Chief Executive Officer à Grande-Bretagne

Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses (BPCG) is a community garden in the centre of Lambeth’s Brockwell Park. The site includes an orchard, a series of demonstration gardens, a walled herb garden, two large greenhouses and the recently built Brockwell Barn.

BPCG has a vibrant and committed community of volunteers who contribute to helping people grow through learning and learn through growing. We have 5 staff members (3 FTE) who run the garden volunteering scheme, school visits, family events, courses and workshops. We have four (4) operational areas:

• Community Gardening
• Production and Retail
• Children and Families Educational Programming
• Workshops, Events, and Space Hire

Visitors, volunteers, and members learn about conserving the environment and wildlife, appreciating nature, and understanding organic gardening and food growing – all within a friendly community atmosphere. In 2023, our strategic objectives were to:

• promote and support volunteering
• improve operational efficiency and financial stability

2. JOB OVERVIEW

The General Manager will lead BPCG, and be responsible for managing staff, overseeing and coordinating the organisation’s operations, fundraising, strategic development, and reporting to the board across the four (4) operational areas.

While the other operational areas are led by other staff members, the General Manager would be expected to also directly lead the Production and Retail operational area, currently led by volunteers. This area represented the biggest revenue stream for the organisation in the 2023/2024 financial year, approximately 25%. Ultimately, however, BPCG is a small organisation that requires the selected candidate to be flexible and adaptive, fostering a culture of dynamic roles, where possible, to ensure the resilience of the organisation.

The organisation’s key priorities for the financial year 2025/26 are:

• prepare a 5-year organisational strategy,
• prepare and launch a volunteer engagement plan, and
• prepare and deliver a fundraising plan to improve financial sustainability.

In line with these organisational priorities, the General Manager’s priorities over the next 12 months include:

• strengthening the financial sustainability of the organisation, including by strengthening and implementing the fundraising plan,
• playing a leading role in the development of the next 5-year strategy (2026 – 2030),
• supporting efforts to strengthen volunteer engagement and diversification,
• strengthening systems and processes, including reporting to the board, and
• fostering increased coordination across operational areas.

3. ABOUT YOU

Ideally, we are looking for someone with the following essential skills and attributes:

> At least 3 years’ experience in leadership positions, including reporting to a board

> Exceptional leadership skills in terms of:

>> able to effectively drive change in a complex operational environment,

>> resilient, self-motivating, solution-focused, and with a positive can-do attitude,

>> self-reflective and coachable, and

>> comfortable making challenging decisions, effectively balancing competing needs and priorities

> Strong financial management and reporting skills and experience

> Track record of effective fundraising

> Excellent interpersonal and communication skills

> Highly organized and reliable

> Genuine enthusiasm for community development and ecology, and with a commitment to diversity and inclusion

In addition to the above, the following is a short list of the desirable skills and attributes:

• Background in community development, education, or horticultural sectors
• Understanding of community engagement principles

4. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Strategic Leadership

• Play a leading role in the development of, and lead the implementation of the next organisational strategy (2026 – 2030)
• Lead and coordinate annual planning and budgeting
• Lead and coordinate reporting to the board
• Lead financial monitoring and reporting of the organisation
• Ensure financial sustainability of the organisation
• Support the development and strengthening of multiple revenue streams (e.g., grants, space hire, retail sales, events)
• Lead, support, and coordinate the identification and pursuit of funding opportunities

3. People

• Coach and manage three (3) direct reports: Community Garden Manager (0.8 FTE), Operations and Programme Manager (1.0 FTE), and Children and Families Programme Manager (0.8 FTE), who manage two (2) additional staff members, an Assistant Gardener (0.2 FTE) and a Garden Educator (0.2 FTE)
• Lead the strengthening of staff and volunteer wellbeing
• Foster increased coordination and collaboration across the different operational areas

4. Organisational Management

> Ensure efficient day-to-day running of the organisation

> Oversee the updating and development of policies and procedures

> Oversee the development and implementation of efficient systems and processes, including the monitoring of:

>> operations (inputs / outputs),

>> outcomes / impact, and

>> feedback from volunteers and participants

5. Production and Retail:

> Lead the budgeting, planning, and oversight of

>> kitchen activities, which includes making different products for retail (e.g., jams, cordials), as well as catering food and drinks for some events

>> retail activities of the on-site shop and off-site sales (e.g., Herne Hill market), which includes produce and plants from the garden (e.g., vegetables, herbs), and products from the kitchen (e.g., jams, cordials)

6. Health and Safety

• Coordinate and strengthen health and safety efforts across the organisation
• Lead safeguarding of both children and vulnerable adults
• Lead the regular updating of the risk register

7. Community Engagement

• Support efforts by staff to diversify and grow the volunteer base and community participation in workshops and events to ensure it is inclusive and reflects our community
• Support efforts to recruit, retain, and appreciate volunteers
• Coordinate the building and maintaining of strong community relationships

8. Additional Duties: Undertake such additional duties commensurate with the post as may reasonably be requested from time to time.

5. ADDITIONAL JOB DETAILS

• FTE: 80%
• Hours: A working week is 37.5 hours. Hours generally range between 9 am and 5 pm, with some seasonal changes.
• Days: There is some flexibility on which days are worked, however, to ensure effective oversight of all staff, the selected candidate would ideally work Tuesday to Friday, with occasional weekends, which are covered through time off in lieu (TOIL).
• Contract: 12-month, fixed term, with the potential for renewal
• Working Location: BPCG, with consideration for hybrid working after 6 months
• Reporting to: Chair of the Board of Trustees

6. HOW TO APPLY

To apply, please send an email to chair@brockwellgreenhouses.org.uk with your:

• CV,
• Cover letter highlighting why you would be great for this position and your relevant experience, and
• a completed EDI form which can be downloaded from here.

The deadline for receiving your application is 5 pm on Wednesday, 30 April 2025.

An acknowledgement that your application has been received will be sent, however, please note that due to our limited capacity, feedback can only be provided to candidates short-listed for interviews.

Short-listed candidates will be invited to attend an interview, and will be provided with a short assessment prior to the interview to demonstrate their skills in financial management and fundraising. References may be requested after the interview process.

If you think you could excel in this role but don’t fit all the essential criteria, please consider applying anyway, sharing in your cover letter the key areas you may need support on, and what that support might look like.

We value diversity in all forms and actively encourage qualified individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds, with disabilities, from our local community, and / or from working-class backgrounds to apply. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment and will make all necessary accommodations to support diverse applicants.

We understand that you might use AI and other resources for your application; however, please ensure all information you provide is factually accurate, truthful, and original and doesn’t include ideas or work that isn’t your own. This is so that your application is authentically and credibly your own.