Environmental Pollution Co-Team Leader - 2026027

Job summary

Post background:

Pollution is one of the five leading drivers of global biodiversity loss, fundamentally reshaping ecosystems, species communities and the services nature provides to people. At the same time, pollution interacts with climate change and land use to form part of the “triple planetary crisis” demanding integrated, system-level solutions that cut across sectors, borders and policy areas.

JNCC sits at the interface of science and policy, providing trusted UK and international advice to governments on how to tackle these complex challenges. Working in partnership with the country nature conservation bodies, regulators and research organisations, our Environmental Pollution Team delivers evidence, tools and strategic advice to support cleaner air, reduced chemical exposure, and resilient ecosystems.

This is a rare opportunity to step into a senior leadership role co-shaping the UK’s approach to environmental pollution by providing strategic direction and thought leadership. The post holder will co-lead JNCC’s pollution advisory function, helping to translate cutting-edge science into policy impact across air, chemicals and other emerging pollution pressures (e.g. noise, light and plastics), while also contributing to international programmes where UK expertise can drive global change.

Job description

Post Duties:

The post holder will work closely with the other Environmental Pollution Co-team leads to assist staff to deliver pollution advice, evidence and tools across UK Programme Board and also contribute to other cross-organisation functions such as Management Board and Business Planning. They will also provide leadership for the suite of pollution projects being undertaken within the team. These typically cover air and/or chemical pollution but can also extend to other pollution pressures like noise, light and plastics.

General duties as Co-Team Leader

• Contribute to wider Environmental Pollution team through strategic direction, thought leadership, quality assurance, technical advice and networking to maximise impact of delivery.
• Horizon scan and monitor wider developments in pollution related policy, regulation and industrial activity to inform the Environmental Pollution strategy, workplan and development needs.
• Assist Co-team leads with day to day administration, holiday cover and corporate tasks (planning, reporting, resourcing)
• Facilitate cross-team working to maximise value from pollution team effort.
• Provide line management for select staff (likely S-grade and possibly H-grades across the Environmental Pollution Team)
• Offer training, mentoring and coaching opportunities to the Pollution teamlet within relevant expertise (e.g. pollution technical skills, Project Management, critical analysis) and assist the team to develop their skills to meet changing needs of the pollution work area.

Person specification

The successful candidate will be an experienced scientist having worked in the field of environmental pollution and bring significant experience operating at the science–policy interface, translating complex evidence into advice for decision makers. They will also have a track record of technical leadership or thought leadership, demonstrated through authorship or oversight of guidance, strategies, or major assessments, or participation in expert groups, working groups, or cross agency forums, or horizon scanning and framing emerging pollution issues for policy relevance.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service
• Seeing the Big Picture

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Advanced degree (MSc/PhD) in ecotoxicology, environmental chemistry, atmospheric science, environmental science, ecology, or a closely related disciplineor equivalent depth of applied professional experience in pollution advice.
• Strong technical understanding of pollution pressures on ecosystems, including at least one of ecotoxicology, air quality, contaminant fate and transport or cumulative and interacting pressures on nature
• Demonstrable experience of quality assurance and dealing with uncertainty of environmental evidence or setting and applying evidence standards in policy.
• Working knowledge of UK and/or international policy and regulatory frameworks relevant to pollution and biodiversity (e.g. air quality, chemicals, pressures on ecosystems).
• Experience of leading or overseeing projects or programmes, including shaping scope and approach, managing technical specialists or advisers, or balancing scientific robustness with delivery constraints.
• Experience of collaborative working across organisations, ideally with UK country nature conservation bodies, government departments, research institutions or international networks
• Experience of people leadership, mentoring or capability building in technical teams.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £53,386, Joint Nature Conservation Committee contributes £15,465 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).Hybrid Working (occasional travel) + 25 Days Leave + 12 Public & Privilege days + Civil Service Pension.

Equality and diversity

JNCC is committed to creating an environment where everyone feels valued and respected and see this as a good place to work. JNCC has a responsibility to ensure that we have an inclusive culture where discrimination, harassment, bullying and prejudice will not be tolerated. Our selection process is determined on fair and open competition and regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership.

Continuous professional development (CPD)

Employees are encouraged to keep developing skills and professional knowledge.
JNCC has made available, and encourages employees to use, on average, five working days per annum for CPD activities with access to related funding

Leave entitlement

JNCC annual leave allowance is 25 days per annum. After five years’ service, leave entitlement increases to 30 days per annum.
In addition to annual leave, JNCC offers 12 public and privilege days per annum, three of which are explicitly reserved for office closure between Christmas and New Year.

Work/life balance

JNCC will be adopting a more flexible approach to working options and, once we are able to return to working in our office locations, our people will have more flexibility about where they choose to work. The expectation is that we will be expected to work from our office base for 1 – 2 days a month as a minimum. We can provide more details at the interview and offer stages.

Our policies are family-friendly and include flexi-time, flexible working patterns, compressed hours and dispersed working. JNCC also offers paid maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave, over and above the minimum statutory entitlements. Some work/life balance benefits are available following a minimum length of service.

Any move from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/

Civil Service Pension

Employees will have the opportunity to join Civil Service pension arrangements, which include a valuable range of benefits. JNCC makes a significant contribution to the cost of employee pensions.

Employee Assistance Programme

JNCC provides employees with a free and confidential support service which gives unlimited access to information, advice and emotional support to help employees prepare for and manage all of life's ups and downs, events and challenges.

Trade Union

JNCC has entered into a partnership agreement with its recognised Trade Unions: Prospect and PCS, which employees are able to join and be involved with.

Salary sacrifice schemes

Employee Discount Scheme

Civil Service Sports Club

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

In the event that we receive a large volume of applications we reserve the right to conduct the sift based on the Lead Behaviour of Making Effective Decisions.

As part of the interview process, you will be required to deliver a 5‑minute presentation. The presentation topic will be provided should you be invited to attend an interview.

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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Recruitment Team
• Email : recruitment@jncc.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@jncc.gov.uk

Further information

Selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles, our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of appointment on the basis of merit by fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact recruitment@jncc.gov.uk in the first instance.

Attachments

2026027 - Environmental Pollution Co TL G7_v1 Opens in new window (pdf, 200kB)