Job Purpose:
The Agricultural Advice Manager leads the team that inspires and supports farmers across our area to make space for nature and take action for wildlife. Working closely with our Warwickshire Farm Cluster Groups, a wide range of partners and through your own 1-1 advice, you will help farmers integrate nature’s recovery into their businesses, navigate the Government’s new agricultural grants, and transition toward more nature friendly farming practices.
As the most senior member of the Agricultural Advice Team, you will manage the most complex farmer relationships and provide leadership on the most challenging agri-environmental funding schemes. You will set work priorities for the Advisers, guide their professional development, and ensure the team delivers high quality, tailored advice.
You will also act as a strong advocate for farming with nature, championing approaches that support both farm business resilience and nature’s recovery. As part of this, you will actively participate in the emerging national Wildlife Trust framework for land management advice, helping to shape and align best practice across the UK.
In addition, you will play a key role in supporting the Director of Landscape Recovery to shape the future of our agricultural advice offer, helping to define a clear vision, develop the business model, and map out the roadmap for how the service will grow and evolve in the years ahead.
Key responsibilities:
1. Team Leadership & Professional Development
- Lead, support and develop the Agricultural Advice Team, ensuring high quality, consistent and trusted advisory services.
- Set clear work priorities, allocate workloads and oversee delivery across the team.
- Support the professional development of Advisers through coaching, training and mentoring.
2. Farmer Engagement & Technical Advisory Support
- Build and maintain strong relationships with farmers, landowners and farm businesses, taking responsibility for the most complex and sensitive cases.
- Provide specialist 1-1 advice on integrating nature into farm systems, nature friendly land management and sustainable agricultural practices.
- Guide farmers through Government agricultural grants and agri-environmental schemes, including complex applications and compliance requirements.
- Support farmers in long term planning to transition toward nature positive, resilient farm systems.
3. Farm Cluster & Partnership Working
- Work closely with Warwickshire Farm Cluster Groups to coordinate delivery, share knowledge and strengthen collaborative landscape scale action.
- Maintain and grow partnerships with public bodies, agricultural organisations, supply chain stakeholders and conservation partners.
- Represent the Trust in external meetings and sector forums related to agricultural land management and nature recovery.
4. Advocacy & Contribution to National Wildlife Trust Frameworks
- Advocate for farming with nature and promote best practice across the local farming community.
- Actively participate in the emerging UK wide Wildlife Trust land management advice framework, ensuring local delivery aligns with national approaches.
- Share insights, learning and evidence with regional and national networks to influence sector-wide approaches.
5. Advisory Products, Tools & Service Development
- Contribute to the development of advisory tools, resources and guidance for farmers and cluster groups.
- Ensure advice is evidence based, practical and aligned with latest policy, research and funding programmes.
- Support the integration of new advisory systems, digital mapping tools and farm level planning resources.
6. Strategic Input & Business Model Development
- Work closely with the Director of Landscape Recovery to shape the future of the Trust’s agricultural advice service.
- Help develop and manage the budget and business model, including funding opportunities, service structures and long-term sustainability.
- Contribute to the creation of a strategic vision and roadmap for agricultural advice across Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull.
- Assist in the preparation of the Trust’s annual budgets, work programmes and reporting requirements for your area of work.
7. General Responsibilities
- Promote the work, mission and vision of the Trust at all times.
- Use every opportunity, commensurate with other duties to contribute to the Trust’s membership recruitment, fundraising and engagement of people.
- Work across teams to develop and implement activity plans across the 2030 strategy business plan.
- Ensure a high level of customer service in all dealings with the public.
- Ensure continuous development of skills and knowledge required for the post, undergoing training and performance review as required by the Trust.
- Work within all the policies and procedures of the Trust, ensuring own compliance with the Trust’s health and safety policies and procedures and that of any resources for whom you are responsible.
- Work at all times within the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust’s Equal Opportunities Policy and to promote equal opportunities.
- Comply with all legal and contractual obligations concerning the responsibilities of your post.
- Carry out any other reasonable duties commensurate with the level of responsibility of the post, as requested by the Chief Executive.