Principal Biodiversity Economist 202340

Why JNCC?

We’re small enough (c.290 staff) that your voice is heard by everyone including the CEO, but big enough that we have all the skills, resources and people you’ll need to get the job done. All our staff are passionate about the natural environment and making a difference to the world we live in. We have a very flexible, inclusive and welcoming organisational culture. We provide employees with the freedom and tools you will need, support for your continued professional development, and a collaborative stimulating multidisciplinary work environment..  
 
Our vision is thriving nature for a sustainable future. Our strategic priorities from 2023 to 2030 are:

• Use our scientific expertise to facilitate a collective response to the global biodiversity crisis.
• Use our trusted expertise and judgement, advising on the effectiveness of existing policies, and on the design of new policies and action, to underpin progress towards nature recovery
• Lead the discussion to align action for nature and climate change, to deliver outcomes that tackle the climate breakdown and accelerate nature recovery.
• Continue to innovate and advance our learning on nature recovery, so that science, technology, and new digital knowledge is applied to tackle ecological collapse.
• Work collaboratively to support the transition to a sustainable blue/green economy, linking nature recovery to societal prosperity and wellbeing.
• Seek opportunities to integrate the value of nature into decision-making, mainstreaming nature recovery into other policy areas.
• Invest in our people and culture to ensure a motivated, inclusive, and learning organisation, where staff wellbeing is prioritised, and our partners are engaged and respected.

JNCC is committed to maintaining employee health and wellbeing, whether it is physically, emotionally, financially or socially, and offers a range of benefits to support employees in this. Such benefits include the option to join the Civil Service Pension Scheme, professional and personal development opportunities as well as an exciting job in a unique environment.  

Short Summary: Post background

Economists in JNCC work in a small, collaborative team, undertaking a variety of cross-cutting, high-profile projects. We work closely with UK government departments, country conservation bodies (such as Natural England and Nature Scot) and advise governments overseas.

To deliver ambitions on nature conservation and recovery and compete with other policy priorities in the UK and abroad – such as resource security (e.g. water, food and energy), economic growth and climate change – it will be essential to integrate the value of nature into policy making. For example, how could optimal land-use decisions incorporate nature positive measures that will result in better outcomes for food production, healthier environment, higher returns to farmers and greater well-being for society. This will require bold economic thinking, incorporating the framework of the Dasgupta Review for Economics for biodiversity, which accounts for humanity’s dependence on nature and sets the parameters for sustainable development that protects and enhances our prosperity and the natural environment.

The key areas of work for the post holder will include:

• Natural Capital Accounting: Advising and supporting on Natural Capital Ecosystem Accounting (NCEA) approaches that assess the provision of ecosystem services (ES). They will help develop ecological models and other tools assessing the impacts of human activities on the flow of ES services and their values.  The post holder will work with JNCC marine and terrestrial natural capital teams in assisting our government partners (UK and abroad) to develop tools for managing, supporting, and implementing NCEA approaches.

• Transitioning to Sustainable blue and green economy: This will encompass advising on a range of policy areas including 1) working with colleagues in UK governments to develop market frameworks aimed at increasing the flow of private investments into restoration and protection of marine/terrestrial habitats, 2) working with land-use policy colleagues to assess demand of land use decisions and identifying solutions that embed value of nature in these decisions 3) investigating emerging approaches to carrying out marine spatial prioritisation in UK seas, where economics, social and environmental dimensions are considered appropriately and 4) analysing sustainable and innovative financing options in the Overseas Territories (OTs), including the preparation of natural capital investment plans and 5) investigate the scale and impact of existing UK subsidies in sectors, such as agriculture and fishing, and advise on options to help incentivise outcomes that mitigates environmental damage and increases overall societal well-being

• Nature-proofing our international policy: There is the opportunity for UK trade and Official Development Assistance (ODA) spending decisions to integrate biodiversity to influence more nature-positive policies both through global footprint and in direct spend internationally. The post holder will be working with relevant teams in JNCC to help provide evidence on how the value nature can provide for achieving international trade, climate implementation plans, security (including food, water, and energy security) targets abroad.

• Enhancing JNCC impact and evaluating effectiveness: Increasing JNCC impact through appropriate deployment of cost-benefit analysis and cost-effective analysis techniques across terrestrial, marine and international projects.

• Generating new knowledge: Building partnerships with the economic research, development and innovation (RDI) community to explore and apply novel economic approaches that have the potential to further nature recovery. Capitalising on JNCC’s rich data assets to develop new models and analyses.

Post Duties 

The G7 Economist is a key leadership position within JNCC.  The post will report to the Chief Scientist and will have management responsibility for the economics team.

The principal responsibilities of the G7 Economist are to:

• Be a people leader for the economics team: providing technical and pastoral leadership to economics colleagues; guiding workloads, prioritisation and professional development.

• Work with the Chief Scientist to build economic capability through the organisation and acting as the ‘Head of’ for the Government Economic Service profession within JNCC.

• Provide thought leadership for economic functions – interfacing with natural sciences and policy – to ensure a coherent interdisciplinary approach is taken to JNCC advice and projects when appropriate.

• Working with the Director for UK co-ordination, International and Marine programmes to embed economic tools and approaches into statutory advice and novel emerging projects; to understand economic opportunity and demand across JNCC’s strategic delivery portfolio.

• Support mainstreaming nature into the policy agenda, by providing strong economic evidence of the value nature can provide for achieving gains from trade, higher returns from ODA spending, higher food production, achieve resource security (including food, water, and energy security) targets both at home and abroad, emphasising the links between nature, economic resilience and societal wellbeing.

• Develop productive working relationships at a senior level with stakeholders in UK and devolved governments, the wider public sector, NGOs and research organisations. Communicate and synthesize complex technical economic information to a non-technical audience.

• Be an effective member of senior management teams and programme boards.

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions

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

• GES – Application of knowledge
• GES – Analysis of data
• GES – Effective communication
• You must also possess the following Professional Memberships:
  o Applicants must be able to meet the requirements for the Government Economic Service (GES). This includes a degree in economics, specifically a first or upper second class honours degree wit

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

Job contact :

• Name : Recruitment Team
• Email : recruitment@jncc.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@jncc.gov.uk