Application Pack
LEARNING & PARTICIPATION OFFICER
Cricklepit Mill
Commercial Road
Exeter
Devon
EX2 4AB
01392 279244
APPOINTMENT OF SEATON JURASSIC LEARNING & PARTICIPATION OFFICER
BACKGROUND
Seaton Jurassic is a £4 million project that will engage tens of thousands of people with
East Devon's unique geological, coastal and marine heritage and attract a range of new
visitors to the town of Seaton. It will be by far the most ambitious interpretation facility on
the Devon part of the Jurassic Coast.
The main focus of the project is the construction of a highly engaging, interactive visitor
centre with café and retail facilities. It will use an iconic design, immersive interpretation
and strong links to the wider landscape to tell the unique and powerful story of the geology
and marine ecology of the Jurassic Coast - England's first Natural World Heritage Site.
The centre itself will be an impressive, environmentally sustainable building. Its location is
ideal, being adjacent to the Seaton Tramway and the Seaton Wetlands. The offer will be
hinged on:
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Exciting interpretation: the “greatest story on earth”, interpreted using the principles of
immersion, authenticity, participation and entertainment.
A variety of formal and informal activities, throughout the year, indoors and outdoors,
and aimed at a wide range of audiences and learning styles.
Community ownership, with hundreds of volunteers helping to run the Centre, bring the
stories to life and lead activities and events.
A warm welcome: an exceptional level of friendly service, putting the needs of our
customers first and taking account of mobility and special needs.
A high quality, distinctive food offer at reasonable prices.
The Centre is expected to cater for over 50,000 visitors per annum with a turnover of
approximately £500,000. But it is much more than just a commercial operation; we aim to
regenerate Seaton and change the mind-sets of those who visit the Centre.
Outside the main building will be an enclosed area with wildlife gardens, play areas and
interactive exhibits. Further afield there will be four interpretation “hotspots” located in and
around Seaton, designed to encourage people to explore the area around the Centre. A
varied programme of events and activities will enhance project interpretation and extend its
reach even further.
Partnership and community “ownership” are central to the project. The Centre will be
owned by East Devon District Council, operated by Devon Wildlife Trust and advised by the
Natural Seaton Partnership, with strong representation from the local community. We aim
to recruit at least 100 volunteers to help run the site.
The centre is operated by the Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT), via a trading subsidiary Devon
Wildlife Services (DWS). The DWS is the principal employer for all the centre staff.
The Devon Wildlife Trust is a charity that exists to protect and enhance Devon’s wildlife and
natural environment. DWT is one of 47 Trusts which together make up The Wildlife Trusts,
a national partnership of independent local Trusts active in all aspects of wildlife
conservation. DWT is one of the larger Trusts.
The Learning and Participation Officer will oversee the delivery of the Centre’s formal and
informal learning activities and lead the planning and delivery of other activities and events.
The focus of this role is delivery and development. It is anticipated that the postholder will
spend at least 50% of their time delivering events and education sessions. The other time
will be spend on organising events and developing new materials, as well as liaising with
schools and other education groups This new role is a great opportunity to get involved
with the start-up of Seaton Jurassic and shape the learning programme for the Centre.
THE JOB
1. Job Purpose
To plan and deliver the Seaton Jurassic Learning programme and other activities or events.
2. Dimensions
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This post is a full-time (37.5 hours per week) permanent role based at Seaton Jurassic.
Member of the Seaton Jurassic team and line managed by the Centre Manager.
Responsible for managing Events and Education volunteers.
The postholder has no line management responsibility for paid staff.
The postholder has budgetary responsibility for circa £5,000 to £10,000 per annum.
The postholder has responsibility for ensuring income targets are met.
This post may require a DBS check.
3. Principal Accountabilities
The most important tasks that the postholder will be expected to undertake in his/her day to
day work are: 
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Leads the planning and delivery of the Seaton Jurassic learning programme including
both formal and informal activities and events;
Liaising with DWT education staff and schools regarding the design and delivery of
relevant education programmes;
Responsible for marketing learning activities to schools and youth groups and taking
bookings;
Ensuring growth in learning and participation events in line with annual budget targets;
Lead the planning and delivery of the Seaton Jurassic activities and events programme
as required;
Commissioning design and print work for materials and advertising;
Working closely with the Volunteer Officer on the management of volunteers to ensure
the successful delivery of external events and directly supervising events and education
volunteers;
Ensuring that all activities run with children and young people meet the Centre’s Child
Welfare and Health and Safety requirements;
Ensuring that activities and events are properly evaluated and collating findings for
management and funder reports.
