Catchment Sensitive Farming Integration Lead Advisor(Ref: 5678)

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 Cheshire to Lancashire Team provide environmental leadership across an area of 6 million people and home to some magnificent natural assets, where Nature Recovery and Partnerships are at the heart of everything we do. Restoring habitats, reconnecting the natural environment, and connecting people with nature across the Lancashire uplands of West Pennine Moors and Bowland Fells, the wetlands and rivers of Cheshire, the wildlife-rich Irish Sea coast and urban heartland of Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region.  

Job description 1 

We are seeking a dynamic and motivated individual to join our team as a Catchment Sensitive Farming Integration Lead. The aim of this role is to integrate farm advice into landscape scale delivery, with the primary focus being on the ground, providing advice directly to farmers. In addition to this, the role-holder will collaborate with partner organizations and the agricultural industry to enhance our delivering of a range of priority outcomes across focus areas.

In this role, you will play a crucial part in integrating catchment sensitive farming practices into landscape-scale nature recovery initiatives across focus areas. This position offers a unique opportunity to collaborate with partners and engage directly with farmers, to enhance water quality, restore floodplains, meres, and mosses, and promote sustainable farming practices.

The role would require weekly site visit therefore local knowledge and living in proximity to the area would be beneficial.

Key Tasks:

Landscape Scale Nature Recovery:

• Developing proposed projects in focus areas, identifying which are deliverable through CSF advice and then taking them forward into actions on the ground through the delivery of existing catchment leads or independently.
• Working with partner organisations to identify and generate projects, where CSF delivery results in landscape scale nature recovery.

Farm Advisory Services:

• Provide expert advice to farmers and landowners on implementing sustainable farming practices that contribute to water quality improvement and habitat restoration.
• Deliver information sessions, workshops, training and one-on-one consultations to promote the adoption of countryside stewardships and sustainable farming incentives.
• Secure agreement and ownership in core areas on key pollution issues and solutions, driving change in land management practices on farms.
• Advise on Environmental Land Management applications in focus areas, to deliver suitable land management options and/or capital items.

 Partnership Development:

• Foster strong relationships with local farmers, agricultural communities, and relevant stakeholders to build a collaborative approach to catchment sensitive farming.
• Work closely with government agencies, NGOs, and community groups to leverage resources and support for the implementation of nature recovery initiatives.
• Communicate, advocate, and promote CSF activity internally with Natural England colleagues and externally with farmers, land managers, and partners.
• Work with NE colleagues and partners such as the Environment Agency, water companies, and catchment partnerships to deliver a joined-up approach, with a key focus on the Lost Wetlands and Great Manchester Wetland Partners.

The successful candidate will have:

A degree in agriculture, conservation, or equivalent degree and/or relevant experience (Essential)

Experience in providing on farm advice to farmers and being able to communicate effectively with farmers and persuade them to engage with CSF (Essential)

UK Driving License (Essential)

Experience of nurturing trusting partnerships, collaborating to achieve pragmatic outcomes that help deliver our vision, missions and aims (Desirable).

Good level of agricultural knowledge and agri-environment schemes, such as Countryside Stewardship Scheme, and a basic knowledge of ArcGIS or similar GIS software will be useful (Desirable)

It is essential that the post holder has a current, valid, full UK driving licence. Some national travel may be required, which might involve overnight stays.

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:

Putting People at the Heart of the Environment

Personal Effectiveness 

Work Delivery 

Technical Skills 

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 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  

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 the organisation you represent (Practitioner)
  • Work proactively and collaboratively with stakeholders and partners to identify and secure opportunities to deliver gains for people and nature (Practitioner)

Competence 2  

Professional competency

Detail  

Personal Effectiveness

Description  

• Use clear and appropriate language, communication styles and techniques that engage your audience (Basic)
  • Make and explain objective decisions which combine your professional judgement and evidence (Practitioner)

Competence 3  

Professional competency

Detail  

Work delivery

Description  

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

Competence 4  

Professional competency

Detail  

Technical Skills /Specialist Knowledge (STAR format is not required when answering the Technical Skills & Specialist Knowledge competency)

Description  

A degree in agriculture, conservation, or equivalent degree and/or relevant experience (Essential)
Experience in providing on farm advice to farmers and being able to communicate effectively with farmers and persuade them to engage with CSF (Essential)
Experience of nurturing trusting partnerships, collaborating to achieve pragmatic outcomes that help deliver our vision, missions and aims (Desirable).
Good level of agricultural knowledge and agri-environment schemes, such as Countryside Stewardship Scheme, and a basic knowledge of ArcGIS or similar GIS software will be useful (Desirable)

• 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 : Rebecca Wright
• Email : Rebecca.wright@naturalengland.org.uk
• Telephone : 07500249185

Recruitment team

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