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.

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.