DIRECTOR - CPRE London
70 Cowcross Street London EC1M 6EJ
Job Description
CPRE London is an independent charity and the London branch of the national organisation Campaign to Protect Rural England. We have an office alongside other environmental charities and design practices at the headquarters of Alan Baxter Associates in Clerkenwell, near Farringdon station. We maintain links with other organisations promoting a greener environment for London and other large cities. We offer our members information and guidance on campaign issues, undertake research on environmental challenges and work with officers of the national organisation to put pressure on politicians and opinion leaders. While our origins derive from concerns to protect England’s countryside, we have set ourselves an additional range of tasks being an urban branch of the larger CPRE network. This is because we believe that by promoting better ways to design and manage high-density living in London we will help preserve the London Green Belt and surrounding countryside and many precious green spaces within the city.
We expect the Director to carry the main responsibility for continuing our Urban Agenda. Currently we envisage the Director to focus on compact sustainable communities, urban Green Infrastructure, and environmentally sound urban design while other staff will work on issues around the Green Belt, other protected green spaces and waterside amenities. The Director should be capable and comfortable in progressing work on enhancing community voices in urban design and promoting Green Infrastructure as a part of urban development. The Director will be required to liaise with other environmental and urban development agencies as well as with relevant departments within the Greater London Authority and the National Office of CPRE.
The branch has been managing a transition towards better-focused research and information production to underpin public education and campaigning activities. We expect to continue to employ some “action researchers” either as staff or freelance consultants or volunteers and the new Director will supervise their work while also conducting some similar work herself/himself.
The Director should be willing to engage in fundraising activities to support local branch work. This will primarily entail writing grant proposals and contributing as needed on other fundraising efforts. The Director will work alongside the Treasurer and other trustees in developing a more diversified funding basis for the organisation.
The Director will have knowledge and skills in some areas of urban policy and a commitment to CPRE’s values and goals. The Director will also be able and willing to run the branch on a day-to-day basis, help the organisation boost its profile, and achieve the goals set by trustees for the medium term.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Reports to: Branch chairman, John Croxen
Responsible for: all paid staff, consultants and volunteers.
Key responsibilities
Working closely with the Chairman and core trustees, the Director will be responsible for:
(a) Supervising paid staff and volunteers (currently 2 part-time campaigners/researchers and one book-keeper, two researcher volunteers plus occasional event helpers)
(b) Preparing and presenting bids for grants from funders and fee-earning commissions from potential clients; coordinating other fundraising activities in conjunction with the Treasurer
(c) Developing new proposals, plans and budgets for project work on urban issues which will take forward our Urban Agenda
(d) Developing work plans for self and other staff; office and budget administration and governance/ management protocols
(e) Increasing membership and closer involvement with members
(f) In conjunction with the Hon. Secretary, arranging meetings of the Executive Committee, the Annual General Meeting and other ad hoc meetings
(g) Maintaining good relations with partner agencies
(h) Securing and checking the quality of our services to members
(i) Writing cogent (and concise) briefing papers, policy consultation responses, reports on primary and secondary research materials; and day-to-day communication items for posting on the website, Facebook and Twitter
(j) Undertaking research (e.g. information gathering) on urban issues in London
(k) Liaising with CPRE National Office
(l) Working with Trustees, primarily the Chairman, to agree work plans and strategy
(m) Liasing with the bookkeeper and Treasure for budgets and invoices/payments
NOTE: Within this challenging set of responsibilities the trustees place special emphasis on fundraising since our current commitments cannot be met by subscription income alone, and our aspirations to extend our reach depend on finding additional sponsors or clients.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
We are seeking someone who has as many as possible of the following qualifications and qualities:
(1) A degree and/or professional qualification in an appropriate subject area
(2) Research experience; urban development interest and experience
(3) Capable of taking a team leader role and undertaking managerial and administrative functions;
(4) Ability to communicate effectively with trustees, staff, volunteers, members, other agencies and the wider public.
(5) Knowledge of how the national and local authority planning systems work, or capacity to acquire this very quickly;
(6) Commitment to CPRE’s mission to make greener, safer and healthier places for all to enjoy;
Terms and conditions
Salary will be £35k per annum fte – pro rata for 0.8 or 0.6 full-time hours.
Hours will be the equivalent of a four-day week (28 hours) or three-day week (21 hours) by agreement with the chairman. Some occasional evening and weekend work will be required for which time off in lieu will be arranged.
Holiday leave will be 20(0.8fte) or 15 (0.6fte) days per year plus public holidays. The post holder will be expected to contribute some personal leave days to a Christmas closure period when our landlord may close the office for a week.
Other conditions of service will be set out in due course; many (but not all) of these will be derived from the CPRE national office staff handbook.
This appointment will be for a fixed term of two years.
The appointment will be probationary for an initial thirteen weeks; its continuation will depend on satisfactory completion of this probationary period as determined by a review to take place in week 11 or week 12.
The appointment may be ended by one month’s notice given by either side.
The trustees offer a pension scheme with NEST.
Briefing note on CPRE London today
CPRE London has a special position within the national CPRE network as it is the only metropolitan branch: other branches represent a geographic county. The national organisation gives us a proportion of each member’s subscription money plus additional (modest) grants for regional-level work. Core funding from our members is running at around £45,000 per year. The trustees aim to pay for the director, the book-keeper and the office expenses from core funding. In order to provide additional services, we have to raise grant or commissioned-work income. In the year 2014 we acquired two small commissions – to audit the early launch of the All London Green Grid (from the GLA group); and to pursue action-research on the amenities of the upper tideway or “Arcadian” Thames (from a private donor). Our future programme of work will depend on securing a more diversified base of financial resources (e.g. sponsorship).
The branch’s work programme for 2017 is evolving. Our current trustees have re-affirmed our commitment to campaign to protect Green Belt and other green spaces in and around London. However, part of our efforts are devoted to engaging with the challenges of a growing city in which much more medium and high density residential accommodation has to be provided. Alongside the need for “compact sustainable communities” we see a need for a stronger citizens’ voice. We are particularly interested in the incorporation of Green Infrastructure in urban development. We are committed to undertaking more research, and exchanges of knowledge with other agencies and citizen groups, in campaigning for a “liveable London”—which promotes ‘liveable’ and environmentally sustainable urban design.
Our new Director will need to promote a vision of urban solutions with great energy and initiative, building links with other campaigners and researchers. He or she will have the strong encouragement of the trustee board (our “executive committee”) some of whose members want to be actively involved in some of the work.
The new Director will have a special opportunity to make her/his mark in pursuing these urban regeneration and green infrastructure themes.
More information can be found on our website www.cprelondon.org.uk.
Contact information: John Croxen, Chairman at or mailto:
CPRE London Information Pack for Director appointment December 2016 Page 1