DNA Based Monitoring – Senior Adviser(Ref: 5496)

Do you have a passion for nature and the environment? Do you want to make a real difference and secure significant environmental gains in the present and the future? Do you enjoy working in a team? Can you see yourself advising communities and customers to maximise gains for the Natural Environment?

If this appeals to you, a career at Natural England offers rewarding opportunities to secure environmental improvements and play your part in creating a better future for people and nature.

The priority work Natural England is delivering includes:

• Establishing a Nature Recovery Network to help wildlife thrive;
• Monitoring environmental changes to identify and help reduce the effects of climate change;
• Working with farmers and landowners to develop greener food production methods;
• Advising on plans for new developments to maximise gains for nature, and
• Providing ways for people to better connect with nature, including green social prescribing.

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

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

The Role:

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Evidence Directorate of our Chief Scientists Directorate to help lead the use of DNA based approaches in the monitoring of habitats and species. One of Natural England’s strategic science and evidence shifts is to make greater use of innovative scientific technologies and applications. DNA based approaches have the potential to significantly change environmental and conservation monitoring by reducing costs, detecting cryptic species, monitoring functional assemblages, and supporting new ways of looking at biodiversity management.

Natural England has been investing in the use of DNA based approaches for several years beginning with our development of environmental DNA to detect the presence of great crested newts in ponds. Over the last few years we have run a number of projects looking at different applications in a range of ecosystems, such as marine fish assemblages, detecting grassland fungi from soil samples, and to detect invasive species. Through the Natural Capital Ecosystem Assessment Programme, we have been working with colleagues developing monitoring metrics for ponds and soils. We are also beginning to undertake pilot studies to test the application of DNA based methods to help us understand ecosystem health.

We work with colleagues across the public sector and partners in academia through the UK DNA Working Group and the Defra Group Centre of Excellence for DNA based methods, as well as developing close working relationships with external projects that align to our objectives such as the UK Barcode of Life project.

It is Natural England’s policy to accommodate both full-time and other flexible working patterns.

Job description 1 

We are looking for someone who has a broad combination of technical skills and experience in an environmental discipline. The role will support the development and delivery of introducing DNA based technologies for monitoring into Natural England.

Key tasks:

• Develop and deliver DNA monitoring development projects and any contracts which form part of these.
• Ensure effective project, contract and budget management that meets key milestones and indicators.
• Communicate technical DNA methods, results, and progress to a range of audiences via reports, webinars, writing articles or social media.
• Lead and manage the delivery of individual projects.
• Develop internal and external partnerships, including with specialists, contractors, other organisations in the Defra Group and the research community.
• Review methods and explore opportunities for improvements, enhancements and/or innovations.
• Resolve problems that involve detailed investigation and analysis and the exercise of judgement in making recommendations or determining appropriate action. This may involve the application of different techniques and methods, testing options and interpretation of results as the basis for proposals or recommendations.
• Advise colleagues across Natural England on the use of DNA techniques within their projects, for example on best practice and how to interpret results.

The successful candidate will be required to show flexibility in managing and adapting to other work should team priorities or resources change. This post will involve some national (UK) travel to internal NE meetings and meetings with stakeholders.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Good organisational skills and experience of project management.
• A knowledge of DNA based methods.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Knowledge and experience of procurement processes.
• A knowledge of Natural England’s monitoring programme.
• Experience of working with partners, contractors and colleagues to deliver collaborative projects and to build individual and organisational capability.
• Experience of working across disciplines to help develop new, innovative and long-term solutions, driving and supporting change (desirable).

Benefits

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.

Natural England provides excellent opportunities for career progression, training and development tailored to your role. From induction to ongoing learning and development, everyone in Natural England is supported to develop their skills and capabilities. Everyone has 10 days to devote to personal learning and development, as well as an additional 3 days to volunteer.

You will have access to Civil Service Pension and benefits arrangements and generous leave allowances (33 day per year pro rata), as well as flexible working, to help you achieve a work-life balance that works for you and us.

You will have access to a range of benefits including discounts on shopping vouchers, cycle to work scheme, and childcare vouchers. You can also join the Civil Service Sport club which offer discounts on a range of sports and leisure opportunities as well as social events.

Natural England is a fantastic place to work, where difference is celebrated.

We’re committed to fairness and equality for all, so you feel valued for who you are and what you do. Our shared values help us work together to benefit the communities we serve. Our thriving employee-led diversity networks support our inclusive culture and contribute to our Diversity Action Plan.

Locations

Natural England is adopting 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. Full time staff are expected to attend their associated office for a minimum of one day a week.

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: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/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.

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

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

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 doing so.

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

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

Next Steps

If we receive a significant number of applications, we reserve the right to evaluate applications on the first two competencies of Technical Skills and Knowledge and Putting People at the Heart of the Environment only.

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 four competencies as set out in the Job Description.

Successful candidates will be allocated roles in merit order based on scores achieved at interview and in accordance with location preferences, taking into account the work area to which successful candidates are most suited, wherever possible.

Competencies

Competence  1 

Professional competency

Detail  

Technical Skills and Knowledge

Description  

STAR format is NOT required when providing evidence of this technical competency.

• A good understanding of DNA based technology, stemming from relevant applied experience or qualifications in a relevant scientific discipline (essential).

• A good understanding of the breadth of Natural England’s monitoring remit (desirable).

• Effective communication skills (verbal and written) including an ability to communicate about how DNA based technology can be used for environmental monitoring to non-technical audiences (essential).

• Experience of commissioning and managing contracts (desirable).

Competence 2  

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).

• Build relationships and effective networks both externally and internally to bring in fresh perspectives, approaches and evidence to raise the profile of both your individual specialist work and that of Natural England (Expert).

Competence 3  

Professional competency

Detail  

Work Delivery

Description  

• Identify priority evidence needs and seek ways to meet them (e.g. through funding or partnerships) (Practitioner).

  • Manage and deliver your work to meet agreed targets and deadlines (Expert).

Competence 4  

Professional competency

Detail  

Personal Effectiveness

Description  

• Test and challenge others in a constructive and evidence-based way providing scientific scrutiny, challenge and assurance to casework and other delivery that is practical and, where appropriate, cross-disciplinary (Practitioner).

  • Train, coach and mentor others to increase their capability to deliver the Science Evidence and Evaluation and People strategies and increase the organisation’s technical skill and capability (Practitioner).

• 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 average employer contribution of 27%

Job contact :

• Name : Wendy Holland
• Email : wendy.holland@naturalengland.org.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : defra-recruitment-enquiries@gov.sscl.com