Freelance Tree Planting Programme Manager

Location: Sussex / South Coast
Engagement: Freelance contractor / consultancy
Initial contract: 6 months, with potential to extend
Commitment: 2–3 days per week, averaging around 12 days per month
Rate: £200 per day, depending on experience
Working pattern: Mixture of home-based working, site visits and partner meetings

About TreeAction

TreeAction is a community-focused environmental organisation delivering tree planting and environmental projects with schools, communities and local authorities across Sussex.

We are developing our programme of school and community tree planting and are looking for an experienced, practical and organised Tree Planting Programme Manager to help turn agreed projects into successful projects on the ground.

This is an opportunity to work with a growing environmental organisation and help establish the systems, suppliers and partnerships needed to deliver a larger programme of tree planting and community environmental projects.

About the role

Initially, you will oversee a small portfolio comprising approximately:

• 1–2 school tree planting projects; and
• 1 community orchard project being developed with a local authority.

You will coordinate projects from initial planning through procurement, contractor appointment, planting and establishment.

You will work with TreeAction’s existing team, schools, local authorities, landscape contractors, nurseries, suppliers and community groups to ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget and to an appropriate standard.

The role is not primarily about physical tree planting. We are looking for someone who can take ownership of the whole delivery process, coordinate the different organisations involved and ensure that projects move from planning to successful completion.

A key part of the opportunity

As well as delivering the initial projects, you will help TreeAction develop a project delivery system that can be used as the programme grows.

This will include developing practical processes and templates covering:

Site identification → feasibility → project planning → permissions → funding → design/specification → procurement → contractor appointment → school/community engagement → planting → maintenance → monitoring → reporting

The aim is to create a straightforward delivery model that can be applied to future school, orchard and community planting projects.

About you

We are looking for someone who combines good project organisation and coordination skills with practical experience or knowledge of environmental, landscape, countryside, horticultural or tree-related projects.

You will ideally have:

• Experience managing environmental, landscape, horticultural, arboricultural, countryside or community projects.
• Experience taking projects from planning through to completion.
• Knowledge of tree planting and establishment.
• Experience managing contractors and/or external suppliers.
• Experience obtaining and comparing quotations.
• Good organisational and financial management skills.
• Good communication and stakeholder-management skills.
• Confidence dealing with schools, local authorities, contractors and community organisations.
• The ability to work independently and take ownership of delivery.
• A practical, solutions-focused approach.
• The ability to develop simple and effective systems and processes.
• Willingness to attend sites when required.

Desirable experience

• Working with schools.
• Working with local authorities.
• Grant-funded environmental projects.
• Existing relationships with landscape contractors, nurseries or environmental suppliers.
• Arboricultural, horticultural, landscape or environmental qualifications.
• Previous freelance or consultancy experience.