About the job

Job summary

This is a National Role

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, and
• Providing ways for people to better connect with nature, including green social prescribing.

We are the Government’s Adviser 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 role

Air pollution is a key threat to our wildlife, habitats and our ambitions for nature recovery. There is widespread recognition of the need to tackle its impacts on the natural environment and many programmes and initiatives to do this, but much more is needed. You will be part of a team that will develop and use the evidence of air quality impacts on biodiversity to help develop and promote solutions.

We are looking for a Senior Specialist in Air Quality who will work with colleagues and partners across England, and beyond. The role offers opportunities to influence policy on the major air quality challenges facing the natural environment, alongside tackling its impacts on protected sites at a local level. You will demonstrate an expert knowledge and understanding of Air Quality science and evidence, along with experience applying this knowledge to issues in the natural environment. You will need the ability to horizon scan to help build the evidence base to inform Natural England’s advice on both government policy and delivery.

The Defra 25 Year Environment Plan and Government’s Clean Air Strategy include a policy priority for cleaner air, to improve health, drive growth, and protect the environment. Government has signed up to challenging targets for five air pollutants under the revised National Ceilings Emissions Directive (NECD), including ammonia and nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

Our air pollution work is focussed especially on the impacts and risks to wildlife and habitats arising from atmospheric emissions of reactive nitrogen and includes building awareness and seeking solutions to other types of air pollution. These emissions may come from point sources (including those regulated by the Environment Agency and Local Authorities) and from diffuse sources such as agriculture and traffic.

Natural England’s role is central to turning air quality strategy and wider environmental quality policy priorities into tangible outcomes for wildlife through our advice and support for delivery. We provide evidence and advice on air pollution effects at the national and local level, e.g., to Defra to support policy making, to pollution regulators and local planning authorities to assist with regulation, and increasingly through the pilot Shared Nitrogen Action Plans in line with the Defra Clean Air Strategy. We also help to address diffuse and unregulated air pollution through our advice to farmers (under Catchment Sensitive Farming and Countryside Stewardship) and have been working closely with Defra on developing strategies to reduce ammonia emissions from agriculture.

This role is an opportunity to proactively lead and provide national expertise on all aspects of Air Quality in England.  Working closely with two other national air quality senior specialists and our Principal Specialist as part of our National Air Quality teamlet, you will interpret evidence to provide expert, practical advice across Natural England, while also working with Defra and external partners to enhance the evidence base and achieve environmental outcomes to support delivery of the 25 Year Environment Plan.

The role will involve some travel and the potential for some fieldwork. A driving licence would be advantageous.

Key tasks and principal accountabilities:

Specific responsibilities will develop and change over time and the post holder will need to maintain a flexible and adaptable attitude and approach.  Initial broad work areas will be drawn from some of the following areas:

• Identify air pollution remedies (solutions) to help maintain and improve protected sites and priority habitats. Keep abreast of new/emerging techniques and determine how this information can be used to inform national (Government) policy and action plans at the local scale.

• Provide technical advice and thought leadership on evidence and evaluation, particularly around appropriate modelling, monitoring and research programmes, contributing to the development of NE’s Air Quality monitoring strategy.

• Maintain and improve NE’s air pollution and ecosystem effects and recovery evidence base by identifying and seeking to fill evidence gaps, disseminating results and ensuring Natural England’s advice on pollution reflects this evidence.

• Help build capability within Area Teams by training and mentoring via internal networks and providing training where appropriate.

• Provide technical expertise to area teams on high-risk casework including planning applications, where appropriate, and help develop and implement strategic solutions for generic air and environmental pollution casework.

• Work closely with NE’s leads in delivering air quality solutions through farm advice (Catchment Sensitive Farming), Shared Nitrogen Action Plans (SNAPs) and current and future agri-environment schemes to facilitate integrated advice on diffuse water pollution and air pollution from agriculture.

• Represent Natural England on external groups and networks e.g. active member of Defra Air Quality and Biodiversity Oversight Group, Inter-Agency Air Pollution Group, Air Quality Technical Advisory Group and National Emissions Ceilings Directive – NECD Defra working group and Defra critical loads project group.

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/ specialist skills and knowledge
• 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 4 competencies as set out in the Job Description.

Recruitment Framework

Competencies

Competence 1

Professional competency

Technical/ specialist skills and knowledge

Description

Qualified to at least BSc level in an ecological or pollution related discipline, with proven knowledge of and experience of air quality work along with strong numerical and analytical skills. Applicants that do not hold the required degrees should specify experience and outputs that they have produced that demonstrate that they have an equivalent level of knowledge.

Able to apply an expert knowledge of different aspects of air quality issues including science and evidence on AQ impacts on the natural environment; understanding of the sources and industries that contribute, including agriculture, how these are assessed and how they interact with other pressures on the environment.

Understanding/ knowledge of the principles of air quality modelling and/or specific tools such as SCAIL (agriculture or combustion) and ADMS/AERMOD, along with how modelling and monitoring evidence is used in decision making, would be advantageous.

Knowledge of the legislative and policy context relevant to air quality and the natural environment, including the protected site series. e.g., Clean Air Strategy, International agreements, 25 Year Environment Plan, Environmental Improvement Plan and the future environmental land management schemes.

Ability to communicate and present data, evidence and analyses in ways that meet people’s needs so they can understand its implications and use it effectively to deliver positive outcomes for the environment.

Competence 2

Professional competency

Personal effectiveness

Description

• Test and challenge others in a constructive and evidence-based way providing scientific scrutiny, challenge and assurance to casework and other delivery that is practical and, where appropriate, cross-disciplinary. (Expert)

• Train, coach and mentor others to increase their capability to deliver the Science Evidence and Evaluation and People strategies and increase the organisation’s technical skill and capability (Practitioner)

• Proactively communicate and present your data, evidence and analyses in ways that meet people’s needs so they can understand its implications and use it effectively to deliver positive outcomes for the environment (Practitioner)

Competence 3

Professional competency

Putting People at the Heart of the Environment

Description

• Nurture trusting partnerships and collaborate to achieve pragmatic outcomes that help deliver the organisation’s vision, mission and aims (Practitioner)

• Listen to and understand our diverse partners and customers so that you achieve the best outcomes for them and the organisation. (Practitioner)

• Build relationships and effective networks both externally and internally to bring in fresh perspectives, approaches and evidence to raise the profile of both your individual specialist work and that of the organisation. (Expert)

Competence 4

Professional competency

Work delivery

Description

• Identify priority evidence needs and seek ways to meet them (e.g. through funding or partnerships) (Practitioner)

• See the big picture, setting your own work, and that of others within the context of the organisation’s vision, mission and aims and help them understand how their work relates to and supports this (Practitioner)

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

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.