International Biodiversity Officer 2026069

Job summary

Post background:

Join JNCC's International Implementation Team and help drive impactful conservation action across the UK Overseas Territories and beyond. We work together with governments and local partners to design and deliver practical, evidence-led solutions for nature, from coral reef conservation and capacity building to policy development and stakeholder engagement.

As an International Biodiversity Officer, you will lead collaboration across a diverse network of partners, support delivery of JNCC's international biodiversity portfolio, including supporting JNCC’s input into the Blue Belt Programme. This is an exciting opportunity for a skilled biodiversity professional who thrives on partnership working, knowledge sharing and turning science into real-world conservation impact.

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 because of development, but also from the natural disasters that the islands’ natural environments can help protect against. Climate change predictions are only set to further threaten biodiversity and the livelihoods of those that rely on it.

JNCC has been working with the UK’s Overseas Territories for over 25 years. We provide technical assistance to support their biodiversity, climate change 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.

Job description

Post Duties:

• Support the delivery of international work on biodiversity, including contributing to the development and implementation of nature recovery projects and proposals to support land/sea-scape decision making, nature based solutions and climate change resilience.

• Support technical delivery of JNCC’s Blue Belt Programme delivery team including supporting project governance, delivery of reports, briefings and other outputs as required.

• Build strong networks and effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders to enable knowledge transfer, capacity building and effective partnership working to deliver nature conservation outcomes.

• Support the identification of new strategic opportunities and contribute to the development and writing of bids.

• Support the wider work of the Team and JNCC as appropriate, including Overseas Territories liaison, contract management, project support and delivery of technical work, as required.

Person specification

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 Working Together.

Behaviours

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

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

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Working Together

Technical skills

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

• Strong understanding and demonstrated practical application of ecology, the benefits biodiversity provides to people and systems, pressures and impacts on biodiversity, and their implications for sustainable development.
• Knowledge and demonstrated practical application of nature conservation policy, management frameworks and international biodiversity commitments.
• Experience of successfully designing and delivering climate, conservation, biodiversity or environmental management projects.
• Experience translating scientific evidence into practical conservation actions, management advice or policy recommendations
• Experience working across different cultures and collaborating effectively with a range of stakeholders such as government agencies, NGOs, researchers and local communities.

We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:

• Strong understanding and demonstrated practical application of ecology, the benefits biodiversity provides to people and systems, pressures and impacts on biodiversity, and their implications for sustainable development.
• Knowledge and demonstrated practical application of nature conservation policy, management frameworks and international biodiversity commitments.
• Experience translating scientific evidence into practical conservation actions, management advice or policy recommendations

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 (opens in a new window).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.

Please use the STARR method when appropriate:

• — Situation: Set the scene and provide necessary background context
• T — Task: Explain your specific role, responsibility, or goal in that situation
• A — Action: Describe the exact, practical steps you took to solve the problem or handle the challenge
• R — Result: Share the outcome of your actions, using quantifiable metrics or data whenever possible.
• R / T — Reflection or Takeaway : Add what you learned, how it applies to your future work, or what you would do differently next time.

Candidates shortlisted for interview will be required to prepare a short presentation. The presentation topic will be provided when the interview invitation is issued.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) 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

2026069-International Biodiversity Officer Opens in new window (pdf, 202kB)