Job Description

Globally and nationally wild animals and plants are in steep decline. We appear to be reaching critical tipping points around this loss of “biodiversity” as well as around climate change. Both are interlinked. Human society cannot prosper without wildlife and healthy natural systems.

Kent’s wildlife needs to be restored to much higher levels. We can no longer allow common things to become rare. We can only do this by restoring large-scale habitat from degraded land. Doing this will contribute to solving global problems. But, we won’t be able to do this unless we publicly aspire to a higher level of impact and show that we can deliver this. This will get more people to support us, and work with us, which will create a virtuous circle.

Kent Wildlife Trust has ambitious plans over the next five years to grow the income raised by the charity, and its subsidiaries, to help support our strategy outlined above. We are looking to fill 3 trustee vacancies in the coming months and in addition to a passion for wildlife conservation are looking for people with proven success in the following areas:

• Retail and/or commercial management
• Chairing at Board or equivalent level
• Finance and accounts
• Fundraising
• Marketing

Responsibilities and Commitment

· To periodically agree the business vision, mission and strategic direction of Kent Wildlife Trust and to ensure its operations focus on achieving these.

· Attend the quarterly Council meetings and any ad-hoc meetings as are necessary from time to time.

· Contribute actively to the Council, ensuring that the Council discharges its legal duties within its objectives and, through good governance, provides clear direction for the Trust and ensure that it delivers its charitable objects.

· Actively consider playing a part in the governance of the Trust’s commercial subsidiaries, and/ or any Council sub-committees and/ or Task & Finish groups that might be running at any given time.

· To safeguard the Trust’s reputation and other intangible assets, ensuring that there is mission consistency across the KWT group.

 Council diversity

We value fairness and equity; we aim to create an inclusive environment that supports differences and encourages diverse perspectives. Our ambition is to recruit the best people from the broadest pool of applicants and across the full spectrum of gender, race, age, social background, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, education and belief systems. 

Kent Wildlife Trust is the leading wildlife charity for Kent and Medway, supported by its 32,000 members and staffed by committed professionals.  We are all working to protect wildlife and to find better ways to run an efficient and effective organisation.

The interview process

The interview process will consist of an informal chat with Evan Bowen-Jones, Chief Executive followed by a formal interview with the Trustees and Senior Management.