Senior Officer - NRF Policy, Delivery and Implementation - ( Ref : 6344 )

Job summary

This position is based Nationally

Job description

Join us in shaping a future where nature and people thrive. Whether you're drawn to hands-on conservation or playing a vital part behind the scenes, your work at Natural England will support lasting benefits for the environment and society.

Our role

Natural England is the Government’s adviser for the natural environment and the Nature regulator with a wide range of statutory duties and powers. We provide the evidence, expertise and advice to recover Nature and shape better places for people to live. We do this working through and with others.

Our priorities

We will focus on the following priorities:

1. Drive Nature recovery at a greater scale and faster pace than before by supporting large scale projects and making it easier for landowners to get permissions for Nature positive change.
2. Tackle the root causes of Nature’s decline working with Defra partners to ensure cleaner air, clean and plentiful water, healthier soils and rich, productive seas.
3. Partner with planners and developers on “high nature; low carbon” houses, energy and transport infrastructure and introduce strategic solutions so development can also protect and restore Nature.
4. Support food security and sustainable farming, forestry and fishing through targeted advice and the right mix of public and private finance.
5. Shape better places for people to work and live by providing clear evidence and advice to our partners, using spatial plans for Nature as a framework for investment and joined up action.
6. Connect communities with Nature and create Nature close to people’s homes, ensuring everyone gains from the health benefits Nature can bring.

Find out more about the work of Natural England at www.gov.uk/government/organisations/natural-england

Job description

The team

This role is a rare opportunity to play a part to bring about systematic change to the planning system and planning casework.

We are seeking ambitious individuals with great communication and organisational skills to join our highly performing, supportive and friendly team within the Sustainable Development Portfolio.

Job Purpose

You will help shape legislative planning and policy reforms to ensure that they are customer focused, digitally enabled and sustainable in the long term with a shift to nature’s recovery at scale delivered through the planning system.

There is much to deliver in this space, and although the current priority for the Sustainable Development Portfolio is the development of the Nature Restoration Fund, there may be opportunity to shape and deliver wider Critical Reforms, and you could be deployed to any area of planning casework.

The Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) is designed to accelerate development while introducing innovative mechanisms that can extend significant and targeted environmental protection that drives nature’s recovery. The NRF will offer a flexible, scalable approach to delivering environmental improvements where development impacts protected sites or species. Through Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs), the NRF will identify strategic, landscape-scale conservation measures to ensure better outcomes for nature.

Key Tasks/Principal Accountabilities

• Provide evidence-based advice to Defra (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Other Government Departments (OGDs) and regulators on the development of new legislation, policies or strategies relevant to the organisation’s remit.
• Provide a key technical leadership role for a specific area or topic.
• Identify, develop and maintain positive and influential relationships with stakeholders – internally and externally - to help Natural England develop, implement, and deliver key areas of strategy and policy.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across Natural England, Defra and other Arm's Length Bodies.
• Help translate policy into delivery and contribute to the development and delivery of new programmes and pilots to support implementation of major strategies.
• Undertake horizon scanning for emerging policy related issues and opportunities to guide future organisational priorities for delivery.
• Raise awareness and provide advice, training, guidance and support to build capability across the organisation.
• Potential line management

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Good analytical skills and a strong understanding of key environmental legislation and the role of policy and the policy-making process.
• Very good technical skills appropriate to relevant work area; possible national expert in field but supported by other staff in national external meetings.
• Good knowledge of the breadth of Natural England’s role and delivery responsibilities; and of the key issues in environmental policy.
• Experience of collaborating with a range of stakeholders to achieve pragmatic outcomes.
• Good working knowledge of the key stakeholders relevant to the specific strategy/policy area.
• Ability to use clear and appropriate language, communication styles and techniques to disseminate complex technical advice.
• Knowledge of how to handle data responsibly, understand your role in good governance, and comply with delegations, policies, and procedures.
• Experience of delivering work against agreed targets and deadlines in line with relevant project/programme management structures.

Benefits

At Natural England, we support a healthy work-life balance by offering full-time, part-time, and flexible working arrangements.

We provide excellent opportunities for career progression, training, and development tailored to your role. This includes ten days annually for personal learning and development, plus three additional days for volunteering.

You’ll receive a generous leave allowance of 33 days per year (pro rata), access to the Civil Service Pension scheme with a 28.97% employer contribution, and a range of benefits such as shopping discounts and a cycle-to-work scheme. Staff can also join the Civil Service Sport club for discounts on sports, leisure activities, and social events.

