Job Title: Head of Policy & Partnerships

Responsible To: Executive Director

Responsible For: Senior Technical Officer, Senior Education & Outreach Officer, Senior Events Officer, TCAF Project Coordinator

Overall Purpose: To promote the professional status of Chartered Foresters and Arboriculturists among employers, decision makers, the public and individual professionals; and to lead on the development and provision of services to members to increase their professional knowledge, particularly through partnership working and CPD events.

Key Tasks:

• Build and manage partnerships with other professional bodies, organisations and stakeholders and members to develop:
  • Income generation
  • Project collaboration
  • Policy activity
  • Themes for CPD events and National conferences
  • Engagement with segments of membership to support Institute activities
• Identify, develop and deliver income generation opportunities
• Identify key policy areas to influence, in consultation with members and staff; work with governments and partners to influence policy development
• Build and maintain network of contacts required to play an effective, credible influencing role keeping up to date with developments in public policy, legislation, best practice, other membership organisations’ activity and relevant new initiatives in the forestry sector
• Lead the development of the National Conference and National Study Tour
• Represent and deputise for the Executive Director in relevant policy forums, events, meetings and conferences
• Oversee the line management, strategy implementation, workplan and budgets for the following staff:
  • Manage the work of the Senior Technical Officer including developing an annual programme of CPD events and responding to consultations
  • Manage the work of the Senior Education & Outreach Officer including building a strong and effective partnership with relevant UK higher education institutes, managing the regional networks, engaging with students and developing apprenticeships
  • Manage the work of the Senior Events Officer including national flagship events, partnership and regional events
  • Manage the work of the Trees Call to Action Fund (TCAF) Project Coordinator (up until April 2025) to create and deliver a UKFS online training platform
• Act as Secretariat for Senior Management Team meetings
• Promote the benefits of chartered status to employers and individuals within the
  sector
• Adhere to the Institute’s values throughout your work
• Promote a culture of safe working and ensure Health & Safety procedures are followed

Key Performance Indicators:

• Income generation for Institute is increased
• Direct reports are happy, thriving staff who achieve their objectives
• Successful national events from a financial and delegate satisfaction viewpoint
• High positive profile amongst the wider profession and key decision makers

Working Details:

• Place of work will be Bristol office with a hybrid contract allowing work from home but must be in Bristol office twice a week.
• 35 hours per week
• Salary £38,000-£42,000 Generous employment benefits including pension contribution and flexible working
• 20 days annual leave plus 10 public Holidays extending to 25 days annual leave after 3 years employment.

The post will involve travel to other Institute offices (Edinburgh) and to events and meetings throughout the UK.

Person Specification

(a) Essential criteria

Knowledge & Experience

• Educated to degree level or equivalent
• Experience of working in partnerships with key public and private sector organisations to deliver corporate objectives
• Experience of working in, or effectively influencing, the development of public policy
• Significant experience in a commercial or public/voluntary sector environment with responsibility for income generation and cost controlled expenditure programmes
• Proven ability to establish and drive team discussions, to learn from experience and to improve organisational processes and plans
• Proven ability to manage a team to deliver objectives and manage team resources to meet these.

Skills

• Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to develop and maintain Head of Policy & Partnerships March 2023 effective networks
• Able to encourage a culture of innovation focused on adding value
• Excellent written, verbal and oral communications skills, including confidence as a public speaker
• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite of programmes
• Strong organisational and planning skills
• Able to produce written reports and editorial work of the highest standard in a variety of styles

Personal Qualities

• Ability to think strategically and to analyse complex issues and make clear, evidence-based recommendations for action
• A generous collaborator
• Ability to work independently and on your own initiative, working with, but remotely from, other ICF staff
• Innovative attitude combined with a professional approach
• Ability to take well thought-out decisions, whilst being open to assistance and advice
• Ability to maintain a flexible approach displaying balance and tact.
• A current UK Driving Licence.

b) Desirable criteria

• Understanding of forestry or arboriculture that demonstrates a knowledge of the issues currently facing the land-based sector
• Experience of communicating outputs via social media channels
• Membership of a professional body.

People Values

Value 1: Learn everyday

Why?

We’re a small but growing organisation in times of change – politically, environmentally and physically (devolution). The strongest trait that our organisation needs to achieve success is self-motivated people. Arguably the two most important drivers of this are a) a passion for what you do and b) the ability to genuinely enjoy your work and embrace it as a positive aspect of your life. In the long term, the only thing that can consistently deliver both a) and b) are a process of continued challenge and learning. As we learn and improve, we apply that knowledge to move continuously forward – our reward is progress – and that progress gives a sense of pleasure.

How do we bring it to life?

We encourage and allow people to discover and try new ways of working. Empower them to implement the processes or methods they wish to try, and research new ways of doing things. We allow them to change their minds and we don’t rebuke ‘failure’.

Value 2: Improve continuously

Why?

The market we are in is small, and our profession unregulated. Our strength will never be as a defensive organisation who protects our history and assumes the way it has been done in the past is necessarily best. Instead, we need to continuously improve and enhance our products and our service – moving them both forward quite literally on a daily basis. We need this same mentality in each and every one of us.

How do we bring it to life?

We need to embrace a culture of self-reflection, and each of us is invited to reflect upon their own and each other’s work constructively. There is always something we can improve, whether it’s a concept, our magazine, an event. No-one shies away from honesty, and the only way to take a bolder and sometimes disruptive position as a team, is to express ourselves by being ourselves. If someone has a view on how something can be done better – they are encouraged to express it at the earliest possible moment, without waiting to have devised a fully formed solution. This can be difficult when work is pressured but let’s listen to each other and work together, not in silos, then individual egos are replaced by a collective effort.

Value 3: Stay connected

Why?

This is a very broad value. It’s really about being connected to our members and to each other, but also to the environment and to society. Our members are crucial to the success of the Institute and our chartered status Head of Policy & Partnerships March 2023 means we serve the public by upholding standards, but we also need to work together as a team otherwise we will achieve little.

How do we bring it to life?

We create synergies between functional teams as much as we can – even when those teams are in different parts of the country. There is no such thing as finance only does finance, or marketing that only does marketing. Everyone talks to each other and presents their ideas and work. We ask everybody their own opinion about business strategies and decisions, and respect and value those opinions– not just those with responsibility for carrying out that work. Transparency is great for motivation and giving a sense of the bigger picture. We listen to
our members through regular conversations and more formally through surveys. We stay abreast of political and environment issues that affect our work.

If you are interested in applying for this role, please email Daniel Goddard at Membership Bespoke via dg@membershipbespoke.co.uk.