Engagement & Communications Manager

To support the continued development and expansion of Herefordshire Rural Hub we are seeking an
individual with experience of stakeholder engagement and communications management to join our
team. This is an exciting opportunity to deliver a key role for our Wyescapes project, funded
by DEFRA’s Landscape Recovery scheme.

The Landscape Recovery scheme presents an entirely new way of working; putting landowners in
the driving seat to design bespoke and ambitious stewardship schemes that use a blend of
government and private funding to enable long term changes to land management.

Herefordshire Rural Hub is small, dynamic organization that adapts its activity to support the
needs of our users. As an organisation our objective is to help rural businesses thrive, in our
role as the lead organisation for Wyescapes we want to ensure that the solutions and mechanisms
developed are fit for purpose for the land managers, the environment and our local community.
We work in partnership with landowners, NGOs & other organisations in delivering this
innovative project.

We are looking for an experienced individual to undertake the stakeholder engagement activity
and deliverables for Wyescapes to ensure the project: 

• proactively communicates with both internal and external stakeholders
• addresses barriers to accessing nature
• encourages participation and opportunities for co-design
• increases understanding of the aims of the project

The postholder will need to work effectively with people, including with the participating land
managers and be capable of building strong working relationships with a wide range of
stakeholders and local communities.

How to apply 

Please submit your CV with a covering letter outlining your interest, relevant skills and
experience for the role to [email protected]

Applications close at 5pm on 23rd August.

Interviews for shortlisted applicants will be conducted week beginning 2nd September.

Job Description 

Job title  – Engagement & Communication Manager

Job purpose – To identify and engage stakeholders for the Wyescapes project and compose a Stakeholder
Engagement plan for the Implementation phase.

Salary range – £32,000 – £36,000 pro rata (depending on experience) 

Annual leave – 33 days (including bank holidays) pro rata 

Contract – Fixed term contract to December 2025.

Hours – 20 hours/week (Flexible Working) 

Location – Combination of office and remote working. Expected to work in Herefordshire or the at Hub
office at least twice a month by mutual agreement.

Travel – Mileage paid at HMRC rate (currently 45p per mile) for delivery of the role within
Herefordshire or for designated tasks elsewhere in the UK.

Start date – As soon as possible 

Key Responsibilities 

Stakeholder Identification – Identify stakeholders with an interest in the Wyescapes
project, how best to communicate with them and the issues they care about. Stakeholders that
rarely participate and experience barriers engagement should be identified and efforts made to
engage with these communities.

Stakeholder Engagement – Engage key stakeholder groups identified to ensure the project can
plan how it will communicate with them about the issues they care about. Establish a core
steering group from a range of stakeholders representing the local area to identify
opportunities for participation in the project.

Communication mechanisms – Identify mechanisms to facilitate effective and meaningful
communication with the project for example establishing effective communication for the project
through website, social media and newsletters.

Engagement mechanisms – Identify mechanisms to facilitate effective and meaningful
engagement with the project that suits the interests and needs of identified stakeholders for
example enabling improved access to the project area for those who are partially sighted and
blind.

Produce a Stakeholder Engagement plan – Outlining the following for the 20 year
implementation phase of the project –

• How engagement with stakeholders will occur at project milestones or phases.
• The outcomes expected from stakeholder engagement.
• Actions required to achieve continuous engagement e.g. websites, visitor interpretation and
  engagement infrastructure 
• How the Wyescapes project team will address issues when raised.

Evidencing engagement outcomes – manage and maintain information on the engagement taking
place.

Please note that this list is indicative of the key responsibilities of this role but is not
exhaustive and may change overtime as the project develops.

Knowledge, Experience and Capabilities 

Essential 

• Educated to degree level, in a relevant subject or equivalent experience or qualifications. 
• Excellent written communication skills, with demonstrable experience of effectively and
  confidently engaging with external and internal stakeholders. 
• Proven ability to engage and influence others, communicate effectively, build collaborative
  relationships, represent and advocate for your organisation. 
• Established individual with a strong network that can enhance the delivery and development
  of the project.
• Excellent organisation skills particularly in relation to engagement activities, including
  diary management, taking minutes, preparing briefing materials, and managing accurate contact
  records. 
• Competent IT user (full Microsoft office suite of tools) 

Desirable 

• Project management experience 
• Passionate about enhancing the interface between land management and the environment 
• Knowledge of UK conservation issues 
• Knowledge of Herefordshire and our local community 

Personal qualities and values 

• Strong interpersonal skills, being able to build positive and effective working
  relationships, and communicate well to a wide range of stakeholders and audiences. 
• Motivated and passionate
• Ability to adapt to changing circumstances, able to solve issues quickly, efficiently and
  creatively. 
• Impressive time management and organisational skills. 
• A good team player with effective collaboration with a wide range of team members, partner
  organizations and funders. While also using own initiative, motivation and drive to also work
  effectively on their own.