Programme Manager – Self Employment

Join Us

Are you experienced in providing advice and information to micro businesses and self-employed people or do you have experience in running a successful business in the horticultural industry? Do you want to make a real difference by working in the charitable sector? Are you looking for a new challenge with great job satisfaction? Then this is the role for you!

We are looking for a positive and proactive team member to join our Services Team, to educate, inform and influence self employed people working in horticulture. We want to empower people to have the skills and knowledge to run a successful business to support them and their families.

You will need to be passionate about making a real difference to people and be able to deliver this at scale throughout the UK. You will need to be an innovative thinker to be able to develop, create and manage resources, programmes and partnerships. This will enable us to create positive change to build better futures for people working in horticulture.

About Perennial

Perennial is passionate about building better futures for people working in horticulture and their families. Established in 1839, Perennial is the UK’s only charity dedicated to helping everyone who works with plants, trees, grass or flowers.

The Role

The Programme Manager post is a brand new role and provides an exciting opportunity for you to create a working strategy that informs, influences and embodies our vision of building better futures for self-employed people in the sector. You will strategically develop our partnerships, products and programmes to provide quality resources, information and advice for people working in a self-employed capacity across all horticultural industries.

You will be responsible for fostering innovative, empowering solutions focused programmes that deliver sustainable outcomes. Developing creative and engaging advice, education and information activities that keep the self employed people at the heart of all we do.

For the self employment programmes to be sustainable you will engage key partnerships to allow us to monopolise on existing opportunities for delivery at scale and link to existing external services and support. You will upskill and support our current teams with information, tools and resources along with signposting to specialist support for our service users. Additionally, you will develop and provide a series of workshops, seminars, conferences, webinars and podcasts that people will be able to access so that the support and resources can be delivered at scale to this hard to reach audience.

About you

We are looking for an enthusiastic, creative, visionary and passionate individual who cares about making positive changes in people’s lives. The ability to interact well with people from a wide range of backgrounds, together with good problem solving and project/time management skills are essential. Excellent communication skills are vital, as is the ability to motivate, engage and influence stakeholders at all levels. Someone who is driven, positive and highly organised individual with natural people skills. A proven self-starter, confident and able to develop, assess and evaluate different project options.

You will be passionate about ensuring that we become ever more responsive to changing needs, offering a wider range of support that is relevant to emerging needs.

Duties and Responsibilities

Responsibilities will evolve as the role develops, for now they typically include:

• To understand the existing and emerging needs of micro businesses and self-employed horticulturists and work in partnership to develop sustainable programmes that can be delivered at scale
• Create engaging programmes and resources that provide education and guidance to horticulturists with a key focus on business sustainability and viability
• Experience of building innovative and creative solutions at scale
• Manage and deliver strategic outcome focused programmes that are compliant with all regulatory requirements
• Ensuring that micro businesses and self-employed horticulturists can access the range of sustainable support, advice and information in their local communities
• Develop engaging activities and programmes targeted at the self-employed horticultural community, encouraging stakeholder engagement and sharing of good practice
• Organise industry engagement activities, supporting the development and delivery of partnerships and projects that deliver our preventative objectives at scale
• Provide support and guidance to service teams when they are working on a self employed case
• Working across the organisation and externally to promote all aspects of our service delivery and initiatives
• To work closely with wider teams, to ensure that the building better futures strategy is impactful
• Keep up to date on best practice to ensure that services are responsive, flexible and agile to changing needs
• Manage, monitor and support the reporting of risks, minimising reputational damage and costs, supporting the Head of Preventative Services to keep resources, advice, guidance, continuity plans and risk registers up to date
• Support the Head of Preventative Services in preparing the appropriate reports for the senior leadership team, Board and Committee structures
• Maintain an understanding of the latest developments of social policy
• Ensure the widespread sharing of learning and effective models of support with a critical focus on quality and continuous improvement
• At all times to maintain the professional integrity and reputation of the Charity and represent their main interests in any dealings with colleagues, volunteers, professional bodies, partner agencies, groups and individuals
• To carry out any other duties that may reasonably be required in line with your main duties or in response to changing needs

Person Specification

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• Experience of providing advice and information to the self employed or micros businesses or experience in running a successful business in horticulture
• In-depth knowledge of the self-employed / micro business landscape
• Experience of teaching people the skills and knowledge to be self employed
• Experience of training, running workshops or delivering presentations
• Ability to undertake research and diagnostic needs assessments of self-employed horticulturists to put in place a strategic preventative plans and programmes
• To develop your own professional network of associates who can provide a broad range support services that meet identified needs
• To be able to build positive relationships with service users, partners, associates and networks
• Ability to understand the needs of the self-employed to provide outcome-focussed interventions that support resilience and achieve long term change
• Ability to assess the operational impact of regulations and policies and work to implement new processes seamlessly
• Ability to proficiently use IT packages and systems to a competent level
• Ability to quickly and easily assimilate and understand information
• Evidence of taking responsibility for one’s own Learning and Development and supporting the organisation by sharing learning
• Experience of working as part of a remote team, the ability to work on own initiative as well as work effectively as part of a team. Having a positive impact on the team
• Able to influence, communicate and collaborate with others, including the ability to tailor communication methods as required

Personal Attributes

•  Able to manage and prioritise workload and the ability to meet tight deadlines
• Calm and confident, positive attitude and constructive contributions
• A creative problem solver, taking responsibility for finding solutions
• Adaptable to evolving situations and a flexible thinker
• Strong leadership and project management skills
• Good attention to detail
• Proactive self-starter and consistently looking for improvements in ways to develop the role of working
• Ability to maintain professional boundaries
• Willing to work within the policies and procedures of Perennial
• Willingness to work flexibly which will involve travel and occasional evenings and weekends, including overnight stays
• Commitment to upholding the mission and values of the charity
• Understanding of and, commitment to, the principles of safeguarding, equality and fairness
• Due to the possible remote locations of gardens and stakeholder workplaces the ability to drive is essential

Key Terms and Conditions

These terms and conditions are provided for information only and in no way represent a contract. In the event of an appointment if there is an anomaly between the contract and these terms, the contract is deemed to be the correct version.

Full information on terms and conditions are contained within a Staff Handbook, issues upon appointment. Enquiries on specific matters are welcomed – the following are the key issues.

Hours of work: 37.5 hours per week – including some weekends and overnight stays.

Holidays: 25 days per annum, plus bank holidays (with increases for long service)

Pension: Perennial operates an auto-enrolment pension scheme and will match employee contributions up to the statutory amount. Details of the scheme will be available following a formal offer of employment.

Other: Sick Pay, Death in Service Benefit (3x salary). Perennial has a number of well-established, family-friendly policies, including ‘buying’ extra (unpaid) leave, time off for dependents, variations to normal working hours. Further details available on request.

General Considerations: All Perennial jobs are subject to a probationary period (6 months) and a periodic review.

Smoking: In the interests of health and safety, Perennial operates a non-smoking policy on its premises and expects staff not to smoke in company vehicles.

Closing date for this vacancy is Friday 13th September at midnight. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early should we receive sufficient applicants.