King Charles III England Coast Path Lead Adviser (Ref: 5549)

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.
• Providing ways for people to better connect with nature, including green social prescribing.

We are the Government’s advisor 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

Natural England’s Thames Solent Area Team covers Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Surrey, Hampshire, London and the Isle of Wight. Our main offices are in Reading, Eastleigh, and London.

We are the largest local delivery team in Natural England and are responsible for protecting the natural environment across a patch of land and coast from the New Forest in the west, to London and Surrey in the east and including the Isle of Wight. This area contains a range of rare habitats which are critical for biodiversity for both the United Kingdom and Europe, With the proximity to centres of population, we have the opportunity to promote greater connection with nature for all the benefits it brings.

King Charles III England Coast Path Lead Adviser

The King Charles III England Coast Path (KCIII ECP) is a new National Trail being created by Natural England. For the first time people will have the right of access around all our open coast both along the Trail and usually over the associated ‘coastal margin’.

There are eight teams or hubs around the coast of England delivering the KCIII ECP. This post is based in the South Hub, focused on creating the trail sections between the Dorset-Hampshire border and Chichester Harbour,, including the Isle of Wight The role sits within a small operational team, and will work with local and national colleagues, local authorities, landowners and wider stakeholders.

Role Description

• Lead on the Establishment phase of the King Charles III England Coast Path. You will work with Local Authorities to implement the path on the ground following award of establishment grants.
• Lead Walk-the-Course events with access authorities to finalise infrastructure requirements.
• Lead on producing reports including liaising with the Geographical Information team on Trimble data and map production. 
• Lead on specified objections and representations, familiarising yourself with cases, preparing responses and producing further information for the Planning Inspectorate as required.
• Establish working relationships with landowners and wider stakeholders; seek constructive solutions to issues that may arise.
• Contribute to stretch project planning; identify and manage risks to delivery; seek opportunities to improve the project.
• Lead on Coast Path launch events, including press releases and coordination of communications across Defra and NE.
• Lead partnership working on the development of interpretation materials to improve the experience for Coast Path users and help protect sensitive habitats.

Additional information

• Regular site visits to the Solent coast and/or the Isle of Wight will be necessary for this role.
• The post will involve some outside fieldwork; including navigating stretches of the Coast Path on foot, across varied terrain (approx..5-6 miles).

There may be some lone working involved, in line with safe-working policy and practice.

• There may be occasions when out of hours meetings, travel, or overnight stays may be required.

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 that our staff will 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 geographic 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

This post is suitable for applicants within reasonable travelling distance of the Thames Solent area (Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Surrey & London). 

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
• 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 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.

Competencies

Competence 1 Professional competency

Detail 

Technical Skills and Knowledge
(There is no requirement to use STAR format to demonstrate this competency, but please provide evidence of your experience)

Description 

• A degree level qualification or similar, preferably in related disciplines such as: geography; landscape, environmental or countryside management (essential)
• Proficient in mapping software and/or database management (essential)
• Ability to drive – a full UK driving licence (essential)
• Knowledge of Coastal Access, Rights of Way or Open Access legislation (desirable)
• Knowledge of UK nature conservation policies and processes (desirable)
• Basic understanding of Project Management principles (desirable)

Competence 2 Professional competency

Detail 

Work Delivery

Description 

• Manage and deliver your work to meet agreed targets and deadlines. (Practitioner)
• Handle data responsibly, understand your role in good governance frameworks and comply with delegations, policies and procedures. (Practitioner)

Competence 3 Professional competency

Detail 

Personal Effectiveness

Description 

• Act with integrity, addressing challenging issues and managing conflict through being open and objective. (Practitioner)
• Make and explain objective decisions which combine your professional judgement and evidence. (Practitioner)
• Use clear and appropriate language, communication styles and techniques that engage your audience. (Basic)

Competence 4 Professional competency

Detail 

Putting People at the Heart of the Environment

Description 

• Listen to and understand our diverse partners and customers so that you achieve the best outcomes for them and Natural England. (Practitioner)
• Nurture trusting partnerships and collaborate to achieve pragmatic outcomes that help deliver Natural England’s vision, mission and aims. (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 : Rachael Jameson
• Email : rachael.jameson@naturalengland.org.uk
• Telephone : 07342 056 446

Recruitment team

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