Greenspace Director (Maternity Cover)

This is an exciting senior leadership opportunity for someone who is passionate about the power of nature to improve health and wellbeing. Covering a period of maternity leave, you will provide strategic leadership for our Green Space for Health programme, helping to shape its future direction, strengthen partnerships and secure the resources needed to grow its impact.

Our Green Space for Health programme promotes the value of green space for physical and mental health, both at healthcare sites and in the wider community. Through initiatives including the NHS Forest and Nature Recovery Rangers, we support healthcare organisations to create and enhance spaces that benefit biodiversity, staff wellbeing, patient recovery and community health. We also undertake research, develop resources, provide expert advice and support a growing community of practice.

Alongside overseeing the delivery of our existing projects, you will play a key role in developing the programme's future sustainability. Working closely with colleagues, partners and funders, you will help shape and deliver an income generation strategy, identify and secure new funding opportunities, build strategic partnerships and support the long-term growth of our Green Space for Health work.

We are looking for someone who combines strong leadership and relationship-building skills with experience of income generation, fundraising or business development. Your background may come from any sector, including charity, health, environmental, sustainability or public sectors. The most important thing is that you will share our belief that greener healthcare environments can create healthier people, places and communities.

The role leads the Green Space team, including 11 rangers and core programme staff, and works closely with the Green Space for Health Project Manager to ensure successful delivery of existing projects while exploring opportunities for innovation and future growth.

Key Responsibilities

The Green Space for Health Director works across: 

Leadership and management:
• Providing strategic leadership for the Green Space for Health programme and supporting its future development. 
• Leading, supporting and developing the Green Space team, including line management of key staff members. 
• Building and strengthening partnerships that increase the reach, impact and sustainability of our work. 
• Representing CSH and the Green Space for Health programme at conferences, events, meetings and stakeholder forums. 

Finance and fundraising:
• Developing and implementing an income generation and funding strategy to support the long-term sustainability and growth of the programme. 
• Identifying, cultivating and securing funding opportunities from trusts, foundations, sponsors, public bodies and other sources, and supporting CSH’s membership programme.
• Managing and presenting the Green Space team budget to Senior Management Team meeting and the board.
• Fundraising is a collective effort at CSH. All roles have a responsibility for raising revenue through building relationships with funders, donors and partners, contributing to our sales pipeline and/or funding application processes.

Project oversight, governance, and reporting:
• Overseeing programme budgets and ensuring strong financial management across projects. 
• Working alongside the Green Space for Health Project Manager to oversee project delivery and the development of new initiatives. 
• Coordinating reporting across the programme, including reporting to funders and the CSH Board of Trustees. 

Service development:
• Supporting the development and delivery of our Green Space for Health training course, as well as resources and other learning opportunities. 
• Actively contributing to CSH's Senior Management Team, supporting organisational strategy, development and culture.

A Day in the Life

No two days are quite the same in this role. One day you might be developing a major funding proposal or meeting potential partners to explore new opportunities for the NHS Forest, and the next you could be supporting your team, presenting at a 
conference, making a site visit, or helping shape the future direction of our Green Space for Health programme.

This is a highly autonomous role with plenty of variety. You'll have the freedom to manage your own workload while working closely with our CEO, Senior Management Team, partners and Green Space colleagues across the UK.

A day in the life of the Green Space for Health Director might include: 
• A morning meeting with the Green Space team to work through priorities together and celebrate progress.
• Meeting with a potential NHS Forest sponsor to discuss funding, partnership opportunities and ways their staff could get involved through volunteering.
• Developing a funding application with partners, bringing together ideas and evidence.
• Reviewing programme budgets and updating financial forecasts ahead of an upcoming senior management meeting. 
• Preparing an impact report for a funder, showcasing how greener healthcare spaces are improving wellbeing and supporting nature recovery.
• Working with colleagues to develop new ideas, resources or training opportunities that help grow the programme's reach and impact.
• Delivering a presentation or speaking at a conference about the role of nature in creating healthier people, places and communities.
• Signing off the day with a 1:1 conversation with a team member, offering support, guidance and encouragement.

About you

We are looking for a collaborative and entrepreneurial leader who can combine strategic thinking with practical delivery. You are right for this role if you are motivated by creating positive change and excited about the potential for nature-based approaches to improve health outcomes and create more sustainable healthcare systems.

Essential skills and experience
• Experience developing income generation, fundraising or business development strategies and securing funding from a range of sources.
• Experience leading programmes, organisations, departments or significant projects through periods of development and growth.
• Strong leadership and people management skills, including experience supporting, motivating and developing teams.
• Excellent relationship-building skills and the ability to establish productive partnerships and networks.
• Experience of financial management, budget oversight and resource planning.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including developing compelling funding applications, proposals, reports and presentations.
• Strong strategic thinking skills, including the ability to identify opportunities and translate ideas into action.
• Experience overseeing the successful delivery of complex programmes or projects.
• The ability to solve problems, manage competing priorities and make informed decisions.
• A commitment to staff wellbeing and inclusive leadership.
• Professional experience, knowledge of, or a strong interest in one or more of the following areas: nature, biodiversity, sustainability, climate action, health improvement or healthcare.
• An understanding of, or ability to quickly develop an understanding of, CSH's mission and the Green Space for Health programme.
• Confidence working remotely and managing own workload
• Competence with Microsoft Office suite and Sharepoint/Teams systems.
• Right to work in the UK

We recognise that excellent candidates do not always meet every requirement and we welcome applicants with transferable skills. 

Desirable skills and experience
• Experience or qualifications in ecology, conservation, environmental management or a related field.
• Experience of working with or within the health sector.
• Experience managing geographically dispersed or remote teams.