Senior Farming and Catchment Programme Manager in Maidstone

The Trust offers hybrid working, with staff splitting their time between offices, reserves, visitor centres and some remote work, depending on their role.

About Them:

Our client is the county’s leading conservation charity with more than 31,000 members and over 1000 registered volunteers. They manage and protect over 9000 acres of land across more than 90 different sites and nature reserves, alongside 2 visitor centres. But they can’t save nature alone. So, they work closely with local communities, businesses, organisations and individuals to protect and restore wildlife and wild spaces and create a wilder Kent for the benefit of people and the planet.

What you’ll be doing:

They are looking for a motivated and experienced leader to guide their work with farmers, landowners and partners to help restore nature across Kent. In this new senior role, you will lead a team that supports farm clusters, improves the health of Kent’s rivers and catchments, and helps develop opportunities for nature-based projects that bring income back into conservation. You will oversee their work in key areas including the River Beult, the Low Weald, the Stour Catchment and East Kent. You will also help deliver major projects, such as the Darent Valley Landscape Recovery Scheme and early plans for an East Kent Nature Investment Zone. Working closely with their conservation teams, you’ll support landowner engagement for exciting species recovery projects, including pine marten, chough and the licensed release of beavers.

If you enjoy building partnerships, supporting sustainable farming, managing teams and making a real difference for wildlife and landscapes, they’d love to hear from you.

You’ll be involved in:

• Leading and developing KWT’s landowner engagement, farm cluster and catchment teams, including budgets, project delivery and staff performance.
• Building strong partnerships with farmers, landowners, water companies, government bodies and other stakeholders to create and deliver new nature recovery projects.
• Overseeing and supporting landscape-scale initiatives, including catchment restoration, farm cluster work and Nature-based Solutions (NbS) opportunities.
• Working closely with internal teams and external partners to advance green finance initiatives such as Biodiversity Net Gain, Wilder Carbon, nutrient neutrality and emerging ecosystem markets.
• Contributing to major strategic programmes, including the East Kent Nature Investment Zone and Darent Valley Landscape Recovery Scheme.
• Identifying, securing and managing funding with support from KWT’s bid writing and project teams.
• Representing KWT as an expert voice in agriculture, catchment management and nature recovery, influencing policy and best practice.
• Managing and mentoring staff, setting clear objectives and KPIs to ensure high-quality, effective delivery across your department.

What they need you to bring:

The ideal candidate will bring strong knowledge of UK farming systems, regenerative agriculture, and agri-environment policy, alongside experience delivering catchment- or landscape-scale projects. They will have excellent stakeholder engagement skills, proven project and budget management experience, and a clear understanding of natural capital, ecosystem services, and nature-based solutions. Strong team leadership and line management abilities, combined with the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly, are essential.

What they will offer in return:

They offer exceptional enhanced benefits. Recognising the wellbeing pressures related to the climate and nature crises we face as a society, they provide flexible work options, wellbeing initiatives, and professional development opportunities. Whatever stage of your career you’re at, their comprehensive benefits package can be a key factor in your choice to join them.

Next steps:

If you’re ready to join their team and help them create a Wilder Kent, simply click "Apply now" to apply via their website. Here you can find out more about the role and complete the online application form. Be sure to include your personal statement in the space provided and upload your CV, and take a moment to review the guidance notes for helpful tips.

They reserve the right to close this vacancy early if they receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a face-to-face interview. They will let unsuccessful candidates know if they have not been shortlisted.

They are unable to recruit anyone who does not have a right to work in the UK. They believe that everyone has a responsibility to safeguard children, young people, and adults at risk; they are committed to ensuring their safety and wellbeing is at the heart of their engagement with people. They will ensure that all their recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to references, Disclosure and Barring Service checks along with other relevant employment checks as appropriate to the role.

They are About Inclusion. To them, this means inspiring, empowering and engaging people from all backgrounds, cultures, identities and abilities, to change the natural world for the better. It also means cultivating inclusive workspaces that are free from discrimination, where differences are celebrated, everyone can be themselves and flourish, just like nature!