Penpont Learning and Engagement Coordinator

Launched in the summer of 2019 on a 2,000-acre estate in Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons), Wales, the Penpont Project is the largest intergenerational nature restoration project of its kind anywhere in the world. Initiated by Action for Conservation, the Penpont Estate, Tirmawr Farm, and a Youth Leadership Group of 12-18 year olds from diverse backgrounds, the project aims to restore nature and culture in this special place and demonstrate how youth leadership and ambition can advance nature s recovery at a time of acute ecological crisis.

We are looking for a Learning & Engagement Coordinator to join our flagship Penpont Project, empowering young people and intergenerational communities to connect with, feel inspired by and take action for nature. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the success of a unique and innovative project, maximising positive outcomes for young people and the environment.

Key detals

Start date: around 22 September, exact date to be agreed
Contract: Part-time, fixed-term for 12 months, with possibility to extend duration and/or increase working hours when additional funding is secured
Starting salary: £16,872.76 - £17,590.75 (equivalent to £28,121.27 - £29,317.92 FTE) depending on experience
Working hours: 21 hours / 3 days per week. This role requires evening and weekend work, including regular residential/overnight stays (6-10 times per year). Time off in lieu (TOIL) can be taken for overtime work.
Location: Penpont, Brecon (Wales). This role requires regular travel within the local region as well as some national travel for team events.

About the role

As Learning & Engagement Coordinator, you will support the successful delivery and ongoing development of our learning and engagement work as part of the Penpont Project, playing an active role in empowering young people and intergenerational communities to connect with, feel inspired by and take action for nature. You will proactively engage the Penpont Project s Youth Leadership Group, school and youth groups, local community members and other stakeholders, and will help to design, organise and run a wide variety of events and activities for them to take part in. These will include both day visits and residential stays (including at our brand new Forest Camp site) as well as online sessions. You will also support our Youth Rangers programme and similar professional development opportunities. In doing so, you will play a vital role in strengthening our flagship intergenerational approach to nature restoration and maximising positive outcomes for young people and the planet.

In your day-to-day, you will work closely with our Penpont Learning & Engagement Manager as well as with our Land-based Projects and Policy Lead, Penpont Project Manager and Technical Lead and with our project partners, the Penpont Estate and Tirmawr Farm, to make sure our learning and engagement activities are aligned with wider project work and actions happening on the land.

To succeed in this role, you will be a highly organised, creative, flexible and self-motivated project coordinator who thrives in a varied and dynamic work environment. You will also be an inspiring communicator and skilled facilitator who can engage and build relationships with a wider range of stakeholders and communities, especially young people.

Key responsibilities:

• Engage young people and the wider community around Penpont to take part in our learning and engagement programme and wider activities on site.
• Facilitate the activity of the Penpont Youth Leadership Group during and outside of residential visits to Penpont and ensure young people are equipped with the skills, knowledge and confidence ot engage fully with the project.
• Support the planning, coordination and delivery of a bespoke learning programme for school/youth groups that inspires and empowers young people to connect with and act for nature and aligns with actions happening on the land.
• Support the planning, coordination and delivery of regular community action days at Penpont, engaging local community members and supporting them to undertake practical nature restoration work in line with the project's action plan.
• Support the planning, coordination and delivery of events bringing together intergenerational stakeholders to collectively design a future vision for people and nature at Penpont and the wider Upper Usk catchment area.
• Support the running of the Penpont Youth Rangers programme and help to oversee the Rangers' day-to-day activities.
• Support monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) activities at Penpont to understand the impact of the project and facilitate learnings.

What we are looking for

• Experience of working with young people, ideally aged 12-18, with proven ability to engage, motivate and support young people from diverse backgrounds
• Strong environmental knowledge and practical skills
• Great facilitation skills with a track record of facilitating stimulating, interactive and inclusive group activities both in-person and online, including practical activities in an outdoor setting
• Experience of organising and running community and/or educational events from start to finish, including liaising with partners and participants, managing logistics, safeguarding and health and safety
• Excellent organisational and time management skills and ability to plan ahead, work across multiple tasks and prioritise effectively to meet deadlines
• A positive, proactive and self-reliant approach to work and ability to work independently
• Excellent communication, interpersonal and teamwork skills and ability to build and maintain positive relationships with colleagues, partners, young people and other stakeholders
• Good IT skills
• Willingness to work outside of usual office hours and to travel regionally to meet the needs of the project
• A full clean driving licence valid in the UK

You can see the full Job Description and Person Specification for this role in the enclosed Recruitment Pack. If you don't have all of the skills, knowledge and experience listed as essential but think you will be a good fit for the role, we would encourage you to apply.

Why work with us?

You ll be joining a young, mission-driven team who truly love what they do. Working with young people is always rewarding, sometimes challenging and never boring, and you ll get to experience first-hand the positive impact that your work has. We work hard whilst maintaining a positive work-life balance and spend lots of time outdoors.

In 2023, we were recognised by Escape the City as one of the top progressive places to work from over 13,000 nominations, after a rigorous assessment across multiple criteria, including Mission, Impact, People, Planet and Innovation.

Some of the benefits of working at Action for Conservation include:

• 33 days of annual leave (including public holidays), plus one additional day for each year served up to a maximum of 38 days (pro-rata for part-time staff)
• Up to 5 days of paid professional development leave and up to 4 paid volunteer days each year
• A workplace pension with 4% employer contributions
• Access to flexible working to help you maintain a healthy work-life balance
• Regular team and organisational away days in the great outdoors
• Joining a growing organisation with the possibility to progress within the team as opportunities arise
• A robust training package and a development plan to support your progression and career aims
• Opportunities to develop new skills and knowledge as part of your work
• Opportunities to share your voice and shape the direction of our work
• Seeing the impact of what you do, as you transform young people's lives.

We are currently trialling a 9-day fortnight with a day off every other week for full-time staff and a proportionate increase to annual leave allowance for part-time staff. If this benefit is made permanent, it will also apply to the current role.

HOW TO APPLY

The deadline for applications is Sunday, 13 July at midnight. Click on the apply button to complete our online application form. For further details, see the enclosed Recruitment Pack. We will hold interviews on 23 July remotely via Zoom.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY

Diversity is one of our core values as an organisation and we are committed to creating an inclusive working environment where diversity is valued and there is equality of opportunity. Currently, the environmental sector is the second least diverse in the UK, with just 4.8% of employees from ethnic minority backgrounds. We also recognise that the climate and ecological crisis disproportionately impacts minority and/or marginalised communities yet these voices are largely underrepresented in the sector. If the environmental movement is to succeed in creating a greener future that supports society as a whole, we need diverse voices at the heart of our programmes. We, therefore, encourage people from demographics that are currently underrepresented in the environmental movement to apply.

GUARANTEED INTERVIEW SCHEME

We particularly encourage applications from people from ethnic minority backgrounds or living with a disability or long-term health conditions . click apply for full job details