About the job

Job summary

This position is based in Reading

Job description

This position is based at Thursely NNR, Surrey. Site base: The Barn, Lower House Road, Bowlhead Green, Surrey GU8 6NW   

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  

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.   

This role will be based at the Thursley NNR site base in Bowlhead Green. There will be opportunities to work from or attend meetings at offices in the Thames Solent area. View a map of our office locations here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/natural-england-office-locations  

Job description   

This is an exciting opportunity to join Natural England’s National Nature Reserves (NNR) team in Surrey. NNRs play an increasingly important role as places where people can connect with nature and contribute to the recovery of nature in the surrounding landscape.  

This post will focus on Thursley NNR, situated within the Surrey Hills National Landscape. At 325 hectares it is one of the largest remaining fragments of heathland in Surrey, consisting of extensive areas of dry heath, peat bogs, and woodland and is home to many species of rare birds and invertebrates.  

The job requires a combination of technical and practical land management knowledge and a developed understanding of the ecology and management of relevant habitats.  

Thursley NNR is immensely popular, attracting large numbers of visitors. Managing high levels of recreational pressure and the annual threat of wildfires, is therefore a key part of this role, as is the ability to work collaboratively with local communities, visitors, volunteers and partners.  

Thursley NNR sits within a wider landscape of important heathland sites owned and managed by a diverse array of partners. Natural England’s ‘Heathland Connections’ Nature Recovery Project is focussing on this wider landscape and aiming to promote ever closer working to achieve more for nature and for people.  

The successful candidate will be a self-motivated, flexible, organised individual with a genuine interest and experience in: 

• Partnership working 
• Practical conservation management 
• Providing a welcoming and rich visitor experience 
• Using evidence to inform nature conservation management 
• Maintaining the highest health and safety standards 
• Team working 
• Good governance, record management and information handling 

 

Role Description 

The successful candidates will contribute to the work of our team through covering tasks in the following areas: 

• Deliver day-to-day site conservation management including practical habitat management and species/habitat monitoring.  

• Build and maintain working relations with a range of stakeholders engaged in the day-to-day management of the reserve, including landowners, neighbours, partner organisations and community groups. 

• Contribute to NNR management planning and maintain management records. 

• Promote volunteering opportunities and build volunteer capacity to support NNR priorities. 

• Monitor and manage visitor behaviour and patterns of use to support sustainable recreation. 

• Implement Health & Safety standards fully for yourself and others, including visitors, volunteers and contractors. 

• Procurement of goods and services including managing contracts. 

• Support wider team ambitions for NNRs to be at the heart of the Nature Recovery Network in the surrounding landscape. 

 

Additional information 

A Driving Licence is essential for this role. 

Some out of hours working may be required for volunteer management and public engagement for which overtime payments or Time Off In Lieu is available. An allowance is also payable for any out-of-hours ‘on-call’ cover.  

 

How to apply  

This vacancy uses competency-based assessment. When completing the application form you should present relevant examples using the STAR format. STAR stands for: 

• Situation 
• Task 
• Action 
• Result  

We'll assess you against these competencies during the selection process: 

• Technical Skills & Knowledge 
• Creating Resilient Landscapes & Seas 
• Putting People at the Heart of the Environment 
• Working Safely 

A maximum of 250 words is allowed for your response to each competency. The Candidate Information Pack contains useful information to help you with the application – read it before you begin. Please note that STAR format is not required for the ‘Technical Skills and Knowledge’ competency. 

Competencies

 

Competence 1   

Professional competency

 

Detail  

Technical Skills and Knowledge (STAR format not needed for this competency)

 

Description   

Qualification and/or relevant experience in countryside management, forestry, agriculture, landscape management or similar – Essential

Understanding of conservation principles and practice for lowland semi-natural habitats, particularly heathland, wetland, and woodland – Essential

Experience of using land management machinery and equipment relevant to the role e.g. chainsaw, brush-cutter, knapsack sprayers, off-road vehicles, trailers, tractors – Desirable

Ecological field skills including the ability to identify key species on the Reserve; surveying and monitoring – Desirable

 

Competence 2   

Professional competency

 

Detail   

Creating Resilient Landscapes and Seas

Description   

Understand and apply appropriate management techniques to maintain or enhance the condition of sites (Practitioner)

Recognise, identify and interpret environmental features on NNRs (Practitioner)

Carry out and contribute to relevant monitoring work (Practitioner)

 

Competence 3   

Professional competency

 

Detail   

Putting People at the Heart of the Environment

 

Description   

Nurture trusting partnerships and collaborate to achieve pragmatic outcomes that help deliver Natural England’s vision, mission and aims (Basic)

Understand the importance of people accessing and engaging with the natural environment, and how to balance their needs with nature conservation objectives (Basic)

 

Competence 4   

Professional competency

 

Detail   

Working Safely

 

Description   

Understand the duty of care owed to all visitors, contractors or others on our NNRs, and adhere to appropriate legislation and Natural England policies and procedures (Basic)

Apply the principles of risk management and adopt safe working practices for yourself and the people you work with in everything you do (Basic)

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £25,064, Natural England contributes £6,792 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.