About the job

Job summary

This position is based in Bristol

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

The Wessex Area looks after the natural environment across Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire and the West of England.

Wessex is made up of diverse and rich landscapes, we have upland heaths and mires on Exmoor, wetlands on the Somerset Levels; woodlands and extensive plains on the surrounding hills; the unique Severn Estuary; chalk grasslands and rivers in Wiltshire and Dorset; heaths, harbours, and rich marine habitats off the Dorset coast; all vital for wildlife and much-loved by people.

We work with a wide range of people and organisations to take the action required to rebuild a sustainable environment in support of the Governments 25 Year Environment Plan and net zero commitments.

We have staff based in offices at: Bridgwater, Bristol, and Dorchester.

Job description 

The need for advice to help farmers and land managers has never been greater or more urgent. Achieving the Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan targets are dependent on greener farming.

We are looking for motivated individuals to work with farmers, landowners, land managers and organisations in partnership to secure positive environmental outcomes and to help to build the Nature Recovery Network across the Wessex area.

We are seeking people with a range of knowledge, skills and experience covering habitat management, species management, agricultural practices, land management, and negotiation to provide comprehensive technical advice on conservation and nature recovery.

As a Farm Adviser, you will have a key role in supporting farmers and land managers to take positive action for nature this could include-

• advice on new Countryside Stewardship applicants and other related schemes
• support existing agreement holders to deliver more for nature recovery, initially focussing on our Catchment Sensitive Farming or Agri-Environment programmes.

 Advisers will also work with partners to take action to recover the condition of our most valuable sites for nature.

Our advice role is continuing to evolve in response to new opportunities and challenges, so we will support post holders to grow their skills to cover new agricultural incentive schemes, and emerging priorities such as air quality, flood risk mitigation, net zero and green finance.

We are looking for candidates with a mix of skills and knowledge, including an understanding of conservation management and farming systems. And candidates who can bring people together and build consensus to co-design solutions for the most challenging problems. Working at pace within a supportive and collaborative environment you will have the opportunity to contribute and develop your skills to a wide variety of areas.

 Key Tasks/Principal Accountabilities

The key tasks of successful candidates could include the following:

• Building and support collaborative relationships and partnerships of farmers/land owners and stakeholders to identify environmental opportunities
• working with farmers and landowners to advise on how they manage their land in a sustainable way for the benefit of the natural environment
• Identifying opportunities to drive forward nature recovery
• Undertake site visits, events, and communications to engage with land managers & delivery partners to improve environmental outcomes through farming practice.
• Support existing Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship agreement holders to maximise the environmental outcomes from their schemes.
• Deliver mitigations and secure environmental improvements though the appropriate agri-environment schemes
• Providing advice in relation to ongoing and new opportunities such as Environmental Land Management schemes, Slurry Investment Grant, England Woodland Creation Offer, green finance including emerging carbon markets, and Biodiversity Net Gain.
• Work with farmers and land managers to deliver improvements to the condition of habitats and species on Protected Sites, and monitoring of the condition of these sites

 Benefits

Wherever possible Natural England accommodates requests for both full-time and part-time hours and other flexible working patterns to help employees achieve a good work/life balance and maintain their health and wellbeing.

Natural England provides excellent opportunities for career progression, training and development tailored to your role. From induction to ongoing learning and development, everyone in Natural England is supported to develop their skills and capabilities. Everyone has 10 days to devote to personal learning and development, as well as an additional 3 days to volunteer.

You will have access to Civil Service Pension and benefits arrangements and generous leave allowances (33 day per year pro rata), as well as flexible working, to help you achieve a work-life balance that works for you and us.

You will have access to a range of benefits including discounts on shopping vouchers, cycle to work scheme, and childcare vouchers. You can also join the Civil Service Sport club which offer discounts on a range of sports and leisure opportunities as well as social events.

Natural England is a fantastic place to work, where difference is celebrated.

We’re committed to fairness and equality for all, so you feel valued for who you are and what you do. Our shared values help us work together to benefit the communities we serve. Our thriving employee-led diversity networks support our inclusive culture and contribute to our Diversity Action Plan.

Locations

Natural England is adopting hybrid working – which means that our staff will work from a flexible range of locations, encompassing home, offices (ours and our partners) and relevant sites. All new staff will be formally linked to one of our 25 offices across England and the expectation is that all new staff will be able to access their local office to be part of the community of staff in their geographic area. Staff members are required to carry out all their duties working in this way and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time. Travel expenses will be paid if work related travel is required but does not apply to travel between home and your associated office.

National team roles can be linked with any Natural England office while Area Team roles will be linked with an office in the relevant geographic area.

View a map of our office locations here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/natural-england-office-locations

How to Apply

We welcome and encourage applications from all communities. Natural England is accredited to the Disability Confident Scheme, which denotes organisations which have a positive attitude towards disabled people. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum requirements for the role at the shortlisting stage are guaranteed an invitation to interview.

If you require a reasonable adjustment at interview, or there is anything else you would like the panel to take into consideration, you should notify us of this at application stage where possible, or well in advance of your interview. This vacancy uses competency-based assessment. We’ll assess you against the competencies below during the selection process:

• Technical Skills & Knowledge
• Putting people at the Heart
• Personal Effectiveness
• Work Delivery

When completing the application form you should present relevant examples using the STAR format. Give us an example of how you have demonstrated the competency (which can be work related or from another area of your life) and tell us about the Situation, the specific Task you had to undertake, the specific Actions you took, and the Result (both immediate and in a wider context) of your doing so. Examples should be given in no more than 250 words for each competency.

Competencies

Competence 1 

Professional competency

Detail 

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

Description 

• A relevant degree (e.g. geography, environmental studies, planning, ecology) or alternative qualification and/or suitable relevant experience, please specify. (Essential)
  
• Understand and apply relevant environmental legislation, policy and governance frameworks to their work. (Essential)
  
• Good ecological understanding, enabling you to assess environmental opportunities on farm and understand how these relate to the priorities in the area to deliver effective nature recovery advice
  
• Good level of agricultural knowledge and understanding agricultural incentives
  
• The ability to identify and mitigate farming practices that can cause water and air pollution. (Desirable)
  
• Experience in providing on farm advice and being able to communicate effectively with farmers and persuade them to deliver environmental outcomes
  
• The ability to gain technical understanding and knowledge quickly over an agreed timetable. (Essential)

Competence 2 

Professional competency

Detail 

Putting People at the Heart

Description 

• Listen to and understand our diverse partners and customers so that you achieve the best outcomes for them and the organisation you represent. (Practitioner)
  
• Work proactively and collaboratively with stakeholders and partners to identify and secure opportunities to deliver gains for people and nature. (Practitioner)

Competence 3 

Professional competency

Detail 

Personal Effectiveness

Description 

• Use clear and appropriate language, communication styles and techniques that engage your audience. (Basic)
  
• Be ambitious, identify and adopt ways to make improvements in your team and throughout the organisation, and inspire others to act. (Practitioner)

Competence 4 

Professional competency

Detail 

Work Delivery

Description 

• 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)

 

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.