Far North Line Sustainable Transport Officer

Duration: Fixed term: 18 months

Hours: Part time (16 hours per week)

Salary: £11,733 (£27,500 per annum pro rata)

Responsible to: Kyle of Sutherland Development Trust (KoSDT) Manager and the Far North Line Community Rail Partnership (FNL CRP) Management Group

Based: Blended – a mixture between working from home, from an office base at The Barn, Ardgay (adjacent to Ardgay Station), and visiting locations along the line

Background:

This post is funded by SSE Renewables and the Foundation for Integrated Transport

The postholder will have the role of working with volunteers and partner organisations to encourage a low carbon economy by the promotion of use of the Far North Line and other sustainable transport solutions specifically for:

• local communities to access work, recreation and further education
• visitors and tourists making place-based visits to communities and gaining insight into local culture & heritage (promoting slow tourism; taking pressure off tourism hot spots and busy road routes)
• local businesses and amenities to promote their attractions alongside advice and publicity on how to reach them by sustainable transport
• greater visitor dispersal through different communities, spreading the benefit of tourism

Role Description:  

This post will work with a range of corporate and individual partners along the Far North Line between Ardgay and Wick/Thurso:

• To develop and promote the Far North Line and other sustainable transport modes in Caithness and Sutherland
• To produce a Line Plan (rail strategy) including a marketing plan for the route for approval by Venture North, Hitrans and ScotRail and deliver the plan on behalf of the FNL CRP
• To actively recruit and support station adoption volunteers for all stations on the route
• To engage additional community support from a wide variety of agencies and then manage community-based projects to support integrated use of all transport modes
• To identify funding bodies (national and local), write and submit bids for improvements to integrated transport and for sustaining the Officer’s programme after the initial 18-month period
• To develop and deliver marketing and press campaigns to promote use of the route

Special Conditions – This post requires some evening and weekend working, sometimes at stakeholder events and conferences, which could be at any location in the UK

Key Tasks:

Develop and deliver a line plan for the FNL CRP that will improve and promote the line and all forms of transport that link with it for the benefit of both local communities and tourists

1. Write detailed reports on the progress of the line plan action plan and present these bi-monthly to the FNL CRP Management Group
2. Recruit and support station adoption volunteers on the route using a variety of media including press campaigns, publications and presentations to groups
3. Plan and evaluate community engagement activities to enable projects to promote the line and increase ridership, working with a variety of partners (i.e. local development trusts & community councils, Venture North, H&I Climate Hub, Flow Country Partnership, RSPB, Friends of the Far North Line, local schools & businesses, Network Rail & ScotRail) to deliver these projects
4. Develop a communications and marketing strategy for the FNL CRP to promote the route including updating and developing the FNL CRP website, working with the train operator and stakeholders to deliver promotional offers and publications that will encourage increased patronage, and proactively writing press releases and responding to press enquiries
5. Manage the FNL CRP budget, including securing annual contributions from FNL CRP partners where appropriate, write reports and briefing papers for funders and other partners
6. Identify funding opportunities and write and submit bids to support the work of the FNL CRP
7. Share good practice on community rail and highlight FNL CRP achievements
8. Represent the FNLCRP at national and local community rail and stakeholder events and conferences and deliver presentations to share learning and good practice on community rail
9. Encourage more integration of the route with bus services, community transport, e-bike hire and work with stakeholders to improve walking and cycling routes accessible from stations 

Person Specification: 

ESSENTIAL

• Experience of partnership working with community groups and stakeholder organisations.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills both written and verbal.
• Have a strong understanding of community led development and be able to engage with all sections of the community, including supporting volunteers.
• Enthusiastic team player with the ability to be work well with others and on own initiative.
• IT skills including compiling and writing reports, using spreadsheets to maintain accounts and using PowerPoint for presentations; competent use of online meeting platforms 

DESIRABLE

• Have an understanding of community and tourism needs across the North Highlands.
• Knowledge of operation of public and community transport and the Community Empowerment Act and how it relates to Community Planning..
• Full, clean driving licence with access to own vehicle for business use

Closing date:1^st September 2024
Interviews: Between 9th – 20th September 2024