Land Use & Farming Adviser

Job Description

Summary We’re looking for someone with significant experience within a land management and farming environment to join our team. Working as part of a community of consultants, you’ll be supporting our property teams, providing expert advice and guidance, as well as promoting good practice and innovation.The importance and uniqueness of agriculture to the local environment, community and economy goes without saying and you’ll be working for one of the key landowners in Northern Ireland which owns/manages 46 square miles of land and 108 miles (22%) of the coastline.As our Land Use and Farming Adviser, you’ll share knowledge and expertise in key areas of land management and farming such as soil management, farming systems, energy crops, food marketing, carbon sequestration and farm diversification, to decide on land use in conjunction with other disciplines, and achieve high standards of land management across the National Trust as set out in the Land, Outdoors and Nature Programme of our Strategy. You’ll also be leading, encouraging and promoting environmentally responsible farming by maintaining positive relationships with farming tenants and collaborating with colleagues within the Trust and external partners from other organisations. What its like to work here The National Trust owns and operates a fascinating and varied portfolio of properties and estates. You’ll have the opportunity to work on a fantastic range of estates across Northern Ireland, from the splendour and magnificence of the Mount Stewart and Castle Ward estates, the scenic beauty of the North Coast and the unique landscapes of Fermanagh. We can offer an exciting role where you can make a real difference working alongside a dedicated team of multi-disciplinary consultants. What youll be doing The role will enable us to repurpose our land for nature, carbon and people. You’ll be responsible for providing expert and professional guidance to support properties within Northern Ireland for all things related to land use and farming. You’ll help our property teams become more self-reliant, so you’ll be coaching and training our teams to enhance their understanding and skills in the subject area. You’ll also be involved in supporting and ensuring that our property teams are compliant with National Trust and external regulations relating to all areas of farming, building strong relationships with relevant government departments and other external partners.You’ll specifically be focussing on key areas such as soil management, high nature status farming and sustainable land management – your knowledge and expertise will help to shape our business plans across the region, and your guidance will be vital in the development and delivery of our Estate Management Plans. You’ll also be working collaboratively with colleagues from other departments with specialisms in different focuses to ensure that the plans you work on are beneficial for all, and will not have a detrimental effect on other areas. You’ll work collaboratively with teams at property and with other consultants to ensure these plans are practical and realistic whilst also meeting our broader aims as outlined in our Land, Outdoors and Nature objectives to manage our land for high nature status.You’ll assist in the co-ordination of farm support payments, Agri-environment and cross-compliance obligations and provide practical advice to staff and tenants. Additionally you’ll be responsible for identifying and securing external funding. You’ll also be contributing to, and drawing upon, internal and external data to champion innovation in land management. You’ll build professional relationships externally, sharing expertise through partnership working, and ultimately help to raise the Trust’s profile with new and existing audiences.Please also read the full role profile attached to this advert (NB this is a standardised National Trust role profile - where ELMs is mentioned please read agri-environment scheme) Who were looking for • Knowledge of ecology and natural asset management (soil, water, habitats) and other public goods in a land management context• Excellent communication skills both verbal & written to deliver clear succinct advice via written reports & presentations• Knowledge of sustainable farming and other land management systems & interaction with natural environment to deliver public goods at a landscape scale• Strong demonstrable consulting skills of listening, building trust, offering advice and ability to influence, challenge constructively and negotiate• Good at processing complex information from multiple sources of evidence, bringing several people along to reach an integrated solution to a complex problem. An analytical thinker• Knowledge of relevant legislation, compliance and practice and how it applies to the National Trust The package Benefits for working at the National Trust: