Sustainable Development Senior Officer - ( Ref : 6641 )

This position is based at Ghyll Mount, CA11 9BP Or Kendal

Do you want to make a real difference, working in a high priority area, securing significant environmental gains in the present and the future? Do you enjoy working in and leading a team? If so, this role may interest you as an opportunity to create a better future for people and nature through sustainable development in Wessex.

Natural England’s Area Teams use a range of mechanisms including land management and planning advice, engagement with stakeholders and direct management of our own land, to achieve the protection and enhancement of biodiversity and landscapes within its area.

Natural England’s new Strategy includes making a shift from isolated interventions to nature recovery happening at scale, ensuring our efforts deliver lasting improvement across whole landscapes and seascapes. As part of this, our sustainable development work is helping build better places, and ensure nature is designed into development and investment plans from the outset to strengthen communities and benefit growth.

This role will contribute to Natural England’s sustainable development delivery, with a focus on securing nature recovery and long-term environmental benefits. The role will need the flexibility to advise on local plans and spatial development strategies as well as high risk and high opportunity development cases. The work will include supporting the development of new strategic approaches to manage environmental pressures and building strong relationships with developers so that nature is planned in from the start to streamline development and reduce risk.

Job description

The successful candidate will work alongside other senior staff in similar roles and the role and responsibilities will include:

• Providing a strategic lead for specific high risk, high opportunity casework, with a particular focus on Town and Country Planning Act development proposals. This will involve working closely with colleagues across the team, supporting others delivering technical advice, and drawing down national specialist input as required.
• Providing advice on spatial development strategies and working closely with local planning authorities on high priority local plans to manage risk, ensure nature is designed into development, and secure plan policies that support strong, long term environmental outcomes.
• Building partnerships with customers and stakeholders to resolve complex planning issues. Providing clear, pragmatic, evidence-based advice to developers and local planning authorities, seeking opportunities to maximising delivery through our discretionary advice service (DAS).
• Act as an account manager for Lead Environmental Regulator, managing relationships with developers and working with Defra and other Arm’s-Length Bodies (ALBs) e.g. Environment Agency, to provide joined up advice to developers and enable delivery of integrated outcomes for nature recovery and growth.
• Enabling developers to use tools such as Green Infrastructure standards, Biodiversity Net Gain and Environmental Delivery Plans (as these are developed) to secure planning approvals and gains for people and nature.
• Provide support to other sustainable development advisers within the team, including support at external and internal meetings, providing a steer on complex and challenging issues, and escalating risk through appropriate channels.
• Contributing to the broader leadership of the area team through active participation in cross-team groups and briefings to NE senior leadership and working with other Senior Officers within the wider area team to ensure consistency in advice delivery across all our work areas.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• The ability to see the big picture, so you can steer sustainable development work within the context of Natural England’s Strategy and help colleagues understand how their work relates to and supports this.
• The ability to build collaborative relationships with colleagues (both internally and externally) to help make things happen and deliver outcomes.
• The ability to direct, coach and support staff to deliver on sustainable development objectives.
• The ability to resolve problems and manage risks with good judgement and seek innovative solutions.
• Strong planning, prioritisation, and organisational ability to manage complex delivery areas with competing demands.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills.
• Robust and current knowledge of relevant legislation and guidance and how to apply and interpret it to NE’s activities and duties.
• Strong understanding of environmental protection in England and the legislation that underpins it.
• Demonstrable experience of UK ecology with a broad understanding of priority habitats and species.

Competencies

Competence 1

Professional competency

Detail

Technical Skills and Knowledge (STAR format not required)

Description

• Technical expertise and applied experience of the planning system to shape environmental solutions for designated sites, protected landscapes and species (Essential).
• Technical expertise in and experience of planning mechanisms and their application for nature recovery – e.g. Habitats Regulations Assessments, Development Plan process, Sustainability Appraisals, Environmental Impact Assessments (or others). Ability to understand new planning processes and how they might be applied to enable the delivery of enhanced nature recovery (Essential).
• Knowledge of how local authorities work, and/or basic ecological or land management knowledge, is also useful but not essential (Desirable).

Competence 2

Professional competency

Detail

Personal Effectiveness

Description

• Use clear and appropriate language, communication styles and techniques that engage your audience (Practitioner).
• Make and explain objective decisions which combine your professional judgment and evidence (Expert).
• Be ambitious, identify and adopt ways to make improvements in your team and throughout your organisation and inspire others to act (Practitioner).

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 the organisation you represent (Practitioner).
• Work proactively and collaboratively with stakeholders and partners to identify and secure opportunities to deliver gains for people and nature (Practitioner).

Competence 4

Professional competency

Detail

Work Delivery

Description

• Understand your role in good governance, and comply with delegations, policies, and procedures (Practitioner).
• Manage and deliver your work to meet agreed targets and deadlines (Expert).

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)

Please refer to Job Description

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.