Recreation Manager - Wyre Forest
| Posting date: | 16 July 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £35,580 to £38,338 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 03 August 2025 |
| Location: | DY14 9XQ |
| Company: | Government Recruitment Service |
| Job type: | Temporary |
| Job reference: | 416826/1 |
Summary
This post is temporary (approx 11months) to cover parental leave. The anticipated start date will be August/September 2025.
The recreation manager will lead the recreation team and guide third party delivery at the visitor sites; ensuring that visitor safety is maintained, a quality service is delivered and Forest Centre budgets are closely managed, in line with national policies and procedures. The role involves working regular weekends, bank holidays and school holidays when most of our visitors come to the forest.
Please see the job description below for more information and details about what we need from you.
Where you’ll work…
The post is based at Wyre Forest https://www.forestryengland.uk/wyre-forest where Forestry England manages a popular visitor site, attracting in the region of 300,000 annual visits. The manager will also oversee the recreation offer at Haughmond Hill https://www.forestryengland.uk/haughmond-hill a smaller site near Shrewsbury, Shropshire.
Evolve our operational delivery
- develop sustainable and financially sound business plans for the recreation cost centers
- ensure we provide safe and welcome visitor facilities by championing health and safety, and leading and setting of standards through tools such as risk assessments, equality impact assessments and schedules of facility and trail inspections
- analyse visitor survey data to help inform and improve our offer
- manage and develop volunteering opportunities where we can effectively support them and where it
delivers outcomes that result in mutual benefit
Provide everyone with a clear purpose and equip them to do their jobs
- lead the recreation hub team, providing effective line management through regular 1-1s and performance reviews
- coach, mentor and develop team members
- undertake any recruitments as necessary
Embed a safety-first culture in our teams
- monitor Airsweb (incident reporting system) usage and trends, investigate reports and share lessons learnt
- ensure Peoplesafe (lone working system) is used correctly by the team
- use resumptions system to ensure staff are using and carrying out PPE and safety kit checks, reviewing risk assessments and following policy, procedure and guidance
Use internal communications channels to inform the whole team on where the business is
- organise regular ranger team meetings/huddles to share information and best practice
- attend and contribute to other team meetings as required
- play an active role in the district Recreation Managers meetings
Provide a built estate that is fit for purpose for all users
- liaise with the Estates Development team to ensure timely delivery of scheduled works and address any reactive works required, feed into longer term development plans
- carry out regular audits on facility and trail inspections
- undertake the role of Building Manager for the recreation buildings
- act as project manager for site developments/investment projects
Increase our value for money and maximise opportunities to increase income
- procure goods and services in line with Forestry England guidance
- manage multiple service contracts, undertaking monthly monitoring
- monitor and audit car parking income at the visitor sites, undertake a price optimisation review annually
Intelligent use of collaborative planning to improve financial management of the business
- manage the Forest Centre budgets, reporting variances or discrepancies monthly
- review the long-term financial model annually, setting realistic income targets and delivering best value for money through expenditure
- phase budgets to ensure accurate forecasting through the financial year
Together with site partners we will develop our commercial recreation products and other partnerships
- lead on stakeholder delivery, ensuring good working relationships are maintained through formal meetings and regular informal communications
- liaise with the Recreation Operations Manager, Estates team and Commercial Services on site partner tender exercises, to include the writing of Management Regulations and Key Performance Indicators
- liaise with the WEFD Active Forests team to facilitate and promote delivery of events and activities - feed into hub site permissions consultations
And any other tasks, reasonably requested by your line manager.
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