About the job

Job summary

This position can be based at  The Norfolk Broads NNR

Job description

This is a reserve-based role, based in Natural England's Norfolk & Suffolk Area Team. The successful candidate will be based at Bure Marshes National Nature Reserve (NNR) and will be part of a small team working across Bure Marshes, Ludham & Potter Heigham, Calthorpe Broad, Winterton Dunes and Paston Great Barn NNRs. Working as part of the Broads NNRs management team, you will be expected to be flexible, working largely outdoors, on-site, at all times of the year. The role may also occasionally require working on other NNRs across Norfolk & Suffolk.

Working as part of the NNR team, you will help deliver high quality reserve and habitat management, and safely maintain visitor and reserve infrastructure across some of the Norfolk Broad’s most valuable wetland and wildlife sites. During the summer months you will also work at Hoveton Great Broad Nature Trail - one of the Norfolk & Suffolk NNR team’s most valuable visitor sites. It is accessible by water only, and open daily from April to October. Here you will offer exceptional visitor experience, helping visitors to enjoy and understand the site. You will assist with developing and delivering outstanding public engagement through on-site events, helping to grow new champions for nature. You will also play a key role in safely maintaining the Trail’s interpretation and visitor infrastructure.

Job description   

Location: This position is based at Broads NNRs Reserve Office Ferry Road Woodbastwick NR13 6HN. You will be working in the Norfolk and Suffolk Area Team.

Job summary:

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

Role description:

• Working with the NNR team to manage and maintain the Broads NNRs, aligning with reserve management plans.
• Deliver high standards of visitor engagement and visitor facilities management, ensuring visitors to the Hoveton Great Broad Nature Trail enjoy a positive nature experience.
• Address day-to-day issues efficiently, including assisting with invasive species management and on reserve undesirable activities.
• Supervise volunteer groups undertaking practical reserve management tasks and contribute to monitoring and survey work.
• Liaise with graziers and contractors to help promote effective reserve management.
• Collaborate with colleagues, contributing to public engagement activities.
• Prioritize your workload and adapt to changing circumstances across multiple sites.
• Safely lead practical habitat management tasks, participate in public events, and engage in social media activities.
• Communicate with communities, stakeholders, and provide support to the Senior Reserve Manager.
• Help promote the Trail through communication activities.
• Take responsibility for your own and colleagues health and safety and assist other reserve staff with health and safety management e.g. risk assessment, maintaining servicing records.
• Contribute to the delivery of Natural England’s 25 Year Environment Plan objectives.

 

The candidate will:

• Be willing to work weekends and evenings, especially during the Trail’s opening period where it is open 7 days a week.
• Have a passion for nature and National Nature Reserves (NNRs). A basic knowledge of the key habitats and species would be desirable.
• Be willing and able to work outside in all weathers and in a variety of remote locations.
• Be physically fit as the work involves a range of manual tasks.
• Be able to work as part of a team.
• Have excellent attendance and timekeeping.
• Have a desire to learn more about the reserves and their special features / management.
• Be self-motivated and organised and enthusiastic and used to working without direct supervision, having a confident and innovative approach to developing ideas and projects.
• Be able to ensure the safe working environment for staff, contractors and visitors.
• Have a full UK driving licence.

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.

Pay

It is Natural England policy to employ at the entry point of the salary range.

Natural England is undertaking a review of its current Staff Framework to ensure that it continues to be fit for purpose for the future and able to deliver its ambitions as an organisation. It will enable us to attract, retain, and grow our people to deliver our ambitious mission to build partnerships for nature recovery and provide enriching careers for our people. Role responsibilities will not change as a result of the review, but all roles will be assessed against the new Staff Framework and will be aligned to one of the new 3 Job Families (Shaping, Enabling and Delivering).

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
• Personal Effectiveness
• Putting People at the Heart of the Environment
• Work Delivery
• Working Safely

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.

Please note that STAR format is not required when answering the Technical Skills & Knowledge competency.

Examples should be given in no more than 250 words for each competency.

Competencies

 

Competence 1   

Professional competency

 

Detail   

Technical skills and knowledge

 

Description   

• Good understanding of habitat management, ideally fen and wetland habitats, woodland, coastal heath.
  • Maintenance of estate fabric, including stock and deer fencing, gates, stiles, signs and minor building repairs.
  • A full UK driving licence essential plus LANTRA driving 4x4 vehicles and RYA Powerboat 2 certificates are desirable. Plus at least two further LANTRA/NPTC certificates for using brush cutter, chainsaw, pole-saw and tractor driving.
  • Health and safety: developing and applying risk assessments and task sheets, undertaking safety inspections, record keeping.
  • Basic repair and maintenance of tools and equipment, and safe and efficient running of a workshop.

 

Competence 2   

Professional competency

 

Detail   

Putting people at the heart of the environment

 

Description   

• Understand the importance of people accessing and engaging with the natural environment, and how to balance their needs with nature conservation objectives (basic).
  Listen to and understand our diverse partners and customers so that you achieve the best outcomes for them and Natural England (basic).

 

Competence 3   

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).

 

Competence 4   

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 Natural England and inspire others to act (practitioner).
  • Act with integrity, addressing challenging issues and managing conflict through being open and objective (basic).

 

Competence 5   

Professional competency

 

Detail  

Work delivery

 

Description  

• Manage and deliver your work to meet agreed targets and deadlines (basic).

 

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £23,108, Natural England contributes £6,262 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.