Natural England vacancies

Short term opportunities with our project host, Natural England:

Short-term appointments supporting Natural England’s Sustainable Development work in the Thames Solent team

We are looking for 4 staff to join us quickly to help cover resourcing gaps in our Sustainable Development work across London, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Surrey, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

The ideal candidates could start work almost immediately and stay with us up until the end of October.  Though we can consider earlier end dates, we must have candidates who can start work in mid-August.  As our offices are closed and these roles will not require site visits, there are no specific geographic constraints however you must be able to undertake remote working effectively.

We have 2 vacancies at Adviser level and 2 vacancies at Lead Adviser level, further details below:

Adviser

As a Sustainable Development Adviser you will support delivery of our planning advice, working alongside colleagues to integrate the needs of landscape and biodiversity through the provision of early, effective advice

In this role you will:

• Respond to Development Management and Development Planning consultations according to Natural England’s professional and customer service standards, adding value to achieve the best possible outcomes for our objectives.

 Skills and experience essential for this post are:

 Relevant degree (e.g. Geography; Environmental Studies; Environmental Management, Planning; Ecology etc.) or equivalent qualification in the subject matter.

• Broad understanding or experience of the planning system and its processes
• A demonstrable ability to learn new areas of expertise in order to fulfil the tasks relevant to the post.

Additional skills and experience that would be desirable for this post are:

• Applied knowledge and experience of relevant legislation affecting protected sites/areas and species e.g. NPPF, Habitats Directive, Wildlife and Countryside Act, CRoW and Town and Country Planning Act.
• Applied knowledge and demonstrable experience of providing effective, high quality planning advice, such as assessing Habitat Regulation Assessments (HRA), commenting on survey and scoping documents.
• Understanding of the Development Plan process and familiarity with associated documentation.
• Biodiversity and/or landscape knowledge

Lead Adviser

As a Sustainable Development Lead Adviser, you will work alongside regulators and stakeholders to integrate the needs of biodiversity and landscape within local planning. You will provide early, effective advice and evidence to our customers e.g. Local Planning Authorities, Environment Agency, Marine Management Organisation, developers and their consultants, enabling plans to be developed that deliver sustainable economic growth. This is a challenging and rewarding role that provides great opportunities to develop the full range of key capabilities.

In this role, you will:

• Respond to local plan and development consultations using an evidence base approach to provide clear and pragmatic advice, according to NE’s professional and customer service standards, adding value to achieve the best possible outcomes for NE’s objectives.

• Provide clear, pragmatic evidence-based advice to partners, customers and colleagues on a wide range of sustainable development issues and achieve solutions that comply with policy and legislation, resulting in positive environmental outcomes.
• Use your knowledge and skills consistently and flexibly to support the team’s work

Skills and experience essential for this post are:

• Relevant degree (e.g. Geography; Environmental Studies; Environmental Management, Planning; Ecology etc.) or equivalent qualification in the subject matter;
• Good understanding and experience of the planning system and its processes;
• Biodiversity and/or landscape knowledge
• A demonstrable ability to learn new areas of expertise in order to fulfil the tasks relevant to the post;
• Experience of and ability in applying effective communication skills (verbal and written) in conveying complex and/or difficult messages/concepts to multiple audiences;

Additional skills and experience that would be desirable for this post are:

• Applied knowledge and experience of relevant legislation affecting protected sites/ areas and species e.g. Habitats Regulations; Wildlife and Countryside Act, Town and Country Planning Act;
• Relevant experience working in the planning system.

If you are interested please send a short covering email detailing your suitability for the role and your cv to allison.potts@naturalengland.org.uk by 9th of August.

Allison Potts MCIEEM
Manager
Thames Solent Team

07827 356099