Job vacancies

Location: Aske Stables, Richmond

The CLA North team is looking for a dynamic person to join them in the exciting and varied role of Regional Coordinator. The successful applicant will manage the office near Richmond, provide administrative support to the team, and run the Branch Committees, providing the secretariat to meetings. This is a full-time post.

The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) is the membership organisation for owners of land, property and rural businesses, who have been championing the interests of rural England and Wales for over 100 years. CLA members own or manage around half the rural land in England and Wales and more than 250 different types of businesses.

We are looking for an experienced Administrator who is highly organised and has a positive attitude. The successful applicant will quickly become an integral member of the team and assist with a variety of duties for the smooth running of member operations, to manage the office and to act as PA to the North Director and provide administrative support to other members of the team.

The regional coordinator is usually the first point of contact for members and will manage the four regional Branch Committees, covering a wide range of issues impacting rural businesses.

We’re looking for a candidate who has experience in office management and ideally has an understanding of rural issues. The role will liaise with stakeholders including members, MPs, and decision makers in the region.

If you are interested in hearing more please contact the Regional Director, Lucinda Douglas, or recruitment@cla.org.uk.

The ideal person will:

• Have excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Have a high level of computer literacy with great administrative skills and ideally experience of CRM systems
• Be self-Motivated, enthusiastic and organised with excellent time management
• Be able to manage and prioritise workloads effectively
• Be flexible, adaptable and open to new ideas
• Be willing to learn and have the ability to work under own initiative
• Be charismatic and brilliant with people
• Be a problem solver who can use their own initiative and judgement
• Be able to demonstrate attributes of honesty, integrity, due skill, care and diligence

Driving Licence required due to requirement to travel to committee meetings in rural locations.

The position involves:

• Managing the CLA North Office including processing invoices
• Acting as a first point of contact for members who contact the North office: dealing with correspondence and phone calls
• Organising the four CLA County Branch Committees in the North. Preparing and circulating agendas and papers for the committees and drafting minutes at the meetings. The Committees discuss a variety of topical issues impacting rural businesses. The post holder will be the main point of contact for the committee members.
• Organising meetings and appointments with stakeholders and decision makers such as MPs
• Acting as PA to the Regional Director and providing admin support to the rest of the team including assisting with event administration
• Leading on CRM (Customer Relationship Management) to ensure the database is up to date and accurate

The Location, Team, and Working Arrangements

The role is based at Aske Stables, Richmond. The role will involve a 35-hour working week, with some flexible working available on request, although contact time in the office would be required each week, substantive days being Mondays and Wednesdays. There will be a requirement to travel across the North at times, to attend events and meetings and visit members.

The successful candidate will be part of a small, hardworking, well-established and fun team, who are very passionate about the organisation and rural affairs in general. They will also work collaboratively with the CLA’s supportive team of over one hundred highly motivated individuals in the membership, finance, marketing, external affairs and advisory teams, in London and across the other five regions in England and Wales.

What we can offer

The CLA offers its staff a large number of benefits which include;

• Enrolment into an excellent pension scheme, offering Employer's contribution

of up to 10% of salary

• 24 days holiday, increasing to 26 after 2 years' service, and 29 days after 3 years' service, plus public holidays

• Work place benefits such as payment of flu vaccinations, eye tests and option for Payroll Giving

• Access to an online wellness portal, including Employees Assistance Programme

• Discount offers at over 800 retailers

• Access to a private 24 hour GP service

For further information or a full job description, call or email Lucinda Douglas,

Regional Director on 07917 582743 or Lucinda.douglas@cla.or.uk

Application process

We would love to hear from applicants from a wide range of career backgrounds and experience: we believe that greater diversity can only strengthen us as a team. To apply please send a covering letter, setting out how you meet the criteria and CV to recruitment@cla.org.uk by Friday 8th July.

Are you passionate and have knowledge about rural affairs? Are you interested in influencing policy and believe change is possible? Do you enjoy working with other people and are willing to learn? Perhaps you want to move away from the world of fee earning targets and timesheets?

The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) is a dynamic, forward thinking membership organisation for owners of land, property and rural businesses, who has been championing the interests of rural England and Wales for over 100 years. CLA members own or manage around half the rural land in England and Wales and more than 250 different types of businesses.

We are now looking for an Surveyor to join us at an incredibly exciting and pivotal time for the rural sector, and start, or continue, their rural advisory/surveying journey to advise members, work on policy issues affecting the South West of England and support the delivery of all CLA activities in the region.

