SfYP Project Officer - Hertfordshire

This post works 37 hours per week and reports to the Centre Manager. Working hours are typically between 08:30 and 17:00 Monday to Friday, with some flexibility according to day-to-day requirements. As we expand our services, some evenings and weekends may be required.

We are looking for an organised, approachable and solution focussed person who enjoys variety at work, where every day is different. We need someone with the ability to take ownership of and manage the office functions at Hudnall Park Outdoor Education Centre.

Situated in over 85 acres of open downland and mixed woodland on the edge of the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Hudnall Park provides residential and day educational courses to organised groups; alongside outdoor youth work, forest school and The Duke of Edinburgh's Award (DofE) camping. Part of Hertfordshire's Services for Young People, the Centre is highly regarded for its standards of excellence and professionalism in delivering high quality outdoor learning experiences. Hudnall Park is an inclusive provider, catering for a range of ages and abilities.

We are developing an ambitious strategy to increase activity at Hudnall Park. This role is important to the success of that development, including streamlining and improving office processes and co-ordination of the site, day to day activity and various staff/contractors. The centre comprises of a number of staff including those managing the site itself and various projects, alongside a number of instructors. The post holder will engage with other staff from the county council, contractors, children, young people and families on a daily basis.

The onsite Project Officer manages the office at Hudnall Park. This is a customer facing role and is the first point of call for our visitors, customers, contractors and staff. We are looking for someone who can demonstrate initiative and good judgement, as they will sometimes need to determine how to address and resolve daily problems with minimum supervision. The role is responsible for:

• Meeting and greeting – school visits/residentials, staff, parents/carers, children & young people and contractors.
• Co-ordinating activity at Hudnall Park and briefing colleagues accordingly about day-to-day events, to support smooth operation of the Centre.
• Invoicing, purchase orders and budget keeping.
• Providing information to stakeholders and customers, managing bookings, clarifying and resolving queries and escalating more complex issues to the appropriate person.
• Liaising with the area Facilities Officer to ensure that external contractors are managed accordingly.
• Working closely with the onsite caretaker to ensure that day to day tasks are fulfilled and that ad hoc requirements are responded to quickly.
• Updating various logs and registers, analysing information and reporting.
• Responsible for oversight of projects leading to service improvements e.g. digitalisation of booking and payment systems.
• Providing project support for the Hudnall Park Action plan and associated activities.
• Producing supporting documents such as risk logs, health and safety logs and work plans to support the accurate documentation and monitoring of projects.
• Planning and prioritising own defined daily work activities related to each particular day.
• Ensuring that site security is maintained and adhered to.
• Any other tasks commensurate with the role.

Hudnall Park is in a remote location and not served by public transport. Applicants must have driving licence and access to their own transport to and from work.

About you:

• Experienced in managing an office environment
• Highly organised
• Able to work independently on own initiative and as part of a team
• Able to plan your own work over short timescales and deadlines
• Able to understand financial systems and processes to support budgeting and reporting
• Friendly and welcoming, with a positive attitude
• Understanding of health & safety and risk
• Flexible, adaptable and willing to ‘muck in.’
• Driving licence and access to a vehicle
• Experience of working within a multi use site
• Change management and project co-ordination
• Experience in working with a range of stakeholders including children and young people.

This role is varied and interesting, with scope to use your imagination/creativity and input your ideas as we develop services. Hudnall Park is in a unique countryside setting, so may appeal to anyone with an interest in nature, the environment and/or land management.

HCC provides many opportunities for learning and continuing professional development. We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

This job role is within the Programme and Project, level PRO8 job profile.

As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert/job profile to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities. You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.

Additional information:

• Disability Confident: We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.
• Safeguarding: This role has been identified as requiring a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.
• Driving required: You’ll need to have the ability to drive and/or travel around Hertfordshire, either using your own mode of transport or a company car to travel to other locations.
• English Fluency: The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.