About the job

Job summary

This position is based nationally

Job description

We are the Government’s statutory advisor for the natural environment, playing a vital role in delivering the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan. This describes an ambitious vision, bringing new opportunities to protect and enhance, and to achieve real outcomes for the environment.

At Natural England, we love what we do. We’re here to make sure people and nature can thrive. A healthy natural environment is fundamental to our wellbeing, prosperity and happiness – that’s why we collaborate with scientists, lawyers, project managers and experts to implement environmental policy and shape decisions.

We work with a wide range of partners, stakeholders and customers on a huge range of projects, from influencing construction, advising farmers and landowners how they can manage their land in a sustainable way for the benefit of the environment, gathering and analysing environmental data, and carrying out vital statutory duties. Across the country, we’re helping nature to support people and our planet.

Support Advisor - Farm and Conservation Service

Salary: 23,108.00

Location: National

Post Type: Permanent

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 (NE) offers rewarding opportunities to secure environmental improvements and play your part in creating a better future for people and nature.   

The priority work NE 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 NE at www.gov.uk/government/organisations/natural-england 

 The Role

• Deal with enquiries to the mailbox in accordance with customer service guidelines;
• Ability to maintain a high level of accuracy and apply high levels of attention to detail;
• Ability to analyse and interpret information in order to provide accurate guidance;
• Knowledge of information handling processes and General Data Protection; Regulations (GDPR). Handle data responsibly, adhering to strict confidentiality and security protocols due to sensitive information you will be handling;
• Competent user of Microsoft Office, TRIM and SharePoint online (desirable);
• Assist in delivering the team’s communications plans, as required, and take part in note taking of our team meetings call rota;
• Team player who will provide cover to ensure customer service standards are met;
• Strong written communication skills;
• Confident in engaging with other teams within NE and external customers over the phone and via email.

Key tasks & responsibilities: 

• Printing and posting agreement packs to agreement holders;
• Scanning and filing documentation on relevant systems;
• Creating folders and filing information on relevant systems;

Inputting and maintaining accurate information on trackers.

Benefits  

Wherever possible NE 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. 

NE provides excellent opportunities for career progression, training and development tailored to your role. From induction to ongoing learning and development, everyone in NE 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 are 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  

NE 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. 

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 will assess you against the competencies below during the selection process: 

• Work Delivery;
• Personal Effectiveness;
• Putting People at the Heart of the Environment.
  
  

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: 

 Work Delivery:

• Handle data responsibly, understand your role in good governance, and comply with delegations, policies and procedures (Basic);
• Manage and deliver your work to meet agreed targets and deadlines (Basic)

 Personal Effectiveness: 

• 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).

 Putting People at the Heart of the Environment

• Listen to and understand our diverse partners and customers so that you achieve the best outcomes for them and Natural England (Basic);
• Nurture trusting partnerships and collaborate to achieve pragmatic outcomes that help deliver Natural England’s vision, mission and aims (Basic). 

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 three 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 

Work Delivery

Description 

• Handle data responsibly, understand your role in good governance, and comply with delegations, policies and procedures (Basic);
• Manage and deliver your work to meet agreed targets and deadlines (Basic).

Competence 2 - 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 3 - Professional competency

Detail 

Putting People at the Heart of the Environment

Description 

• Listen to and understand our diverse partners and customers so that you achieve the best outcomes for them and Natural England (Basic);
• Nurture trusting partnerships and collaborate to achieve pragmatic outcomes that help deliver Natural England’s vision, mission and aims (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.