setting data access parameters to secure the SERC business model while making data as open access as possible.
• Developing secure funding and commercial income streams, and manage SERC project-based work, meeting the aims of an agreed Business Plan and Somerset Wildlife Trust’s strategy.

General

• The job holder is required to follow and comply with all policies and procedures of Somerset Wildlife Trust which includes our health and safety and safeguarding procedures, ensuring the personal safety of all staff, volunteers, young people and vulnerable adults involved in the project.
• To carry out other duties relevant to your post as reasonably required by your line manager.
• To reflect the Somerset Wildlife Trust Values in all areas of work. • To work collaboratively with other Environmental Records Centres & Wildlife Trusts to share learning and achieve greater impact collectively.
• Somerset Wildlife Trust is committed to creating a more digital culture across the organisation. We aim to become more collaborative, agile and efficient through the use of digital technology. A basic level of digital skills is expected of all staff with the opportunity to improve these skills with career progression.
• Somerset Wildlife Trust has an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Plan and is committed to continuing to improve the equality, diversity and inclusion of every aspect of our work; we know we need to engage with everyone to live our Values and achieve our goals. We welcome applications from everyone and are happy to discuss any accommodations or arrangements that would make the recruitment process better for you, and the working environment should you be employed.

Additional benefits of working for the Somerset Wildlife Trust include:

• 7% employer pension contribution
• Life insurance
• An annual professional institution subscription
• Flexible and agile working
• Wellbeing support – EAP, wellbeing champions
• Diversity networks through RSWT/TWT
• Paid volunteer days
• Continuous Professional Development opportunities
• Minimum 33 days of holiday (25 annual leave + bank holidays)
• Active staff social events

The opportunity to make a real and positive difference to nature, communities and the climate.

Closing date: Sunday 21 July 2024

Interested?

If you would like to apply and find out more about this position, please click the apply button to be directed to our website. 

Somerset Wildlife Trust has an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Plan and is committed to continuing to improve the equality, diversity and inclusion of every aspect of our work; we know we need to engage with everyone to live our values and achieve our goals. We welcome applications from everyone and are happy to discuss any accommodations or arrangements that would make the recruitment process better for you, and the working environment should you be employed.

No agencies please.