Location
Highgate, London

Hours
Full Time - Hours to be confirmed

Salary
£53,915 per annum

About the Role
The City of London Corporation manages 11,000 acres of land in and around London, welcoming millions of visitors annually. The North London Open Spaces (NLOS) section oversees approximately 1,000 acres of that portfolio, including some of the UK's most iconic urban greenspaces such as Hampstead Heath (including Golders Hill Park, Parliament Hill Fields, and Heath Extension), Highgate Wood, Queen’s Park, and West Ham Park. These green spaces feature spectacular landscapes, ancient woodland, diverse wildlife, world-class sporting and athletics facilities, and heritage assets. The City of London Corporation works closely with local communities and stakeholders to preserve and enhance these natural assets, helping to make London one of the most liveable large cities in the world.

This is a rare opportunity to take a senior leadership role at North London Open Spaces and directly contribute to the conservation and protection of these cherished green spaces. As a member of the senior management team, the successful candidate will serve as the primary subject matter expert for nature conservation at NLOS, leading initiatives, advising colleagues, and collaborating internally and externally. Responsibilities include overseeing the day-to-day management of most of Hampstead Heath and all of Highgate Wood, as well as managing services that support the four open spaces such as arboriculture and tree management, waste and recycling, conservation, and ecology.

The Head of Conservation will be required to reside in provided on-site accommodation and participate in an on-call and duty manager rota with colleagues to ensure effective management and response across the sites.

Experience
- Demonstrable experience managing complex public open spaces.
- Comprehensive experience developing and delivering biodiversity and land management programmes and projects across a range of habitats, ideally within an urban setting.
- Significant experience managing complex conservation work and projects across varied landscapes.
- Strong knowledge of biodiversity and wildlife management, including land and water management.
- Experience implementing legislation and policy relevant to biodiversity conservation, planning guidance, and site designation for wildlife conservation and species status.
- Proven experience managing a diverse team of professionals in an operational environment.

About you
- A high-energy and innovative leader with a strong background in nature conservation, open space management, and team leadership.
- A highly creative, entrepreneurial, and ‘can do’ approach to problem solving, with resilience in the face of challenges.
- Strong quantitative skills with comfort in interrogating and analysing data and budgets.
- Committed to conservation and community engagement with the ability to motivate and lead a team of 25-30 multi-skilled professionals.
- Ability to ensure compliance with all applicable legislation including environmental protection, climate change, nature recovery, wildlife protection, flood risk management, and health and safety.

Qualifications
Not explicitly stated, but a relevant background in conservation, ecology, environmental management, or related disciplines is implied and desirable.