About the job

Job summary

This position is based in Leeds and York

Job description

The team  

Do you have a passion for nature and the environment? Do you want to make a real difference and secure significant environmental gains in the present and the future? Do you enjoy working in a team? Can you see yourself advising communities and customers to maximise gains for the Natural Environment? 

If this appeals to you, a career at Natural England offers rewarding opportunities to secure environmental improvements and play your part in creating a better future for people and nature. 

The priority work Natural England is delivering includes:

• Establishing a Nature Recovery Network to help wildlife thrive,
• Monitoring environmental changes to identify and help reduce the effects of climate change,
• Working with farmers and landowners to develop greener food production methods,
• Advising on plans for new developments to maximise gains for nature,
• Providing ways for people to better connect with nature, including green social prescribing.

We are the Government’s advisor for the natural environment, playing a vital role in delivering the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan, an ambitious vision which brings new opportunities to protect and enhance and to achieve real outcomes for the environment.

Find out more about the work of Natural England at: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/natural-england

Natural England’s Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire Area Team  covers West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, East Riding North Lincolnshire and North east Lincolnshire. Our main offices are in York and Leeds.

We are one of the largest local delivery team in Natural England and are responsible for protecting the natural environment from the uplands, lowland and sea. Stretching from  the  Pennines/Dales to the Yorkshire Coast. Incorporating  2 National Park and 3 AONBs. This area contains a range of rare habitats which are critical for biodiversity for both the United Kingdom and Europe. With the proximity to centres of population, we have the opportunity to promote greater connection with nature for all the benefits it brings.

Job description

Description of the Farm and Land Management Adviser Role

Driving nature recovery through farm advice within the Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire Area Team.  Achieving the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan objectives for nature recovery and the Environmental Improvement Plan targets are dependent on greener farming.  Our advice supports farmers and other land managers build long-term capability to deliver environmental public goods such as net zero, access, biodiversity, clean air and water.

The need for advice to help farmers and land managers has never been greater or more urgent.  As a Farm and Land Management Adviser you will have a key role in helping land managers through the agricultural transition period, including advising on agri-environment schemes and supporting agreement holders to deliver more for nature recovery.  Our advice role is continuing to evolve in response to new opportunities and challenges, for example, new schemes, and emerging priorities such as air quality, flood risk mitigation, net zero and wider carbon management.

As a Natural England Farm and Land Management Adviser, you will have a unique mix of knowledge and skills including an up-to-date understanding of farming systems, land management, the regulations and incentives that underpin them, and how they come together to help farmers and land managers deliver public goods.  You will also be expert at bringing people together and building consensus to deliver nature-based solutions for the most challenging problems.

This role will focus on working with famers and land managers using a range of tools from our Agri-Environment and Catchment Sensitive Farming programmes.

The role-holder will also work with partner organisations, the agricultural industry, and colleagues from the Defra group to build our capabilities to deliver a range of environmental priority outcomes for NE. 

All Farm and Land Management advisers will have the opportunity to enrol in a structured training programme. 

Key Tasks:

As a Farm and Land Management Adviser working in Natural England your role would be varied and include:

• Engage with farmers and land managers, and those who influence them, to drive forward nature recovery, providing advice, specialist training (own or procured through contractors) and signposting and encouraging opportunities such as Countryside Stewardship, Sustainable Farming Incentive, Slurry Investment Grant, Biodiversity Net Gain and Green Finance.
• Evaluate and understand environmental priorities within the specified geographies, using national data validated locally.
• Undertake 1:1 site visits, events, and communications to pro-actively engage with land managers and partners to improve environmental outcomes through farming practice.
• Work with partners and stakeholders to identify and deliver shared objectives.
• Deliver mitigations and secure environmental improvements through agri-environment schemes such as Countryside Stewardship & Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI).
• Support existing Countryside Stewardship and SFI agreement holders to maximise the environmental outcomes from their schemes.
• Work with the Environmental Training Advice and Facilitation Framework (ETAFF) Contract Manager to provide timely information for tenders for group events and farm advice. Conduct quality control to agreed processes and deadlines.
• Record interactions and advice given. Monitor the effectiveness of engagement with farmers and landowners.
• Working with farmers and landowners to improve water quality alongside long-term sustainable food production/agricultural transition and natural flood management.

Frequent farm and site visits, and partnership working are required. The post holder will be required as part of regular, day-to-day work to visit farms and walk over fields and around farm buildings within the geography of the relevant area.  Sometimes this may be in inclement weather conditions.

There are development opportunities within this role which include industry recognised qualifications such as Basis Soil and Water, Fertiliser Advisers Certification and Training Scheme (FACTS) etc.

It is essential that the post holder has a current, valid, full UK driving licence. Some national travel may be required, which might involve overnight stays.

Competencies

Competence 1

Professional competency

Technical Skills and Knowledge

(There is no requirement to use STAR format to demonstrate this competency, but please provide evidence of your experience)

• Experience in providing land management advice and being able to communicate effectively with farmers and other land managers and persuade them to deliver environmental outcomes.
  
  
• Good level of agricultural knowledge and agri-environment schemes.
  
  
• Good ecological understanding to assess opportunities for environmental improvements and understand how these relate to the priorities in the area to deliver effective nature recovery advice and / or good knowledge of agricultural water and air pollution and the measures to mitigate these as well as identifying opportunities for natural flood management on farmland.
  
  
• The ability to gain technical understanding and knowledge quickly over an agreed timetable.
  
  
• Basic knowledge of mapping and GIS software

Competence 2 

Professional competency

Personnel Effectiveness

Personal Effectiveness (Practitioner)

• Use clear and appropriate language, communication styles and techniques that engage your audience. (Basic)
  
  
• Share expertise and knowledge with people and networks so that you can develop together (Practitioner)
  
  
• Make and explain objective decisions which combine your professional judgement and evidence. (Practitioner)

Competence 3

Professional competency

Work Delivery

• Manage and deliver your work to meet agreed targets and deadlines. (Practitioner)
  
  
• Handle data responsibly, understand your role in good governance, and comply with delegations, policies, and procedures. (Practitioner)

Competence 4

Professional competency

Creating Resilient Landscapes and Seas

• Understand and use appropriate agri-environment schemes and other interventions to contribute to a healthy natural environment that benefits people and the economy (Basic)
  
  
• Identify appropriate solutions for avoidance, mitigation, compensation of environmental impacts and meeting shared outcomes; and identify opportunities for enhancing the natural environment (Practitioner)
  
  
• Understand and apply appropriate management techniques to maintain or enhance the condition of sites (Practitioner)

Contact for further Information

Tom Keatley

Tel:  07788 418428

tom.keatley@naturalengland.org.uk

Mark Taylor

Tel:  +447900657078

mark.taylor2@naturalengland.org.uk

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £29,318, Natural England contributes £7,945 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

Please refer to Job Description

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.