Rural Chartered Estate Manager | Historic Trust | Rochester

A very rare opportunity to join one of the oldest UK charities has arisen to manage the southern estate following it being brought in-house.

Our Client

Since Roman times a bridge has crossed the River Medway at Rochester, and since medieval times the Wardens and Assistants of Rochester Bridge (The Rochester Bridge Trust) have maintained this strategic river crossing. Today the Trust owns and maintains the two road bridges and the service bridge at Rochester, crossings as important for today's traffic and modern life as at any time in our history.

The Rochester Bridge Trust maintains the bridge and wider estate which provide an income for current and future projects.

The estate comprises of prime agricultural land, including arable, livestock, top fruit, grassland, and viticulture, along with wider residential properties which is let to a mix of farm businesses.

The Role

A Rural Surveyor is required to work within the estates' department to manage its southern portfolio and support other activities undertaken by the Trust.

Working with the Chief Estates Officer to ensure the portfolio is managed to the highest standard, the job will include site visits, meetings with tenants, contractors and professional advisers.

This is a full-time role but across 4 days a week with the entire Trust taking every Friday off, mobiles off and laptops closed. In addition to this there is no pressure chasing fees.

The key focus for the Trust long-term sustainability, they may be a charity but there is still a clear-cut need for the income generated from the estate to support the Trust and its activities.

The Candidate

We are looking for a chartered surveyor with estate management experience. Working in a small team adaptability is important with no job too big or small, in return, you are given a fantastic opportunity to work on projects which are usually overlooked because the ROI takes too long.

A keen eye for detail is required with the Trust owning and managing a large number of historic records which are still used to this day.

This would suit anyone who wants a role where the primary focus is the right thing for the estate, you're not looking for short-term results, you're not chasing fees to please your manager. One example of this is a current project to acquire some land to plant trees to become a carbon neutral operation by 2025.

How to Apply

There is a great salary on offer and package to match and will be in line with experience. This a full-time position worked over Monday to Thursday with the office closed on Fridays. Job shares will also be considered for the right candidate.

In addition, the Trust is part of the local government pension scheme which will be hard to beat anywhere else.

We are handling all initial enquired around the role so if you would like to discuss the role in more detail or other opportunities MorePeople has please contact Tim on 01780 480 530 or Tim@morepeople.co.uk