Senior Project Officer

Based in: Meridian One Community Garden, Upper Edmonton, Enfield, North London
35 hours per week
Salary: £25,225.20 + £3,882 London Weighting per annum
ID Number: 275

The Conservation Volunteers connects people together to protect and restore nature.

About the role:

The Meridian One Community Garden is a meanwhile space which primarily grows fruit, salad and vegetable crops. We engage local people in the garden through weekly volunteer gardening sessions, school visits and other community events.

TCV are looking for a Senior Project Officer who has skills and experience in community engagement, delivering events and experience of managing a community facility. The community garden was established one year ago, and the site includes an office, community meeting/education room, toilets and a large polytunnel.

The Senior Project Officer will be able to effectively deliver different tasks as required, from planning and delivering a large community family weekend event to ensuring our site Health & Safety is maintained. The post holder will be able to lead volunteers in practical tasks such as making large, raised wooden planters, help maintain the garden plants during the Spring and Summer growing period and ensure administration tasks are completed on time. These administration tasks are varied and include procurement of materials, creating risk assessments, updating social media posts and completing task reports. The Senior Project Officer will be required to lead the delivery of our under 5’s Nature Explorers outdoor playgroup activities, school visits, themed evening events and weekend family events. Additionally, the Senior Project Officer will deliver corporate volunteering sessions and provide holiday cover for our weekly Green Gym gardening session. Our wider events have included women’s Pampering and Enrichment evenings, Repurpose, Recycle, Reinvent workshops and a Black Women in Conservation and Horticulture photography exhibition. Our weekend family events provide free food, music and arts and crafts activities. The post holder will also be required to lead occasional practical food growing and conservation activities with volunteers.

This a very much a public facing role and the Senior Project Officer must be welcoming and approachable to a wide range of stakeholders. The visitors to the garden have a wide range of backgrounds and needs, you’ll need to be experienced in working with people, from toddlers attending the Nature Explorers club, vulnerable adults, to corporate volunteers and senior staff from our funders and the local authority.

In addition to this Senior Project Officer role, there are two other part time Project Officers working at the garden. TCV offers an excellent, extensive training programme and additional support from a great team of local colleagues.

Usual working hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Given the nature of the role the Senior Project Officer will need to work from the garden during these times and home working will be limited, except in exceptional circumstances. Weekend family events take place on Saturdays, four times a year and there are approximately six evening events which take place between April to September. This post holder would be expected to plan & lead on the delivery of those evening and weekend events.

This role would suit someone with previous practical experience of day-to-day management of a community garden or community centre.

Ideally, we’re looking for someone with experience of gardening and/or nature conservation. However, what’s equally important is that the Senior Project Officer has initiative, is friendly, welcoming, and comfortable working with a wide range people. We’d therefore welcome applications from candidates who can display those personable qualities, perhaps with experience of working in a community centre.

We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that candidates may need during the recruitment process, and you will be asked whether you require any during your application. If you would like to discuss your requirements further please contact the People Team via [email protected] or by telephone on 01302 388883. We also offer reasonable adjustments on the job.

* This post is subject to an enhanced CRC (with barred list)

We are The Conservation Volunteers.

Our vision is Better Nature For All.

Our mission is to connect people together to protect and restore nature, delivering lasting benefits for both.

Since 1959, The Conservation Volunteers has been a charity creating opportunities for people to create, improve and care for nature in the green spaces around them across the UK.

Our variety of projects cover a bit of everything involving nature. Volunteers muddy their boots in parks, community gardens, woodland, sites of special scientific interest, nature reserves, schools and hospital grounds, helping create a glorious network of protected green space across the UK.

This work connects people with nature, and that connection delivers powerful results. Join in, feel good.

For further information and to apply, please visit our website. Alternatively, email [email protected] or call 01302 388878.

Closing date for completed applications: Tuesday 30th October

Interview date: Monday 6th October at: Meridian One Community Garden, Enfield