International Biodiversity Officer 2026009

Job summary

Post background

The UK Overseas Territories have long been acknowledged as being rich in biodiversity and geodiversity. Many of the UK’s inhabited Overseas Territories are small, remote islands. They provide a home to 220,000 people who are reliant on their natural environment, and the benefits that it provides, for their economic welfare and their security. Despite the remoteness of the islands, these natural environments are threatened, often as a result of development, but also from the natural disasters that the islands’ natural environments can help protect against.

JNCC has been working with the UK’s Overseas Territories for over 25 years. We provide technical assistance to support their biodiversity and wider environmental management strategies. We also provide scientific advice to the UK Government, which provides support to the Overseas Territories to manage their environment and enhance economic security and disaster resilience through a variety of policy initiatives and funding programmes.

JNCC’s International Implementation Team is seeking an experienced biodiversity professional to support the development and delivery of conservation and biodiversity projects work with the UK Overseas Territories, and internationally. The team implements a wide variety of projects on the ground with territory governments and local partners, supporting marine, terrestrial and coastal environment nature conversation action and initiatives. We co-create and design projects to meet the needs of the governments of the territories.

As an International Biodiversity Officer, you will collaborate closely with territory governments and administrations, external partners, members of the International Implementation Team, and colleagues across JNCC to deliver robust evidence and expert advice that underpins JNCC’s international conservation work.

In this role, you will lead the technical delivery of the Darwin Plus–funded project “Building Capacity for Habitat Mapping and Condition Monitoring: Cayman Islands”. You will support the Cayman Islands Department of Environment (DoE) in developing the skills, tools, and approaches needed to map and monitor the extent and condition of terrestrial habitats using advanced Earth Observation (EO) techniques. You will also contribute to the development of biodiversity condition indicators for protected areas across the UK Overseas Territories as part of the UK Government’s Environmental Indicator Framework (EIF).

We are seeking a candidate with strong experience in knowledge sharing and geospatial analysis, capable of producing high-quality outputs at pace. You will be an effective communicator and relationship-builder, confident working with partners and stakeholders from diverse cultural, scientific, and policy backgrounds.

Job description

Post Duties

The post will be line managed by a Senior International Biodiversity Officer and will work closely with Earth Observation (EO) specialists and analysts within JNCC and across the UK Overseas Territories.Key duties include:

• Contribute to the development and delivery of overseas nature recovery projects and proposals, supporting JNCC’s work with the UK Overseas Territories.
• Collate, process and analyse geospatial datasets, working with colleagues and partners to develop workflows, indicators and tools for analysing EO and other spatial data.
• Engage with stakeholders to gather information on their evidence needs and identify where EO approaches can offer effective and practical solutions.
• Manage data to JNCC standards, ensuring robust quality control and quality assurance of analytical methods, outputs and products.
• Work collaboratively with Governments, Administrations, local communities and other stakeholders to support the delivery of nature conservation outcomes.
• Provide and contribute to training and training materials to build the capacity of stakeholders in geospatial analysis.
• Assist on projects, across the team, providing technical input, undertaking research synthesis, and devising communications activities to gain input from our users and stakeholders or to stimulate uptake of outputs
• Undertake a JNCC liaison role with up to two UK Overseas Territories governments, strengthening relationships and enabling effective communication.
• Assist in drafting briefings, reports, implementation plans and other outputs, working closely with partners and stakeholders.
• Contribute to project communications, including social media content and updates to the JNCC website.
• Manage project work packages, ensuring staff resources are used effectively and work is coordinated with external contractors and partners.
• Support essential administrative tasks that contribute to the smooth and effective running of projects.
• Contribute to the wider work of the team and JNCC, including providing technical input and supporting delivery of analytical or field-based work as required.

The post-holder may be required to attend meetings and other fora at various localities in the UK and internationally, involving overnight stays away from home.

Person specification

Please demonstrate in your Behaviours the STARR technique where applicable

• Situation: Set the stage.
• Task: Explain where you fit in.
• Action: Describe each step.
• Results: Impress with your achievements.
• Reflection: what have you learned

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together

Technical skills

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

• Good understanding of ecology and the pressures and impacts on biodiversity, and their implications for sustainable development
• Understanding of the principles of EO data acquisition and experience of applying EO data from a variety of platforms and sensors to investigate terrestrial environments, with demonstratable application of this understanding.
• Experience of using GIS software and packages for manipulating, interpreting and mapping datasets.
• Experience of working in interdisciplinary teams, including building and maintaining effective collaborative relationships

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £33,130, Joint Nature Conservation Committee contributes £9,597 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.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 supports flexible working hours and practices to help employees strike a good balance between work life and personal life.

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.If you are offered an interview there are plans for there to be a test. This will be confirmed when you get the invite to interview and all details will be provided.

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

2026009_International Biodiversity Officer HEO Opens in new window (pdf, 217kB)