London National Park City is looking for a diligent and organised Programme Manager to join our small staff team. This is initially a full time contract role to help us deliver and manage our small grants programme in support of Ranger-led projects within neighbourhoods across London.
London National Park City is the long term grassroots movement for everyone making London greener, healthier and wilder. London became the world's first National Park City in 2019 with the aim of making our city a place where people and nature are better connected.
This new role will be responsible for stewarding our expanded small grants programme over the next 18 months, which will directly fund a variety of projects led by or directly involving our volunteer Rangers. You will support, manage and track dozens of small projects, responding to quarterly project submissions, following project progress, reporting on project impacts and outputs, and ensuring we support an appropriate diversity of activities in our priority Boroughs across London.
You'll be the first point of contact for Ranger project submissions, and you'll work collaboratively with our Community Director and communications team to select, support and showcase projects of substance that demonstrate what's possible when a community works together to improve connection with urban nature.
You'll be an experienced project manager, capable of planning ahead, tracking multiple inputs and keeping on top of project progress and reporting. You'll know when to step in and provide help and advice, and keep everything moving along smoothly. You'll also spot opportunities where we could do more, or with some additional support we might inspire more Londoners to take part.
You'll be disciplined, organised and an excellent verbal and written communicator. You'll be creative, and willing to chip in, helping out across the organisation, and keeping all our stakeholders and partners informed.
You do not need to have a university degree to apply for this role, and we'll provide you with additional training and mentoring as you develop your skills.
No recruiters please – direct applications only.
Responsibilities
You will be responsible for managing and developing our small grants programme which will provide funding of a few hundred pounds to Rangers who will apply quarterly for projects within their communities.
This will involve improving our current project tracking systems, ensuring projects are well structured and achievable, reporting on progress and producing end of year reports on the overall programme.
You will work directly with our volunteer Ranger community, enabling each Ranger to be more impactful within their own communities.
* Implementing and operating our small grants programme, managing project submissions, tracking progress, and reporting on outcomes.
* Day to day contact with our volunteer Rangers to encourage them to submit fundable projects, and provide help and advice on submissions.
* Ensuring that projects are feasible, well structured, deliverable, and appropriately aligned with our Charter commitments (
* Managing project selection and correspondence with Rangers and community groups involved, ensuring that we have a sensible and diverse balance of project topics, locations, and beneficiaries.
* Ensuring submission and reporting deadlines are met, paperwork completed and that contracts are processed promptly and accurately.
* Researching and contacting communities who are under represented in our work and ensuring equitable access to the grants programme.
* Working closely with the communications team to secure content and materials for promotion and showcasing of each funded project.
* Liaise with projects funders and support the communications team in submitting proposals for and securing match funding.
* Provide regular updates to our staff team and Ranger community on projects and activities, and overall progress on our programme goals.
* Manage the Ranger funding programme budget and allocation of spending.
* Preparation of half yearly progress reports and final project report for external stakeholders and funders.
You will report to the Community Director and work closely with your colleagues in our staff team and with our wider group of volunteers.
Requirements
We're looking for an organised, thoughtful and considerate colleague who will help us carefully grow and manage allocation of our available small grant funding ensuring maximum benefit for urban nature and Londoners.
* Experience in an equivalent programme or project management role, or demonstrable experience of transferable skills.
* Demonstrable experience of managing, organising and delivering a similar small grant or multi-part programme.
* An ability to communicate, present to, and coordinate with a wide range of people at all levels of a variety of organisations.
* Excellent oral and written communication in a clear, concise, accessible and effective manner.
* Fluency in English, both spoken and written, is essential.
* Ability to effectively plan and prioritise workload within deadlines, and to set and meet high standards of delivery.
* Demonstrable experience of managing budgets and careful setting of priorities and making trade offs in a small growing team.
* Commitment to the vision of London as a National Park City and the success of the Ranger Programme.
Not sure you tick all the boxes? Please apply anyway as we want to hear from a wide range of potential candidates.
Salary and benefits
You will be joining and fully participating in a unique and inspirational community of changemakers and storytellers, active across London and increasingly around the world.
This is initially a contact role for at least 15 months and the salary range is £28,000 to £34,000 dependent on experience. This is intended as a full time role however we are open to applications for part-time or other flexible working arrangements.
You will have 25 holiday days allowance per year (pro rata for part-time staff).
Following successful completion of a 3 month probationary period, we will enrol you in our Nest pension scheme, and will make additional payments of 4% as long as you contribute 4% of your salary each month.
This role will predominantly be carried out remotely from home and in person at our Visitors Centre in London, with regular meetings and site visits across London, so you must be based in the UK and be prepared for regular travel.
You must have the right to work in the UK already in place. Unfortunately we cannot sponsor or support any visa applications.
How To Apply
The application deadline is 12 noon Monday 6th January 2025.
We will aim to carry out interviews in the week commencing 13th January.
To apply please send us a copy of your CV, along with a cover letter of no more than two A4 pages outlining your suitability for this role and include answers to the following three questions:
Question 1: What are the potential positive outcomes that may come from providing a small grant for a local community project?
Question 2: What are the biggest challenges you'll face in tracking multiple small projects at the same time?
Question 3: How would you make your own neighbourhood greener, healthier and wilder?
Please also fill out our anonymous Diversity Questionnaire ( along with your application.
Selection process
Initial shortlisting will be carried out by our staff and Trustee panel, who will score candidates' CVs and responses to the application questions.
Interviews will be conducted by a panel of London National Park City staff and advisors, initially via video conference, and potentially in-person for any final interviews. Unfortunately we will be unable to provide feedback to applicants not initially shortlisted.