We are committed to fairness, equality, and inclusivity. Our employee-led diversity networks help foster a welcoming environment where everyone feels valued and supported.

Locations

Natural England has adopted hybrid working – which means our staff work from a flexible range of locations, encompassing home, offices (ours and our partners) and relevant sites. All new staff will be formally linked to one of our 25 offices across England, and the expectation is that all new staff will be able to access their local office to be part of the community of staff in their geographical area. Staff are expected to attend their associated office for 20% of their contractual hours.

Staff members are required to carry out all their duties working in this way and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time. Travel expenses will be paid if work-related travel is required but does not apply to travel between home and your associated office.

National team roles can be linked with any Natural England office while Area Team roles will be linked with an office in the relevant geographic area.

View a map of our office locations here: online map of Natural England office locations

Pay

It is Natural England policy to employ at the entry point of the salary range.

How to Apply

We welcome and encourage applications from all communities. Natural England is accredited to the Disability Confident Scheme, which denotes organisations which have a positive attitude towards disabled people. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum requirements for the role at the shortlisting stage are guaranteed an invitation to interview.

If you require a reasonable adjustment at interview, or there is anything else you would like the panel to take into consideration, you should notify us of this at application stage where possible, or well in advance of your interview. We now provide primary interview questions in advance for all formal recruitments.

This vacancy uses competency-based assessment. We'll assess you against the competencies below during the selection process:

• Technical Skills and Knowledge Competency
• Work Delivery
• Personal Effectiveness
• Putting People at the Heart of the Environment

When completing the application form you should present relevant examples using the STAR format. Give us an example of how you have demonstrated the competency (which can be work related or from another area of your life) and tell us about the Situation, the specific Task you had to undertake, the specific Actions you took, and the Result (both immediate and in a wider context) of your Action.

Please note that STAR format is not required when answering a Technical Skills & Knowledge competency.

Examples should be given in no more than 250 words for each competency.

If you are successful at the shortlisting stage, you will be invited to attend an interview via MS Teams or a suitable alternative, where you will be asked to give examples for all competencies as set out in the Job Description.

Please note: 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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Competencies

Competence 1

Professional competency

Detail

Technical Skills & Knowledge

Description

You will be expected to meet at least 4 of the below criteria.

- Hold a degree in a relevant field or demonstrate an equivalent level of applied experience. Applicants without a related degree should clearly outline their relevant experience and achievements that showcase comparable knowledge and expertise. (Essential)
- Excellent working knowledge of the environmental requirements within the planning system, particularly the Habitats Regulations, the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, Nutrient Neutrality, Biodiversity Net Gain and Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects. (Essential)
- Excellent working knowledge of Environment Act requirements and policy and their application to development projects. (Essential)
- Strong understanding of ecological principles and their practical application in habitat creation, enhancement, and long-term management. (Essential)
- Experience of managing relationships with external partners, representing Natural England at a senior level. (Essential)
- Strong data analysis skills (Essential)

Competence 2

Professional competency

Detail

Personal Effectiveness

Description

- Be ambitious, identify and adopt ways to make improvements in your team and Natural England and inspire others to act (Practitioner)
- Make and explain objective decisions which combine your professional judgement and evidence (Expert)

Competence 3

Professional competency

Detail

Work Delivery

Description

- Manage and deliver your work to meet agreed targets and deadlines. (Expert)
- Identify and apply the most appropriate data and methodologies for your analysis, utilising reproducible analytical pipelines and data science approaches where appropriate (Practitioner)

Competence 4

Professional competency

Detail

Putting People at the Heart of the Environment

Description

- Nurture trusting partnerships and collaborate to achieve pragmatic outcomes that help deliver Natural England’s vision, mission and aims (Practitioner)
- Work proactively and collaboratively with stakeholders and partners to identify and secure opportunities to deliver gains for people and nature (Practitioner)

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,950, Natural England contributes £10,994 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

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

Please refer to Job Description

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

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).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 : Gracia Robinson
• Email : gracia.robinson@naturalengland.org.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : defra-recruitment-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Further information

https://networkrecruitment.tal.net/vx/appcentre-7/brand-4/spa-1/candidate/so/pm/1/pl/8/opp/6344-6344-Senior-Officer-NRF-Policy-Delivery-and-Implementation/en-GB

Attachments

DEF-001h - Candidate Pack Natural England v2.3 Opens in new window (docx, 1325kB)