Senior Community, Participation & Volunteering Manager

Summary We're looking for an exceptional relationship builder, influencer and leader to help connect people to our Restore Nature ambition for Cumbria. As our Senior Community, Participation & Volunteering Manager, you will create and lead a landscape-scale Community & Participation Plan that enables our Restore Nature ambitions. You'll work at a strategic level, building high value partnerships, influencing decision makers, and creating opportunities for people to take meaningful action for nature and heritage.

This is a leadership role for someone who is comfortable navigating complexity, leading through change, and inspiring others to work collaboratively. You will help us move from doing things for communities to working with communities, creating lasting impact far beyond our own boundaries. This is a permanent, full-time role, usually worked Monday to Friday, with some weekend and evening work required.

This role is based on annualised hours, where the?amount?of hours you work each month may vary, however your salary will be paid in 12 equal instalments over the year.? The role involves regular travel across the Lakes and a full UK driving licence. Work base options are available in Windermere, Coniston, Ullswater, Grasmere, or Ambleside. Interviews will take place Thursday 29th October in Grasmere.

For more information about the role, please contact .uk What it's like to work here You'll be joining at an exciting moment. Together, the North & West Lakes and South & East Lakes teams care for the National Trust's entire Lake District landholding, spanning more than 48,000 hectares of internationally important landscapes. From lakes, rivers and temperate rainforest to fells, farms and common land, we're working collectively towards a bold ambition: restoring nature at scale across one of the world's most celebrated cultural landscapes.

As part of the South & East Lakes Leadership Team, you'll lead across a 450-square-mile area including Ullswater, Windermere, Grasmere, Ambleside and Coniston. While your focus will be this geography, success comes through collaboration. You'll work closely with colleagues across both Lake District teams, helping build the partnerships, community connections and collective action needed to make our nature recovery ambitions a reality.

We believe people and nature thrive together. That's why our approach goes beyond conservation. We work with farmers, communities, volunteers, local organisations, funders and public bodies to create a future where nature recovery, heritage and community benefit go hand in hand. We're looking for someone who can strengthen those connections and inspire more people to play a role in shaping the future of these landscapes.

What you'll be doing You'll lead the development and delivery of a landscape scale Community & Participation Plan, ensuring people are at the heart of our Restore Nature ambitions. Working closely with the leadership team, you will help shape how we engage communities, partners and volunteers in delivering lasting change. Your duties will include:
Creating and leading a long-term Community & Participation Plan that connects people to our nature recovery ambitions and increases public benefit. Building, developing and managing strategic partnerships with organisations, networks and community groups, representing the National Trust across the landscape. Fostering collective effort and civic action, inspiring communities, partners and individuals to contribute their time, skills and influence to support nature and heritage.

Identifying opportunities, risks and emerging trends through horizon scanning and strong external networks, ensuring we remain relevant and responsive. Leading and influencing through change, helping teams build confidence in collaborative, participatory and community-led ways of working. Increasing and diversifying participation, developing opportunities for people to engage with our work through volunteering, partnerships and community action. Using insight, evidence and audience understanding to ensure our work reaches and benefits a broader range of people.

Who we're looking for We're looking for a strategic thinker and inspiring leader who is passionate about the power of people to create change. We'd love to hear from you if you have:
Significant experience of building and managing partnerships and stakeholder relationships across multiple organisations and sectors. Ability to engage and work with communities…