Great North Fen Project Development Manager

Great North Fen Project Development Manager

Location: Rainton Meadows, DH4 6PU
Salary: £22,056 (equivalent to £36,761 full-time)
Term: Part-time (3 days per week), fixed term for 15 months
Closing Date: 31st July, 2026

The Great North Fen (GNF) is an exciting and ambitious long-term project to restore the Durham Carrs landscape for people and wildlife. As Great North Fen Project Development Manager you will be responsible for the development and delivery of a co-ordinated strategic approach to the GNF, to maximise opportunities, identify all constraints, and facilitate community and stakeholder engagement so that the desired vision for the GNF can be achieved in a cohesive way, underpinned by sustainable management and funding to ensure its future.

We are looking for someone who can bring technical expertise alongside proven project development experience, who will play an essential role in establishing a collaborative, deliverable and visionary way forward for the GNF in County Durham.

Main Responsibilities

Co-ordination and development of GNF Project Plan

• Review past and current activities, research and projects within the GNF area.
• Co-ordination and analysis of technical studies and identification of opportunities and constraints.
• Assessment of knowledge gaps and areas of future research and development.
• Development of overarching coherent strategy and vision for GNF, setting out aims and objectives, spatial scale, component projects, timeline and project partners.
• Development of costed proposals for further development work (e.g. feasibility; priority species; topographical or hydrological surveys).

Stakeholder Engagement and Partnership Development

• Identification of key stakeholders and partners and development of stakeholder engagement plan.
• Establishment and co-ordination of GNF Stakeholder Group(s), ensuring close liaison and collaboration to build consensus.
• Development of partnerships to deliver joint working, to avoid duplication of effort and ensure compatibility and shared learning between other initiatives.
• Build relationships with local communities, delivering outreach and opportunities for involvement and engagement, to build understanding and local ownership of the project.
• Produce engagement materials to build wider awareness, understanding and support for the project.
• Development and promotion of the GNF concept and branding as a major regional initiative for people, nature and sustainable water management.

Funding Opportunities

• Collaboration on funding applications to support further feasibility work and on-the-ground delivery.
• Exploration, alongside colleagues, of long-term funding opportunities through, for example, green finance.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and pension.
• Employee support package.
• Hybrid-working arrangements.