Freshwater Lead Adviser (Ref: 5209)

The team  

Location: West Midlands Area Team

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

Job description  

As the freshwater agenda continues to grow within Natural England we are looking for a Lead Adviser to further develop freshwater delivery across the West Midlands. If you want to be a part of a team recovering nature, restoring natural functionality and improving our freshwater environment, there is no better place to do it.

Our freshwater work covers a huge range of unique habitats, from the meres and mosses which are internationally unique wetland sites, to the Severn Estuary and its diverse assemblage of migratory fish. Our protected sites also include the unique Cotswold Water Park, the stunning River Wye, as well as the River Clun and the Teme which hold one of the last remaining populations of freshwater pearl mussels in England. The work is diverse and there is huge opportunity to be part of a range of exciting projects, from beaver re-introductions & catchment modelling to mapping functional habitats for migratory fish. The variety of work will allow you to put your skills to best use in areas where you can excel  and get the best outcomes for wildlife

The roles will be supporting our Senior Specialist/ Senior Advisers in freshwater work whilst working closely with advisers across  Natural England teams, the Environment Agency and the Water Companies. It is expected that candidates will need a good understanding of freshwater issues, however it’s recognised that expertise will be developed as part of the role. The  successful applicants should be knowledgeable on water quality and/or resources and how the protected sites system works, however full training will be provided.

The successful candidates will be expected to travel to work with key customers across the areas.

Key Tasks:

• Work across the area team to ensure that freshwater delivery is fully embedded and supported across the relevant priorities. Work with all teams across the West Midlands to maximise environmental delivery.
• Deliver technical advice / input on water quality issues with specific emphasis on rivers, providing this advice across the team to support our work.
• Provide technical advice on water related casework, including basic hydrogeological advice on abstraction licences, water quality and water level issues arising on casework (planning, land management or Environment Agency consultations).
• Work with relevant water company plans, providing advice to maximise environmental outcomes. This may include Water Resource Management Plans and Drought Plans.
• Work closely with team members providing freshwater advice to support delivery of the Local Nature Recovery Strategies, as well as input into Catchment Delivery Plans.
• Provide support where necessary to relevant Catchment Based Approach partnerships groups to support delivery of Natural England’s vision.
• Work closely with the Water Senior Advisor and Headwaters Project Manager to develop our Headwaters Strategic project and support nature based solutions and Nature Recovery Network development across the area team.

Competencies

Competence 1  

Professional competency

Technical Skills & Knowledge – Essential

• Understand and apply the relevant environmental legislation to your work (Essential)
• Ability to identify how land interacts with the surrounding landscape and habitats e.g. through hydrological linkages and how proposals can impact protected features for example through source, receptor, pathway approaches (Essential)
• Ability to identify how proposals can contribute to environmental opportunities to enhance natural capital and deliver biodiversity net gain (Essential)
• Recognise, identify and interpret environmental features such as priority habitats and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) features and understand and advise on appropriate management techniques to maintain or enhance the condition of a SSSI or international site (Essential)
• Understand and apply relevant water legislation, policy and governance frameworks to your work, this includes an understanding of how it links to the aims, outcomes and priority actions in the focus areas (Essential)

Competence 2  

Professional competency

Putting People at the Heart of the Environment

• 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 3  

Professional competency

Personal Effectiveness

Description:

• Be ambitious, identify and adopt ways to make improvements in your team and whole organisation and inspire others to act (Practitioner)
• Make and explain objective decisions which combine your professional judgement and evidence (Practitioner)

Competence 4  

Professional competency

Work Delivery

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

Competence 5  

Professional competency

Creating Resilient Landscapes and Seas

• Identify appropriate solutions for avoidance, mitigation, compensation of environmental impacts and meeting shared outcomes; and identify opportunities for enhancing the natural environment. (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 : Andrew Nixon
• Email : andrew.nixon@naturalengland.org.uk
• Telephone : 07721096103

Recruitment team

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