Lead – Thames Vision and Partnerships

Job Description

Department: Corporate Affairs
Contract Type: 12 Months Fixed Term Maternity Cover
Reporting to: Director of Corporate Affairs
Grade: 4
Starting Salary: £63,909 per annum
Base: London
Closing date: Friday 24th May 2024
Interview date: Monday 3rd June 2024

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Who we are:

The Port of London Authority is the statutory harbour authority for the tidal Thames and responsible for 95 miles of the River Thames from the Estuary to Teddington Lock in West London. We work to keep river users safe, protect and enhance the environment and promote the use of the river for trade and travel.

The Corporate Affairs department at the PLA coordinates our Thames Vision 2050 strategy, which sets out how we will remain the UK’s leading port, central to the economy, with Net Zero emissions by 2040. The team – and this role – has a particular focus on the Destination Thames aspect of the Vision, making sure the Thames is a place where people want to work, live, visit, play and enjoy.

The wider Corporate Affairs department manages external and internal communications, digital channels, events, public relations and stakeholder engagement. We maintain relationships with various stakeholders, including government bodies, industry partners, local communities and the public.

The role:

We are looking for a Thames Vision and Partnerships Lead to join the team for 12 months maternity cover from mid July.

As well as providing oversight for the wider Thames Vision, the successful candidate will increase use of and engagement with the Thames’ ‘blue space’, including improving engagement within communities traditionally less likely to use the river for leisure/physical activity.

This role will also lead on multiple projects to deliver more active waterways across Greater London, Kent and Essex under the umbrella programme name Active Thames and will deliver the strategic objectives set out in the Active Thames agreement.

The successful candidate will be responsible for coordinating, measuring and reporting on progress against the Thames Vision Action Plan.

Responsibilities:

• Responsibility for developing strategic partnerships, with a particular focus on Destination Thames.
• Champion access, diversity and inclusion across Destination Thames. Increase use of and engagement with the Thames’ “blue space”, including improving engagement within communities traditionally less likely to use the river for leisure/physical activity.
• Lead multiple projects to deliver more active waterways across Greater London, Kent and Essex under the umbrella programme name Active Thames, delivering on the strategic objectives set out in the Active Thames agreement.
• Take overall responsibility for projects, funding, monitoring and evaluation and communication as the lead of Active Thames.
• Work closely with the planning and harbour master teams to deliver these PLA priorities, including identifying opportunities for sports facilities in new riparian developments and advising on sporting and community needs.
• Within the PLA, an expert and key Thames Vision advocate, engaging staff on the Vision overall, and Destination Thames in particular.
• Develop a framework for, and ensure regular reporting against, measurement of PLA’s social impact, working across PLA departments and stakeholders to ensure this data is captured regularly Work closely with Director of Corporate Affairs on PLA’s charitable giving across all departments.
• Lead PLA engagement on watersports, walking and active travel with sporting organisations, local authorities and other senior stakeholders, national governing bodies, clubs and community groups.
• PLA lead with the Tidal Thames Water Safety Forum and other public water safety/drowing prevention campaigns.
• Ensuring effective use of PLA CRM system to manage external contacts and stakeholder relationships.
• A member of the Director of Corporate Affairs’ senior management team and deputising for the Director at external events as needed.

What we are looking for:

You will be educated to degree level with at least five years’ experience in programme/project management within community outreach.

Essential:

• Skilled partnership worker
• Proven success in delivering outreach programmes to groups defined as likely to be less active by Sport England (minority ethnic groups, lower socio-economic groups, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities or long term health conditions, and women and girls)
• Knowledge and experience of the funding landscape and grant management, including securing and distributing funding and reporting on it
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to be discrete and impartial
• Confident presenter and networker with diverse mix of stakeholders
• Excellent project management skills
• Inspirer, problem-solver, leader and team player with a can-do attitude

Desirable:

• Experience of working with watersports communities

In return, we offer a competitive benefits package:

• 28 days annual leave + Bank Holidays
• Private Health Insurance
• Generous pension scheme
• Access to Occupational Health, Mindfulness, Counselling and Physiotherapy
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Access to MyGymDiscounts
• Salary sacrifice Car Scheme

For further information or if you would like to have an informal discussion about the position, please contact Jenny Cooper-Low at Jenny.Cooper@pla.co.uk

The PLA are not registered with the UK Home Office and do not sponsor candidates who require a visa or work permit to work in the UK, therefore an offer of employment cannot be made unless you currently hold the rights to live and work in the UK.