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, 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 Cheshire to Lancashire Area Team  

The Cheshire to Lancashire team provides environmental leadership across an area of 6 million people and home to some magnificent natural assets, where Nature Recovery and Partnerships are at the heart of everything we do. Restoring habitats, reconnecting the natural environment, and connecting people with nature across the Lancashire uplands, the wetlands and rivers of Cheshire, the wildlife-rich Irish Sea coast and urban heartland of Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region.     

In 2023 we have an ambitious plan to build a resilient natural environment, recovering and restoring England’s threatened native species, recover priority habitats, habitat quality and species abundance. Opportunities are identified to secure positive environmental outcomes for the natural environment in support of our ambitions in the Natural England Action Plan through proactive engagement with partners. 

We have offices in Crewe and Manchester, and currently use “hot desk” facilities at the DEFRA building (Lutra House) on the outskirts of Preston. 

Job description  

This exciting vacancy falls with our Innovation and Support Team, which provides a crucial support core for the whole Area Team. Enabling staff across the area to achieve more nature for more people across our priority focus areas. 

Whilst you will be expected to work flexibly, respond to enquiries and queries, this role will make contributions to delivering a range of priority outcomes across the Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside. For example by, using your broad understanding of habitats and landscapes, you will have the opportunity to gain experience in:    

• Sites of Special Scientific Interest casework, achieving long lasting environmental improvement that supports priority outcomes 

• Supporting the full range of Countryside Stewardship Scheme agreement types and existing key Environmental Stewardship agreements to support the delivery of priority Focus Area outcomes.  

• Supporting proactive engagement for key Sites of Special Scientific Interest to achieve long lasting environmental improvement that underpin priority outcomes.  

• Providing advice through the planning system to ensure habitats are protected and consider environmental opportunities of development activity. 
• Liaising with area team colleagues to deliver more for the environment, including spotting opportunities for net environmental gain and non-statutory discretionary advice.   

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 and Knowledge  

This is not a specialist post, and the successful candidate will be expected to have a broad knowledge to enable you to work generally across environmental delivery.  The successful candidate will, however, bring the following skills and knowledge into the Team:  

• Relevant experience 
• Knowledge of Natural England’s role 
• Experience and evidence of providing advice to customers and stakeholders 
• Knowledge and experience of working within policy guidelines 
• Experience of, and ability in, applying effective communication skills (verbal and written) in conveying complex and/or difficult messages to a variety of different audiences 
• Experience of working within deadlines and contributing to team targets 

Please specify your location preferences in the appropriate field on the application form. 
 
You will be asked to supply evidence of meeting these competencies when you apply:  
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.

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 3 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.

Additional information  

A Driving Licence is desirable for the role but not essential   

Flexible working patterns will generally be accommodated unless stated otherwise.   

  
Candidates with disabilities will automatically be put forward to the interview stage provided that they satisfy the minimum criteria for the role.  

Competencies

 

Competence 1  

Professional competency

 

Detail   

Personal Effectiveness

 

Description   

Use clear and appropriate language, communication styles and techniques that engage your audience (basic)

Make and explain objective decisions which combine your professional judgement and evidence (practitioner)

 

Competence 2   

Professional competency

 

Detail   

Work Delivery

 

Description   

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

Handle data responsibly, understand your role in good governance, and comply with delegations, policies and procedures (basic)

 

Competence 3   

Professional competency

 

Detail   

Putting People at the Heart of the Environment

 

Description   

Listen to and understand diverse partners and customers so that you achieve the best outcomes for them and the organisation you are representing (practitioner)

 

Contact information 

Helen Rogers - helen.rogers@naturalengland.org.uk

Hannah Turner - hannah.turner@naturalengland.org.uk

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.