Rural Surveyor. Flexible Central and Eastern England

Job Description

Flexible (Home-based or office based within Lincolnshire or Cambridgeshire) supporting work within our Central and Eastern Areas.

We have a wonderful opportunity for an experienced and self-motivated Rural Surveyor to join the RSPB England’s Land Team to be based in Central and Eastern England, an operational area extending from Gloucestershire to Staffordshire in the west, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk in the east and from Oxfordshire to Nottinghamshire. The successful applicant will join an England wide team of 10 Rural Surveyors, an Agri-Environment Grants Manager and Senior Administrator. You will have a specific portfolio of properties in Central East England to manage and will support the delivery of the departmental casework as required across the Country. The location of the role is flexible within this area.

This is a full-time role and you will work closely with the Rural Surveying Team and the Operational Teams to deliver a wide range of estate management to support an ambitious conservation work programme. The nature reserves in this area extend to over 5,500 hectares of freehold and leased land with diverse habitats, including, coastal grazing marsh, saltmarsh, reedbeds, lowland heath, broadleaved woodland, peri-urban sites, restored minerals sites and arable farmland. The portfolio includes a built estate including barns, workshops, offices and houses along with visitor centres, a farm business, grazing and farming tenants.

This role offers a varied and rewarding work programme and by providing professional advice to staff, help to deliver our conservation and estate management objectives, minimise risk and optimise financial returns. Key activities include:

Land and Property Management:
Carrying out due diligence to identify, mitigate and manage the legal, reputational and financial aspects of rural property over land, buildings, offices and business premises including rent reviews, repairing obligations, landlord consents, land management contracts, compliance with grant conditions. Advising on agricultural matters and farming systems, Basic Payment Scheme claims, agri-environment agreement work, granting leases and licences e.g. sporting, fishing, grazing, negotiating wayleaves and easements.

Reserve acquisition work.
Appraising, negotiating and concluding acquisitions to establish new reserves, extend existing reserves, and acquire property e.g. offices, workshops, farm buildings and residential properties by purchase, lease or management agreement and include land and building valuations

Land and property disposal.
Appraising, advising and delivering on the acquisition of land alongside the delivery of the disposal of land, houses, offices and properties that are surplus to operational need.

Risk management and project support.
Supporting the development and implementation of systems to manage the RSPB’s exposure to legal, reputational and financial risk arising from its land and property operations. Undertaking internal audits to ensure compliance with BPS and agri-environment grant schemes. Providing professional support to Area Teams and Project Managers and assisting in the production of codes of practice and guidance for staff.

Team working.
The England Rural Surveyors work together with a strong team ethos, enthusiasm and dedication and share professional expertise, knowledge and information at regular Team meetings. You will work alongside the building surveyors, the Area Managers and their teams. You will be encouraged to be out of the office, providing professional advice to staff, to minimise risk and optimise financial returns for the RSPB nature reserves. You will demonstrate initiative, motivation and flair to spot income opportunities. RSPB will support you in maintaining your RICS qualification and provide in-house and external support to meet CPD requirements. Some site visits will involve overnight stays away from home.

Essential qualifications, knowledge, skills and experience:

• Chartered member of RICS (Rural) or another equivalent professional organisation.
• Demonstrable post qualification knowledge of estate management, land and property acquisition and disposal work in the rural environment.
• An up to date understanding of agricultural subsidy schemes in England and associated cross compliance requirements.
• Knowledge of project management principles and their application.
• Ability to clearly communicate verbally, and in writing, complex estate management issues to all levels within RSPB and to external audiences.
• Ability to make quick, pragmatic and practical decisions/recommendations/alternatives based on sound analysis and reason.
• Ability to positively influence wider audiences and demonstrate credibility both internally and externally.
• Ability to negotiate and achieve the required corporate outcomes. An awareness of the requirements of the Charities’ Act, guidance and learning opportunities can be given.
• Ability to manage and prioritise high volume competing objectives, work alone and as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Ability to travel widely including by car and public transport and this role will require occasional overnight stays away from home

The closing date for applications is 24th February 2023.

We are looking to conduct interviews for this position from the 9th March 2023.

For further information please contact - elizabeth.bridge@rspb.org.uk

As part of this application process, you will be asked to complete an application form including evidence on how you meet the skills, knowledge, and experience listed above.

The RSPB is committed to training and development and will support appropriate CPD and cover annual membership fees for one professional body e.g. RICS or CAAV.