Overview

This position is based could be based at Ashford (Kent) , Bridgwater, Bristol, Crewe, Eastleigh, Kendal, Leeds, Lincoln, London, Manchester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Norwich, Nottingham, Penrith, Reading, Telford, Wallingford, Worcester, Worthing & York

Job description

Everything’s better with nature. You included.

We are the Government’s statutory advisor for the natural environment, playing a vital role in delivering the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan. This describes an ambitious vision, bringing new opportunities to protect and enhance, and to achieve real outcomes for the environment.

At Natural England, we love what we do. We’re here to make sure people and nature can thrive. A healthy natural environment is fundamental to our wellbeing, prosperity and happiness – that’s why we collaborate with scientists, lawyers, project managers and experts to implement environmental policy and shape decisions.

We work with a wide range of partners, stakeholders and customers on a huge range of projects, from influencing construction, advising farmers and landowners how they can manage their land in a sustainable way for the benefit of the environment, gathering and analysing environmental data, and carrying out vital statutory duties. Across the country, we’re helping nature to support people and our planet.

We are focusing our efforts on six key programmes:

Greener Farming and Fisheries – supporting those who manage land and sea to operate in harmony with the environment

Sustainable Development – creating great places for people to live and work

Connecting People with Nature – promoting health and wellbeing through the great outdoors

Resilient Landscapes and Seas – protecting and restoring wildlife and natural beauty for future generations.

Specialist Science and Evidence – an evidence-led organisation that is driven by science

Managing the Organisation – gathering business data to enable decision-making

Natural England staff are inclusive, motivated and ambitious to achieve results for our environment, for everyone. We welcome and encourage applications from all communities and we operate a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants who meet the minimum requirements for the role. Wherever possible Natural England accommodates requests for both full-time and part-time hours and other flexible working patterns to help employees achieve a good work/life balance and maintain their health and wellbeing.

From induction to ongoing learning and development, everyone in Natural England is supported to develop their skills and capabilities. Where appropriate there will be offers of training under our apprenticeship schemes.

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

These are roles in the following Area Teams: Northumbria, Cumbria, Yorkshire & Northern Lincolnshire, Cheshire to Lancashire, East Midlands, West Midlands, Norfolk & Suffolk, Thames Solent, Wessex, and Sussex & Kent. You will need to be based in the team’s geographic area. You can view a map of our office locations here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/natural-england-office-locations. Please specify your location preferences in the appropriate field on the application form.

Successful candidates will be allocated roles in merit order based on scores achieved at interview and in accordance with location preferences.

Inclusion is one of our core values and means that we care about people and their wellbeing, we respect everyone externally and internally, we aim to be representative of communities and to reach out to a diverse range of partners.

An inclusive approach is really important to Natural England’s aims of removing the barriers that people face to accessing nature, and of delivering nature recovery. You will have a role in ensuring that all our work is planned and delivered in an inclusive way that is mindful of the diverse needs of different individuals and communities. We are looking for candidates who have great people skills who are able to develop relationships with a range of people and communities. You will have empathy as well as knowledge of community development/engagement.

Nature conservation knowledge is not essential for these roles; training and support will be provided to give you the knowledge that you will need.

Your work with colleagues at Natural England will identify and deliver opportunities to maximise the inclusion impact of all our work.

You will help us to reach out to and engage with diverse audiences, including partners we may not have spoken to previously, to bring diverse voices and perspectives into our conversations. These may be from different community groups including (but not limited to) those specialising in work with disabled people, those engaged with social prescribing, people from ethnic minority backgrounds, the young and the old and may also involve reaching out to and learning lessons from different sectors (such as the arts, heritage and sports).

As Senior Adviser for Connecting People with Nature (Inclusion) for an Area Team you will help the team develop and manage key relationships with community representatives, partner organisations, and community groups, demonstrating impact and sharing best practice. You will identify barriers in access to nature for different groups and work with colleagues and partners to address these. Your role will span the breadth of our priorities; this includes our work to develop nature recovery networks, to make green social prescribing more easily available, and to encourage the development of high quality green infrastructure. You will also be part of a national network of Inclusion experts, who will share ideas and best practice.

You will lead on flagship local delivery projects, agreed with your local area team, that focus on inclusion alongside nature recovery. This may involve connecting with new partners and identifying opportunities for funding to deliver on our priorities and ensure people have access to and are connected with high quality nature close to where they live. You will work with colleagues, partners and communities to create a vision for that place and to encourage engagement for all of the local community though access, enjoyment and habitats restoration.

You will play a key role in the area team, facilitating conversations around diversity and inclusion, what this means in our work and how to improve engagement with different communities. You will help to identify what additional training and support colleagues might need around this and will be involved in some training delivery. You will help to promote our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) work, including staff networks, to colleagues and will be a key link between the team and the organisational EDI programme.

A driving licence will be useful but is not essential. Some site visits or partnership meetings may not be easily accessible by public transport. Natural England staff have access to hire cars for work purposes.