Programmes Manager (Paths)

Job Title: Programmes Manager (Paths)

Team: Programmes and Delivery

Location: Hybrid (split between home-working and one of our offices - based in London, Cardiff or Edinburgh)

Salary on appointment: £41,400 - £45,540 per annum

This role sits within a pay grade with a pay range of £41,400 to £62,100. The salary on appointment will be set at the lower end of the pay range, to a maximum of 10% above the base salary, depending on the candidate's skills and experience. This approach aims to ensure fair compensation for new hires while maintaining alignment with the structured pay scale for the role.

It's an exciting time to join the Ramblers as we have recently refreshed our strategy to support the delivery of our long-term ambitions.

We need your drive, knowledge, skills, and creativity to help us raise awareness of the Ramblers and what we stand for, enabling the charity to grow its supporter base and open up the joys and wellbeing benefits of walking to many more people.

About us

The Ramblers is Britain's walking charity. We open the way so everyone can enjoy the benefits of walking.

It's easy to think everyone has the same opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. But look a little deeper and you'll find lots of barriers standing in the way. So we're continuing to fight for change. We campaign for the public's right to enjoy the outdoors, protect paths, build skills and offer different ways to get out walking in nature.

Our programmes have a big impact in local communities: Ramblers Wellbeing Walks help people take the first step to a healthier happier lifestyle, and the Ramblers Out There Award gives young adults aged 18-26 the opportunity to kickstart their journey into the outdoors.

Through our refreshed strategy, we'll build on this experience and grow our impact through activities that prioritise the needs of communities who have the least access and face the most barriers walking outside in nature.

Purpose of Role

The Programme Manager (Paths) will oversee programmes to protect and improve the quality, accessibility and provision of walking paths, so that more people can enjoy the benefits of walking. The role will be instrumental to achieving the Ramblers' strategic goals - leading a team to deliver innovative and impactful programmes of work that make a real difference to local communities.

Key responsibilities

Programme planning and management:

• Develop and oversee programmes aimed at improving walking paths and routes in different communities.
• Create comprehensive project plans, timelines, and budgets - ensuring that all projects are delivered on time and within scope.

Stakeholder management:

• Work closely with local authorities, landowners, volunteers, and other stakeholders to deliver path projects.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key partners and community groups to support the Ramblers' goals.

Project oversight:

• Oversee the execution of path improvement, path protection and legal casework programmes - including contractor management, safety and compliance.
• Monitor progress robustly, mitigate risks and address any issues that arise during project implementation to ensure successful outcomes.

Budget and resource management:

• Develop and manage project budgets, ensuring cost-effective use of resources and adherence to financial guidelines.
• Monitor expenditure and report on budget performance, making adjustments as needed.

Compliance and quality assurance:

• Develop processes and procedures to ensure that all projects comply with relevant regulations, standards, and best practice.
• Establish quality assurance mechanisms to verify that paths are maintained to a high standard and meet safety requirements.

Reporting and evaluation:

• Prepare regular reports on project progress, outcomes and impact.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of projects and programmes, using feedback and data to drive continuous improvement and innovation across our programmes.
• Ensure that path projects deliver clear impact for priority communities, in line with Ramblers strategic objectives.

Leadership and People Management:

• Lead by example to develop, inspire and support a motivated and high-performing team of Programme Leads.
• Recruit, mobilise and support volunteers to get involved in path-related projects.
• Provide ongoing training and guidance to volunteers, ensuring they have the skills, knowledge and confidence to contribute effectively.

Public engagement and promotion:

• Promote path projects through communications and public outreach efforts.
• Engage with communities to raise awareness of walking paths, encourage their use and develop support.

Other:

• Undertake such other duties as may be reasonably required of the post.
• Engage and proactively develop collaborative working relationships across the organisation.

This job description will be reviewed in conjunction with the postholder to ensure successful delivery of our goals.

The Person

Knowledge and Experience:

• Experience of programme development and planning.
• Experience of programme management and stakeholder communications, ideally in collaboration with external partners/funders.
• A proven track record of delivering a range of projects (including with volunteers).
• Experience of leading and managing innovative and inclusive teams.
• Experience of human-centred design - taking an audience led / co-design approach to product development and improvement.
• Experience working with and managing volunteers across a variety of situations.
• Experience of partnership working and proactive stakeholder engagement.
• Experience managing change - working with teams to introduce new ways of working, processes or technologies.
• A knowledge of the outdoor/environmental sector, and paths and access legislation (desirable).

Skills and Leadership :

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills - including the ability to collaborate and co-create initiatives with others.
• Proven analytical skills with ability to utilise qualitive and quantitative data to demonstrate impact.

Personal Attributes :

• Interest in walking and engaging people with the outdoors.
• Committed to the principles of inclusion and enabling everyone to feel welcome in the outdoors.
• Resilient with the ability to work under pressure and to tight and competing deadlines.
• Inspirational leadership, modelling behaviours that enable others to deliver their best.
• Flexible and able to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
• Drive to do a great job and to keep delivering stronger results.

The Ramblers promote diversity and welcome applications from all section of the community.

Values and Behaviours

Our values are the core principles that guide us daily in our work and our membership of the Ramblers. We all share the passion that walking is for everyone and by living our shared values we can ensure the Ramblers is an organisation to be proud of. Our values will earn trust for the Ramblers brand which will allow us to open up a world of walking opportunities for even more people.

• Inclusive - We make everyone feel welcome and part of the Ramblers community. We make sure we all feel respected and accepted and know our contributions make a difference in achieving our mission.
• Inspiring - We strive to inspire people through the way we act and the things we say. We channel our passion and ambition so others are moved to help us achieve our mission.
• Empowering - We empower and encourage each other to make a positive contribution to our teams and the Ramblers. We do all we can to make sure everyone has the ability, and feels confident, to take action.
• Responsible - We take responsibility for ourselves and those around us seriously, by always acting in a safe and supportive way. We care about the environment and make sure we do what we say we will do.