With the adaption to a new agriculture policy in England underway, and the continued challenges of Covid-19, this role is a fantastic opportunity to play an integral part in supporting CLA members to navigate the challenges they face, highlight opportunities to help them thrive, and lobby on their behalf.

The ideal person will:

• Be positive and have willingness and energy to engage in a variety of new subjects

• Genuinely want to make a difference by helping farmers, landowners and rural businesses and influencing policy

• Enjoy working with rural communities and building professional relationships

• Have a broad appreciation of rural issues

• Have excellent verbal and written communication skills

• Have a high level of computer literacy

Working closely with the South West team, and advisers across the CLA, you will provide advice, opinion and guidance to CLA members on a range of issues relating to land ownership, occupation, land use and rural business; as well as representing members’ views at stakeholder meetings and contributing to our policy development work. This role will focus in particular on future funding and policy in farming, rural grants, water and designated areas.

The Location, Team, and Working Arrangements

The role is based in Biddestone, near Chippenham in Wiltshire. We operate from a converted stable building set in the rural location which is bright and spacious. On reviewing our ways of working, some flexible working will be available on request but contact time in the office would be required each week, with a requirement to travel across the South West to unique and special landscapes.

You will be working in a small, friendly team, who are very passionate about the organisation and rural affairs in general as well as being part of the CLA’s supportive team of over one hundred highly motivated individuals across England and Wales.

What we can offer

The CLA offers its staff a large number of benefits which include;

• 24 days holiday, increasing to 26 after 2 years' service, and 29 days after 3 years' service

• Employer's pension contribution of up to 10% of salary

• Access to a private 24-hour GP service

• Workplace benefits such as payment of flu vaccinations, eye tests and option for Payroll Giving

• Access to an online wellness portal, including Employees Assistance Programme

• Discount offers at over 800 retailers

For further information on the role or the salary, please call or email Ann Maidment, Regional Director on 07792 097509 / ann.maidment@cla.org.uk.

Application process

RICS and/or CAAV qualification is essential. We welcome applications from a wide variety of individuals who are passionate about the industry and genuinely want to make a difference by influencing policy and guiding and supporting rural businesses. we believe that greater diversity can only strengthen us as a team.

To apply, please send your CV and covering letter to: recruitment@cla.org.uk

Closing Date: Applications will be considered on a rolling basis and so we encourage early application.

Location: Belgravia, London

Contract: Full Time, Fixed Term (6 months)

The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) has been championing the interests of rural England and Wales for over 100 years. We campaign to grow the rural economy, strengthen rural communities and provide a greener future for the next generation – all whilst providing a first class service to our members.

The CLA has an exciting opportunity to join their professional policy and advice team on a 6-month fixed term contract in a policy internship. Rural businesses are at the heart of key policies related to food, farming, forestry, energy and the environment and need to have strong voice in these discussions. The rural economy has the potential to deliver much more with the right policies.

The role will suit a graduate who understands the varied needs of rural businesses and would like to shape future policies. You will have an opportunity to get involved in policy work related to land use, agriculture, forestry and the environment, energy, rural housing and much more, working alongside experienced policy colleagues. The work will include creation of robust evidence, data analysis and development of policies. You will work with the CLA team, CLA members and liaise with a range of government departments. Previous successful applicants have taken up policy roles in Defra and National Trust.

How we work

We offer a friendly working environment in the heart of London, a supportive and passionate team, and a very varied job with opportunities for learning new skills.

You will be expected to uphold the CLA’s values of respect, leadership, teamwork, integrity, and professionalism in everything you do. This will include participating actively in team events and business planning.

The post is office-based, although there are opportunities for flexible working.

What we can offer

The CLA offers its staff a large number of benefits which include;

• Enrolment into an excellent pension scheme, offering Employer's contribution

of up to 10% of salary

• Work place benefits such as payment of flu vaccinations, eye tests and option for Payroll Giving

• Access to an online wellness portal, including Employees Assistance Programme

• Discount offers at over 800 retailers

• Access to a private 24 hour GP service

For further information or a full job description, please call or email Susan Twining, Chief Land Use Policy Adviser on susan.twining@cla.org.uk / 07970 525758.

Application process

We would love to hear from applicants from a wide range of career backgrounds and experience: we believe that greater diversity can only strengthen us as a team. To apply please send a covering letter, setting out how you meet the criteria, and CV to recruitment@cla.org.uk by Thursday 14th July at 10am.

First interviews are due to take place on MS Teams on 21st/22nd July.

Second stage interviews are due to take place in our London office on 27th and 29th July.

If you cannot attend these dates, then please state in your application.