About the job

Job summary

This position can be based at Crewe or Manchester  

Job description

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 

Job description  

The Role 

This role will be based in Cheshire to Lancashire Area Team and will help to deliver Natural England’s vision for Nature Recovery across the North West of England, through leading on our Protected Sites work.

Our Area 

From the Dee, Mersey & Ribble estuaries to Morecambe Bay we work in partnership to support internationally important coastal habitats and bird populations and sustain a coastal nature recovery network. The Sefton Coast holds our ‘Super’ Ainsdale & Ribble National Nature Reserve where work with partners, Citizen Scientists, and volunteers, through programmes such as Dynamic Dunescapes. In the marine environment we focus on marine protected areas and advice on off-shore developments, and on the coast we are working with the Environment Agency to combine coastal defences with nature based solutions.

We are creating a flourishing landscape across the Forest of Bowland and West Pennines that is a source of pride, rural employment, access and enjoyment across blanket bog, heathland, flushes and species-rich grassland supporting important populations of upland breeding birds. This includes restoration of our blanket bog with the Lancashire Peat Partnership, Moors for the Future and Forest of Bowland AONB, using funding such as the Nature for Climate fund, Water Company Investment and agri-environment schemes.

Working with partners to support nature recovery in the City Regions of Liverpool and Greater Manchester, we are increasing investment for nature recovery to provide benefits for people, including embedding nature recovery into Local Plans and strategies. We are working with partners to develop urban National Nature Reserves across the Great Manchester Wetlands, with a brand new NNR at the Flashes of Wigan and Leigh, and largescale peatland restoration in the Mosslands of Salford, Warrington and Wigan using green finance.

In the wetland landscape of the Meres and Mosses, the rolling hills of the Sandstone Ridge and key rivers of the Dee, Mersey and Weaver, we are creating a resilient landscape for wildlife and people, especially in the Lost Wetlands Nature Recovery Project. We are doing this through Natural Course partnership work and more sustainable management of large estates. We are also considering a new AONB designation for the landscape of the Cheshire Sandstone Ridge.

Protected Sites Senior Advisor
  
This opportunity in the Cheshire to Lancashire Area Team is for someone with a proven track record, both in delivering protected sites work on individual sites and in connecting sites with their surrounding landscapes to achieve bigger, better and more joined up environmental outcomes.

The role will provide inspirational leadership and management of our nature recovery work on protected sites that target ours and partner’s interventions to places where we can achieve the biggest long term environmental improvements.  Ensuring that how we do this aligns with Natural England’s Action Plan in delivering Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan (25 YEP) and Environmental Improvement Plan. And in doing this, role modelling Natural England’s ways of working.

We are seeking individuals 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. 

You will work both as a team with a range of staff in local and national teams and have the ability to operate as an individual; You will lead the Area Teams Protected Sites work and cultivate effective working relationships that can make a real difference in the natural environment. 

Key tasks and responsibilities:

• Lead and manage the embedding of protected sites reforms, including the transition to whole feature assessment, the evolving approach to monitoring specifications, and reforms in how Natural England handles protected sites casework.
• Working collaboratively with the Cheshire to Lancashire Leadership Team, the Protected Sites Senior Adviser will support Team Leaders in guiding our land managers and advisers to deliver priority environmental outcomes.
• Work with Team to develop, and then lead implementation of the Area Team proactive protected sites work as part of our delivery against the organisational KPIs. Enabling a strategic approach to maximising our SSSI interventions to deliver condition as part of establishing a Nature Recovery Network.
• Lead our engagement with key national networks, ensuring a strong 2-way conversation between the Area and other National and Area Teams. Through this and other routes actively seek opportunities to share and bring back learning on how other teams are maximising environmental outcomes through their protected sites.
• Undertaking site visits across Cheshire to Lancashire Area linked to delivery of protected sites outcomes, including working with partners and supporting staff when undertaking condition assessments, advising on the outcomes needed, or in handling high risk/complex casework.
• Lead on the development of one of the Area Teams Nature Recovery areas, along with colleagues from the area team, seeking maximum benefits for nature recovery within that place.

We are looking for someone with a combination of technical skills.

• Applicants should have a relevant degree in an environmental discipline/ conservation or significant practical experience of working in the environmental sector. A broad understanding of England’s biodiversity commitments along with knowledge of relevant European Directives, associated UK/England Regulations, including the legislation relating to protected sites, especially Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
• Excellent project management skills and the ability to inspire, motivate and work in co-operation with others are essential.
• Understand and be able to engage with stakeholders and partners from a wide variety of organisations to provide effective leadership to collaborative working.
• Good communication skills including the ability to explain technical information to a range of audiences. Competence in the use of IT, including ability to work with spreadsheets, databases & presentation packages.
• The role will require travel to sites. A driving licence is essential for the role. The role will include a mixture of working in offices, on site, and home working.  

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 our staff 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 geographical area. Full time staff are expected to attend their associated office for a minimum of one day a week.

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

Pay

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

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 
• Creating Resilient Landscapes and Seas
• Personal Effectiveness
• Putting People at the Heart of the Environment 
• 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.

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.

If you are successful at the shortlisting stage, you will be invited to attend an interview via MS Teams or a suitable alternative, where you will be asked to give examples for all five competencies as set out in the Job Description.

Successful candidates will be allocated roles in merit order based on scores achieved at interview and in accordance with location preferences, taking into account the work area to which successful candidates are most suited, wherever possible.

Competencies

 

Competence 1   

Professional competency

 

Detail   

Technical Skills (STAR format optional)

 

Description   

• Understanding and experience of delivering reactive and proactive protected sites work, both at the site level and in the wider landscape.
  • Experience of assessing the condition of key habitats, for example, woodland, species rich grassland, heathland, and the provision of management advice.

 

Competence 2   

Professional competency

 

Detail   

Creating Resilient Landscapes and Seas

 

Description   

• Identify how a site interacts with the surrounding landscape, habitats and species (practitioner).
  • Use an ecosystems approach to deliver a resilient environment (practitioner)

 

Competence 3   

Professional competency

 

Detail   

Personal Effectiveness

 

Description   

• Be ambitious, identify and adopt ways to make improvements in your team and Natural England and inspire others to act (practitioner).
  • Share expertise and knowledge with people and networks so that you can develop together (practitioner).

 

Competence 4   

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

 

Competence 5   

Professional competency

 

Detail   

Work Delivery

 

Description   

• Handle data responsibly, understand your role in good governance, and comply with delegations, policies and procedures (practitioner).
  • See the big picture so you can set your team’s work within the context of the organisation’s vision, mission and aims, and help them understand how their work relates to and supports this (practitioner).

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £36,098, Natural England contributes £9,782 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.