Programme Manager (Green Spaces & Nature Recovery)

About this job

The Council’s 2020 declaration of a climate emergency sits at the heart of its ambitions to make Barking and Dagenham the ‘Green Capital of the Capital’ and lead a green recovery in the aftermath of Covid-19. The Draft Inclusive Growth Strategy commits to making the Council carbon neutral by 2030 and by using its policy levers, the wider borough by 2050 and the commissioning mandates for My Place and Be First both recognise the importance of the goals around sustainability. The ecological recovery of the Borough’s many parks, green spaces, public realm and Sites of Interest for Nature Conservation remains a key plank of achieving a bountiful increase in biodiversity, natural capital, as well as supporting carbon reduction and making our open spaces resilient through adaptations and mitigation of climate change.

The role of Programme Manager for Green Spaces & Nature Recovery will be responsible for devising our local ecological recovery plan and the development of a borough-wide Green Grid; liaising with planning in Be First on Biodiversity Net Gain and with My Place on general public realm improvements and environment led initiatives; providing project support to the lead commissioner of parks and team; working on CIL applications and bidding for grantfunding to finance green space and natural capital projects as well as assisting the Enforcement team in air quality plans.

Re-applying for posts

Applicants who have not been shortlisted or who are unsuccessful at interview cannot reapply for the same job if it’s within 6 months of the first advert – for further information please refer to our Jobs and Career Page - ‘Working for us and Information for Applicants’ on our website.

About you

Working within the council’s Inclusive Growth service, this is a prominent role within the organisation and you will be working to a fast-paced and evolving national and local policy agenda. You will be a key player providing advice and support to services across the council on how to manage public realm and enhance green spaces sustainably so it becomes business as usual in their daily workstreams.

The Programme Manager is expected to have a clear understanding of ecology and the importance of environment in a local government context and will be responsible for reporting back to the Head of Sustainability, Net Zero & Parks Commissioning on all matters pertaining to the strategic delivery and outcomes of biodiversity, tree-planting, habitat restoration and green space management. You will be expected to have a high level of personal self-supervision and be able to provide in clear and concise terms complex ecological matters in reports and presentations to colleagues and external stakeholders.

About us

As an employer we offer a competitive pay package that is fair, a decent pension for the future and employee benefits that make life just a little bit easier. Our Staff benefits includes a generous annual leave entitlement, LG pension scheme, learning & development, flexible working, employee support, support groups and “Wider Wallet” scheme which enable staff to access discounts on many high street stores and local businesses and save money on theme parks, theatre, cinema and eating out. There are also travel and holiday discounts, and health plans. Our borough is vibrant and diverse, and this is something we are proud of. We value the diversity of people who live, work and visit Barking and Dagenham and it is our vision is to create a place where people understand, respect and celebrate each other's differences.

Barking and Dagenham is a London borough that strives to be different. With the newly opened Barking Riverside station and Thames Clipper River service, and the new Elizabeth line station at Chadwell Heath, the borough has unrivalled connectivity and huge potential for economic growth and investment at a national scale of significance.

New film studios and the proposed relocation of the City of London markets are creating new employment opportunities, and extensive major housebuilding and place making is taking place on an unrivalled scale throughout the borough. As an organisation, Barking and Dagenham Council has a long established and progressive approach to flexible and agile working and is committed to providing a healthy work-life balance to all staff. We care about the job you do, not where you do it from.