Head of Resources

Westcountry Rivers Trust is recruiting a Head of Resources.

This is a permanent contract after a successful 6 month probation period.

The starting salary for this role is £40,000.00 to £45,000.00 per annum (dependent on experience)

Location: Westcountry Rivers Trust’s office is in Stoke Climsland and whilst we have adopted hybrid working there is an expectation to work from the office on a regular basis and to travel to sites across the delivery area.

Benefits while working for Westcountry Rivers Trust

• 25 days Annual Leave per annum, with a reward for long service - an additional 1 day per year for each year worked over 5 years, up to a maximum of 30 days for employees serving 10 years continuous service.
• Additional Leave covering the Christmas Closure period.
• 9% Employer Pension, plus Life Assurance cover
• Flexible & Hybrid working

Apply by 5pm on Tuesday 17th June.

Interviews will be held in person at our offices in Stoke Climsland on Monday 30th June or Tuesday 1st July 2025.

About the Westcountry Rivers Trust

Formed in 1994, the Trust was established to restore Westcountry rivers. Measures to protect rivers can help to save money for farmers, lower costs for water companies, boost tourism, reduce the need to dredge estuaries and even benefit human health.

Today the charity works with a wide range of stakeholders from landowners to local communities, businesses, farmers and water companies to restore and protect the rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal areas for the benefit of people, wildlife and the local economy. There has never been a more important time to work on the rivers of the West Country as the impacts of climate emergency and the ecological crisis is forcing society to invest in building catchment resilience.

Spurred by a shared love of rivers, the Westcountry Rivers Trust is very much a grassroots organisation, brought into existence from the bottom up. In the early 90s, a group of individuals, passionate – but concerned – about the waterways around them, began to stitch together their ambitions for restoring Westcountry rivers, laying the foundations for the Trust we know today.

Everything the Trust does is informed by the best available science. Their work is driven by an ‘ecosystems approach,’ considering the function of the entire catchment, not just the rivers that flow within them.

It was this new perspective – not to mention the hands-on and tireless approach to river restoration – that grabbed the attention of so many supporters and funders, and which lies behind the flourishing rivers trust movement. Since then, the Trust now has circa 75 employees with an annual turnover of c£3m running multi-annual projects spread across a wide range of funders.

The Trust has three main delivery teams and a support services team. Our employees work on delivery sites, from home, and from the office.

About the Role

We are seeking a highly organised, efficient, and dynamic individual to join the Westcountry Rivers Trust as Head of Resources, playing a key role within our Management Team. This pivotal position is responsible for ensuring the effective coordination and cohesion of core operational functions across the Trust. You will lead our HR, IT, Health & Safety, and Site Management/Assets functions, supporting the successful delivery of our new five-year charity plan. As a member of the Management Team, you will provide strategic leadership and oversight, while ensuring operational delivery aligns with the charity’s goals. You will also forecast future organisational needs, helping to shape our capacity and resilience for the years ahead. The Head of Resources will directly line-manage three functional managers and work collaboratively across the organisation. Additionally, you will act as the Trust’s Senior Data Protection Officer, upholding compliance and embedding best practice in data governance. A key focus of this role is to deliver our People Plan - creating a vibrant, healthy workplace that attracts, develops, and retains a high-performing team. You will help build operational resilience and strengthen engagement with both staff and stakeholders. There is potential to progress to a Director of Resources role.

Responsibilities

Leadership

• Develop and implement long-term strategies and KPIs for HR, IT and Health and Safety in line with the charity’s five-year strategy.
• Lead, develop, and mentor a multi-disciplinary team linked closely to the Finance Director, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Lead on embedding a positive and inclusive organisational culture, becoming an employer of choice and attracting and retaining high performing talent.
• Oversee annual planning cycles, agreeing priorities and budget implications.
• Report into the Board of Trustees and liaise directly with the HR and Safeguarding leads.
• Identify and implement efficiency improvements, ensuring our support functions enable the charity’s mission.
• Ensure cohesion and alignment of core operational resources across the Trust, acting as the central point of contact for HR, IT, Health & Safety, and Site Management/Assets to support consistent, efficient, streamlined response.

Human Resources (HR)

• Oversee all aspects of HR strategy, policy, and operations, ensuring compliance with employment law and ACAS best practice.
• Lead the development of a high-performing, diverse, and engaged workforce, supporting recruitment, performance management, learning & development, and wellbeing.
• Support the Head of Human Resources in implementing a People Plan that drives employee engagement and developing the capability of our people to perform at their best and build a culture of continuous learning.

Health & Safety (H&S)

• Oversee the charity’s Health & Safety strategy, ensuring compliance with legislation and best practice across all sites and working environments.
• Promote a healthy, safe and inclusive culture conducive to high motivation, engagement and performance.
• Support the H&S Manager in maintaining robust risk assessments, incident management protocols, and emergency response plans.

Information Technology (IT)

• Oversee the charity’s IT strategy, ensuring our technology supports operational effectiveness and security, including cross Trust approach to data management.
• Oversee the adoption of a new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system.
• Work with the IT Manager to ensure cybersecurity, data protection (GDPR), and digital transformation initiatives are delivered effectively.
• Ensure IT systems and infrastructure are resilient, scalable, and aligned with best practices.
• Identify opportunities for automation, digital collaboration & data-driven decision-making.

Safeguarding

• Work with the Safeguarding Lead, external agencies, regulators, and trustees to maintain a comprehensive safeguarding framework to protect staff, volunteers, and beneficiaries, particularly those in vulnerable groups.
• Ensure all employees and volunteers receive appropriate safeguarding training and understand their responsibilities.
• Oversee safeguarding risk assessments and incident reporting, ensuring a robust and timely response to concerns and embed a culture of safeguarding awareness across the charity.

Site Management/Assets

• Oversee the management and maintenance of Trust sites and facilities, ensuring they are safe, fit for purpose, and aligned with operational needs and environmental standards.
• Develop and implement an asset management strategy.

Governance & Compliance

• Ensure all functions operate within legal, regulatory, and ethical frameworks, maintaining the highest standards of governance.
• Act as Senior Data Protection Officer and oversee GDPR compliance across the organisation.

Person specification

Knowledge and Experience

• Proven experience in a senior leadership role.
• Strong expertise in at least one key area with a willingness to develop knowledge across all.
• Track record of leading cross-functional teams and driving organisational improvement
• Knowledge of employment law, GDPR, health & safety regulations, safeguarding best practices, and digital transformation.

Skills and Competencies

• Strong people management skills, with experience leading multi-disciplinary teams.
• Experience in strategy development, governance, safeguarding and risk management
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience of working with Boards of Trustees.

Qualifications

• Relevant professional qualifications such as CIPD (HR), NEBOSH (H&S), IT certifications, safeguarding training, or marketing/communications qualifications.

The above are Essential criteria unless indicated as Desirable.