Project Manager (Maternity Cover)

Job Purpose

The Project Manager leads the Agricultural Advice Team, ensuring the effective planning, coordination and delivery of projects that support farmers and landowners to make space for nature and contribute to wildlife recovery. Working closely with the Warwickshire Sustainable Farming Groups, delivery partners and internal teams, you will oversee the successful implementation of agricultural advice projects, ensuring that contractual commitments, funding requirements and project objectives are achieved.

As the most senior member of the Agricultural Advice Team, you will provide leadership and direction to Agricultural Advisers, setting priorities, allocating resources, monitoring performance and supporting professional development. You will be responsible for ensuring the team delivers high-quality outcomes, achieves agreed targets and maintains effective systems for monitoring, evaluation and reporting. Your skills as a project manager are more important than as an agricultural expert – your team are the experts and you create the culture for them to thrive.

You will take responsibility for project governance, budget management, performance monitoring and funder reporting, ensuring projects are delivered efficiently, compliantly and in line with organisational objectives. Working across a portfolio of projects, you will coordinate resources, manage risks and support strong relationships with funders, partners and stakeholders to maximise delivery and impact.

In addition, you will play a key role in supporting the Director of Landscape Recovery to shape the future of the Trust's agricultural advice offer, helping to develop sustainable delivery models, secure and manage funding, improve operational systems and processes, and contribute to the long-term strategic vision for agricultural advice across Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull

Key responsibilities

1. Team Leadership & Performance Management

• Lead, support and develop the Agricultural Advice Team, ensuring the effective delivery of agreed programmes, projects and contracts.
• Set clear work priorities, allocate workloads and monitor team performance against agreed targets, outputs and outcomes.
• Provide line management, coaching and professional development support to Agricultural Advisers and other staff as required.
• Establish effective systems for work planning, performance monitoring and reporting across the team.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performing team culture that supports continuous improvement and the effective delivery of services.

2. Project Management

• Oversee the delivery of agricultural advice projects, ensuring agreed milestones, outputs, outcomes and timescales are achieved.
• Develop and maintain project plans, risk registers and delivery schedules to support effective project management.
• Coordinate resources across multiple projects, ensuring staff capacity is aligned with organisational priorities and contractual commitments.
• Identify delivery risks and issues and implement appropriate mitigation measures.
• Ensure projects are delivered in accordance with funding agreements, organisational procedures and contractual requirements.

3. Financial & Contract Management

• Manage project budgets, ensuring expenditure is accurately monitored and controlled.
• Support budget forecasting, financial reporting and resource planning across the Agricultural Advice Team.
• Monitor contractual obligations and funding requirements to ensure compliance and successful delivery.
• Identify opportunities to maximise value for money and improve the efficiency of project delivery.

4. Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting

• Establish and maintain systems for tracking project outputs, outcomes and impact.
• Collate and analyse delivery data to support project management, organisational learning and continuous improvement.
• Prepare high-quality reports for funders and partners, ensuring reporting requirements are met on time.
• Ensure appropriate records, evidence and documentation are maintained to support project assurance and audit requirements.

5. Partnership & Stakeholder Coordination

• Coordinate relationships with Warwickshire Sustainable Farming Groups and the Warwickshire Rural Hub.
• Represent the Trust in partnership meetings and project governance structures as required.
• Support collaboration across teams, organisations and partnerships to maximise project outcomes and secure effective delivery.
• Work closely with the Agricultural Advice Team to ensure stakeholder requirements are understood and reflected in delivery planning.

6. Strategic Input & Service Development

• Work closely with the Director of Landscape Recovery to support the strategic development of the Trust's agricultural advice service.
• Contribute to business planning, funding development and service improvement initiatives.
• Support the development of effective delivery models, systems and processes that improve project performance and organisational resilience.
• Assist in the preparation of annual budgets, work programmes and reporting requirements for your area of responsibility.

7. General Responsibilities

• Promote the work, mission and vision of the Trust at all times.
• Use every opportunity, commensurate with other duties to contribute to the Trust’s membership recruitment, fundraising and engagement of people.
• Work across teams to develop and implement activity plans across the 2030 strategy business plan.
• Ensure a high level of customer service in all dealings with the public.
• Ensure continuous development of skills and knowledge required for the post, undergoing training and performance review as required by the Trust.
• Work within all the policies and procedures of the Trust, ensuring own compliance with the Trust’s health and safety policies and procedures and that of any resources for whom you are responsible.
• Work at all times within the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust’s Equal Opportunities Policy and to promote equal opportunities.
• Comply with all legal and contractual obligations concerning the responsibilities of your post.
• Carry out any other reasonable duties commensurate with the level of responsibility of the post, as requested by the Chief Executive.