Marine Lead Advisor(Ref: 5666)

We have a vacancy for a Marine Lead Adviser in the Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Area Team. The role will deliver our marine work with a focus in Devon and Cornwall. This exciting key role is vital to the delivery of Natural England’s marine vision in this area. You will be working on some of the most biodiverse marine sites in England and should be ambitious to recover marine nature.

The role will cover the subtidal and intertidal marine areas and will involve monitoring marine ecosystems, the provision of both statutory and discretionary advice to regulators and developers relating to the potential impacts of planned or licensed activities in and around marine protected areas, and partnership work to deliver improvements to marine and coastal habitats. The successful candidate will join the Area Team marine cohort working flexibly, collaboratively, and proactively with others to deliver the Team’s marine work plan.

The role could also involve the mentorship, guidance, and leadership of Adviser-level staff. Collaborative, larger-scale work coastal and terrestrial colleagues within the Area Team will also be identified and undertaken to support our vision for the conservation of habitats and ecosystems at the landscape scale in Natural England’s Priority Places. In Devon these places include the Exe Estuary, Plymouth and the Tamar Estuaries, The Taw and Torridge estuaries and the Axe Estuary. 

The successful candidate will be proactive, flexible, adaptable, and creative, with a commitment not only to creating resilient landscapes and seas through conservation of marine flora and fauna, but also to meeting Natural England’s vision of connecting people with nature. A thorough understanding of legislation around marine species and ecosystem conservation is essential. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate extensive experience of nature recovery work within the marine environment, their ability to solve complex problems and to enthusiastically build strong and productive stakeholder relationships.

Job description 1 

• Protected sites casework: Providing statutory advice to regulatory bodies on the impact of plans and projects on across multiple protected sites designations and advising on impacts to seascapes and the wider environment. 
• Fisheries: Advising fisheries regulators on the impact of fisheries within and outside Marine Protected Areas and working with regulators to ensure Devon’s inshore fisheries are sustainable, well managed, and compatible with nature recovery. 
• Marine Protected Area conservation advice and condition assessment: Updating conservation advice packages for Marine Protected Areas, assessing evidence on site feature condition, and reporting against condition targets set in conservation advice packages. 
• Nature recovery: Working on NE and stakeholder-led projects on marine nature recovery, covering habitat restoration, improvement, and creation, and contributing to the development and implementation of the marine biodiversity net gain approach. 
• Marine monitoring and evidence: Building an organised and accessible evidence base which meets our standards for marine evidence, by collecting data through the monitoring of Marine Protected Areas to both assess their condition and inform their future management, whilst contributing to the marine Natural Capital Ecosystem Assessment.  
• Income generation: Identifying and delivering on opportunities to improve the potential for commercial income to the area team, through the provision of discretionary advice to developers to achieve better outcomes for nature and through other work with partners, to secure external funding for projects that align with Natural England’s vision. 
• Priority place working: Building strong relationships with partners and customers to identify and develop opportunities to achieve shared outcomes with different organisations and groups, informing and influencing these via the sharing of knowledge and evidence. Leading internal marine representation in a multi-disciplinary working group with a place-based focus.
• Developing yourself and others: Participate in relevant internal technical networks, showing leadership & sharing best practice with others to support development of strategic approaches to challenges, and promote skills development across the wider team.

This role may involve working outside, and regular travel including to sites, with occasional overnight stays.

Competencies

Competence   1

Professional competency

Detail  

Technical Skills

Description  

Technical skills and knowledge (STAR format answers not required)
Essential
• Relevant degree and / or experience of working in the marine/coastal environment.
• An understanding of the ecology for a variety of marine / coastal habitats and species.
• Knowledge of the impacts of activities / pressures on marine and coastal environment.
• Experience of/capability in interpreting evidence in relation to habitats, species, activities, condition, etc.
• Experience of data analysis, environmental monitoring, and the use of evidence.

Desirable
• Previous experience of working with marine / coastal stakeholders.
• Knowledge of legislation relating to the marine and coastal environment.
• Driving licence.

Competence 2  

Professional competency

Detail  

Work Delivery (Practitioner)

Description  

• Manage and deliver your work to meet agreed targets and deadlines (Practitioner)
  • Understand and apply relevant policy, legislation, governance frameworks and strategies to your work (Practitioner)

Competence 3  

Professional competency

Detail  

Personal Effectiveness (Practitioner)

Description  

• Share expertise and knowledge with people and networks so that you can develop together (Basic)
  • Use clear and appropriate language, communication styles and techniques that engage your audience (Basic)

Competence 4  

Professional competency

Detail  

Creating resilient landscapes & seas (Practitioner)

Description  

• Understand the environmental value of designated sites and explain that to partners, stakeholders and customers.
  • Understand how natural processes, land/sea management and use impact the conservation and management of geodiversity, the marine and historic environments

• 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 : Rachel Knott
• Email : Rachel.knott@naturalengland.org.uk

Recruitment team

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