Rural Land Manager

Rural Land Manager

About Environment Bank

At Environment Bank, we're working together to help restore natural habitats across England. With thousands of acres of new habitat creation already underway, our projects are delivering biodiversity gains and helping vital ecosystems to recover and flourish.

Our diverse team includes ecologists, land managers, habitat specialists, geospatial analysts, planning advisors, account managers, digital creatives, legal experts, and more.

From our habitat specialists to our sales and marketing teams, everyone at Environment Bank is a champion for our values, working towards our goal of reversing biodiversity loss.

Environment Bank is a market-leading organisation in a sector that's experiencing rapid growth. We've already built a highly skilled team of experts and we're actively looking to expand our team in the coming months.

About the role

At Environment Bank, we're looking for a Rural Land Manager to help grow our network of Habitat Banks across the South of England. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with a background in rural surveying, estate management or land agency who enjoys building trusted relationships, negotiating land deals and identifying opportunities that deliver long-term value.

Working closely with farmers, landowners and rural agents, you'll identify and secure land for Habitat Banks, guiding opportunities from initial conversations through to agreement and supporting their successful delivery. Combining commercial awareness with a strong understanding of the rural sector, you'll play a key role in helping landowners unlock new income opportunities while contributing to the recovery of nature across England.

Reporting into the regional Land team, you'll collaborate with colleagues across Ecology, Habitat Delivery, Legal and Finance to bring projects to life, ensuring every Habitat Bank is commercially viable, operationally successful and delivers lasting environmental outcomes.

This is a relationship-led role that would suit someone who thrives on developing new opportunities, negotiating with confidence and building a strong network across the rural community. You'll regularly engage with farmers, landowners, agents and Local Authorities, acting as a trusted adviser and an ambassador for Environment Bank.

What you'll be doing

• Build and develop a strong regional pipeline of Habitat Bank opportunities by identifying suitable land and developing trusted relationships with landowners, farmers and rural agents.
• Lead commercial discussions with landowners, securing land for Habitat Banks that deliver long-term value for both our partners and the environment.
• Prioritise opportunities based on Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) demand, market intelligence and customer requirements, working closely with our Sales team to ensure projects align with commercial need.
• Lead the due diligence process for prospective sites, working collaboratively with colleagues across Ecology, Project Delivery, Legal and Finance to assess technical, environmental and commercial viability.
• Take ownership of progressing opportunities through our internal governance process, gathering and interpreting market intelligence, planning policy, agri-environment schemes and other key data to support informed investment decisions.
• Work as part of a multidisciplinary project team to bring Habitat Banks to life, supporting habitat design, overseeing capital works and maintaining strong relationships with landowners throughout delivery and ongoing management.
• Manage the planning, consenting and regulatory processes required to establish new Habitat Banks, ensuring projects progress efficiently and compliantly.
• Act as an ambassador for Environment Bank, representing the business at industry events, agricultural shows and networking opportunities, promoting the benefits of Habitat Banks and building lasting relationships across the rural sector.

What we need from you

• Experience of working directly with farmers and landowners, in a professional capacity.
• Experience in rural land management (an advantage, but not essential).
• Preferably possess a working knowledge of Farm Business Tenancies and relevant environmental matters related to rural land management.
• Some understanding of utilising Land Registry and other publicly available legal and land management data sources.
• Project management experience (would be beneficial, especially in the environmental sector).
• MRICS or CAAV is essential.
• Full UK clean driving license and willingness to travel for regional site visits and events.

What we offer

• Performance-based annual bonus up to 10% of salary
• Pension scheme with employer-matched contributions at 6% of salary
• 30 days of annual leave, plus paid bank holidays, birthday, and wellbeing day
• Option to purchase 5 additional days of annual leave after probation
• Remote and hybrid flexible working options
• Regional and departmental team co-working days
• Expenses-paid whole company meet twice a year
• Team fundraising and charity events
• Ongoing career development with training and mentoring
• Medical cash back scheme to cover everyday healthcare costs
• Employee assistance mental wellbeing support
• Enhanced sickness pay allowance