In the course of delivering this work the postholder will need to have regard to:  Champion the Centre’s standards and values;
 Promoting the work of DWT and encourage DWT memberships, recruitment and
support;
 The need to undertake other tasks as reasonably requested.
4. Person Specification
Skills & attributes
Knowledge &
qualifications
Experience
Essential
Good communication skills;
written and verbal
Excellent interpersonal skills
and ability to build
relationships with a wide
variety of people
Flexible attitude to work,
able to work as a member of
a team
Self-motivated and well
organised, able to work on
own initiative
Demonstrable ability to
communicate to diverse
audiences, individuals and
groups
Good IT skills and familiar
with Microsoft Office
applications
Level 3 or equivalent
qualification in a relevant
subject or equivalent
previous experience
Relevant vocational
certificates, for example,
First Aid, Child protection
Background knowledge of
the education sector
understanding of current
government initiatives and
curriculum programmes
Event organisation and
promotion
Previous experience of
delivering education
programmes
Background in developing
and delivering public
awareness events
Desirable
Project management
experience
Able to inspire and engender
support for environmental
conservation from a wide
range of audiences
Teaching qualification
Full driving licence
Background in developing
and delivering environmental
awareness events
Previous experience of
volunteer management
Experience of working in
and with formal and informal
partnerships
Proven commitment to
diversity and inclusion
5. Reporting Structure
The postholder reports to the Centre Manager and will work closely with all staff and
volunteers at the Centre. There are no formal line management responsibilities for this role.
However, the postholder will work with a number of volunteers and supervise the events
and education volunteers supporting the delivery of activities and events.
6. Working Relationships
Internally the postholder will work closely with:
 Visitors to Seaton Jurassic
 Colleagues and volunteers within the Centre
 DWT’s teams delivering education and central functions
Externally the postholder will build relationships with:
 Schools
 Booked artist and performers
BRIEF SUMMARY OF TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT
You will be employed by Devon Wildlife Services (DWS).
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Location: the post is based at Seaton Jurassic in Seaton.
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Salary is circa £17,000 to £20,000 full-time working (37.5 hours a week).
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Working hours are 37.5 hours per week within the opening hours of Seaton Jurassic
and includes working weekends.
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Holidays: 33 days of paid leave to include your entitlement to Bank Holidays. You will
be expected to work on Bank Holidays.
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Travel: all reasonable travel costs incurred as part of the job will be reimbursed within
DWS's approved rates.
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Benefits: DWS contributes 3% of salary to a personal pension scheme (following a
three month postponement period).
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Probationary period: the appointment will be subject to a three-month probationary
period.
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Notice period: during the probationary period, notice will be one week by either
party. On satisfactory completion of the probationary period this will increase to one
month by either party.
RECRUITMENT PROCESS
DWS’s recruitment and selection process aims to select the applicant whose qualifications,
experience, knowledge and abilities most closely match the requirements of the post as set
out in the Person Specification.
How to Apply
To apply for this post please complete the attached application form and send to Samantha
Little at the address below or alternatively e-mail your application to
jobapps@devonwildlifetrust.org. This should be accompanied by a covering letter of not
more than two sides of A4 which you should use to demonstrate how you meet the
requirements of experience, knowledge and skill as set out above. You may submit a CV
but the application form must be completed in full. Please mark your letter ‘private’.
Samantha Little
Devon Wildlife Trust
Cricklepit Mill
Exeter
Devon
EX1 4AB
The deadline for receipt of applications is 03 January 2016
Interviews
There will be a two stage interview process; first stage interviews will take place on
Monday 11 January and second stage interviews will take place Tuesday 19 January.
will be able to take up the post from the 29 February 2016.
The interview panel is normally made up of two or three people. The purpose of the
interview is to allow us to ask questions to expand on the information which you have
provided on your application form so that we can make a judgement on the extent to which
you meet, or exceed, the selection criteria for the post. We aim to do this objectively and
fairly and the questions we ask will be specifically aimed to test the selection criteria.
If selected for interview you will be required to present documentary evidence to confirm
qualifications identified in your application.
If you have not heard from us by Friday 8 January please assume that we will not be
calling you for interview.
Thank you for your interest in Seaton Jurassic.