Job Title: Superintendent of Epping Forest (Assistant Director, Natural Environment Division)
Contract type: Permanent, Full Time (35 hours)
Location: Loughton, Essex
Job reference: OENV0214
Closing date: 04/12/2023
Salary: £71,040 – 81,100 p.a. inclusive of London Weighting
An exciting opportunity has arisen to lead our 100-strong staff team in conserving 6200 acres of ancient woodland at Epping Forest, known as the ‘Green Lungs of London’. Epping Forest is a Special Area of Conservation and a Site of Special Scientific Interest with more than 1 million trees of which 55000 are ancient – the largest collection in Great Britain. The Superintendent is the key leadership role for Epping Forest, championing the Corporation’s work, leading the team, and ensuring effective strategic leadership, governance, operational, financial and stakeholder management for the portfolio.
The Epping Forest Act is a unique constitutional framework established in 1878 to protect the Forest. It ensures the preservation of Epping Forest as an open space managed by the City Corporation for the recreation and enjoyment of the public. The Corporation has expanded Epping Forest over the past 150 years by purchasing an additional 1,800 acres of buffer land to protect the Forest from development. With more than 11 million visits annually, the portfolio includes a wide range of sports and recreation assets including 40 football pitches, boating lakes, golf courses, cricket pitches, horse riding, mountain biking tracks and numerous cross-country running clubs. It also includes three visitor centres, a museum, and two outdoor education centres.
The Superintendent is responsible for an annual budget of £6m and manages a significant portfolio of assets and a multi-million-pound programme of projects. They also work with a wide range of community and industry stakeholders to further the objectives of the Epping Forest charity, particularly through local planning frameworks.
The City Corporation is the Corporate Trustee of the registered charity for Epping Forest, which is one of 13 green spaces the City of London owns and manages in London and the Home Counties. The Trustee delegates management of this site to the Epping Forest and Commons Committee, comprising of 10 elected City Councillors and 4 locally elected Verderers. The Superintendent acts as the main officer contact for members of these committees and works alongside them to ensure good governance.
The City Corporation is now seeking to recruit an experienced and highly motivated Superintendent due to the retirement of the existing postholder. The successful candidate will be accountable to Director of the Natural Environment Division and the Epping Forest and Commons Committee across 5 key areas:
- Enthusiastically leading the charity to achieve its vision and long-term strategic plan;
- Delivering best practice in public open space management;
- Providing excellent operational leadership and management for the team and the Epping Forest charity in line with corporate policies and procedures;
- Ensuring the financial health of the charity;
- Promoting the charity, representing the organisation effectively to a wider variety of external stakeholders and developing strategic partnerships.
Benefits
- Competitive salary
- Residential accommodation provided.
- Generous holiday allowance (28 days plus bank holidays)
This is a permanent, full-time post. The position is residential, and the Superintendent is provided with suitable accommodation in Epping Forest (likely to be a three-bedroomed house). The successful candidate will be expected be part of the on-call duty rota which provides 24/7 cover, 365 days a year.
Please see the job description for further details. Applications will close at 12 noon on 4th December 2023. First interviews will be held on 13th December 2023. Second interviews will be held on 19th December 2023.
To apply online please click here.
Alternatively, please contact 020 7332 3978 (24 hr answerphone) quoting reference number OENV0214 if you experience any difficulties. A minicom service for the hearing impaired is available on 020 7332 3732.
The City of London Corporation is committed to Equal Opportunities and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.