Seascape & Landscape Senior Specialist(Ref: 5404)

Natural England

Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 1st October 2023

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Details

Reference number

312909

Salary

£33,736

A Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Job grade

Senior Executive Officer

Senior Specialist

Contract type

Permanent

Type of role

Environment and Sustainability

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Location

East Midlands (England), East of England, London (region), North East England, North West England, South East England, South West England, West Midlands (England), Yorkshire and the Humber

About the job

Job summary

This position is based nationally

Job description

This post sits within the Science Team. The Science team leads on the development and application of natural, economic and social science and evidence to drive and enable the achievement of environmental outcomes both within Natural England and externally.

Science, evidence and analysis are at the heart of Natural England's advice, operations and regulatory activity. To be successful in recovering nature, we need high quality, relevant and up to date evidence that is actively and confidently applied by all of us. This means we need, amongst other things, to understand what changes are happening in the natural environment and what interventions and actions work well.

Our underpinning science, evidence and analytical capability continues to grow, as we pursue our ambition to be an evidence-led organisation.

Job description

England’s seascapes and coastal landscapes are diverse and highly valued by people and they are coming under increasing pressure from climate change and high-profile development. This role is an exciting opportunity to proactively lead on our seascapes work to help influence positive change whilst contributing to our national expertise on all aspects of the conservation and enhancement of England’s seascape and landscapes. We are looking to recruit a Senior Specialist role that will have specific responsibilities for seascapes planning casework and seascapes evidence related work areas.

Working closely with other specialists, you will:

Provide specialist advice on reviews of Seascape, Landscape and Visual Impact Assessments (SLVIA) undertaken by NE staff and respond to potential requests for support for NE representation at planning inquiries, particularly where development affects designated landscapes and for major proposals in the wider countryside.
Working with key partners such as the Marine Management Organisation and other UK agencies more widely provide specialist advice on the strategic development of seascape character assessment/seascape sensitivity assessment and their application (linking to existing work which is reviewing how to enhance the use and awareness of landscape character assessment as a tool for managing change).
Provide a lead role on the embedding of seascape and coastal landscape evidence into the development of new and updated landscape evidence tools such as the National Character Area profiles, including citizen science and remote sensing approaches to data capture.
Develop and supervise seascape research and related contracts, interpret evidence and provide expert, practical advice at national and area team levels. Working with external partners you will work to achieve environmental outcomes support delivery of Natural England’s goals and the Defra Environmental Improvement Plan, 2023 (previously the 25 Year Environment Plan).

Specific responsibilities will develop and change over time and the post holder will need to maintain a flexible and adaptable attitude and approach. Initial broad work areas are described below:

In the context of the European Landscape Convention and Natural England’s wider statutory remit for landscape, provide expert technical and strategic advice on seascape and landscape, contributing to the Defra and Natural England aims for nature recovery including landscape enhancement through a range of policy interventions
Lead seascape and landscape research and/or monitoring projects building evidence to support seascape and landscape resilience including natural capital monitoring programmes underpinning Natural England’s statutory remit (set out in legislation such as the NERC Act 2006) as well as publish and communicate research findings to a range of audiences.
Respond to commissions from national or area teams for advice on strategic seascape planning issues including high risk casework on national infrastructure projects (such as offshore wind development and associated proposals potentially impacting on landscapes).
Help build seascape and landscape awareness and capability within Natural England national and area teams by developing training packages for NE staff, including contributing to the NE internal Landscape Network, and by providing bespoke mentoring and training via internal networks.
Represent Natural England on external groups and networks including our engagement with key seascape planning partners such as the UK Agencies, Defra and Arms Length Bodies i.e. EA, Landscape Institute, Royal Town Planning Institute, Marine Management Organisation, CPRE and academic institutions

The role will include a flexible mix of working from office locations, home working, and field visits.

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. 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:

Technical Skills & Knowledge.
Personal Effectiveness
Putting People at the Heart of the Environment
Work Delivery

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.

Examples should be given in no more than 250 words for each competency.

Competencies

Competence 1

Professional competency

Detail

Technical Skills and Knowledge (Star format not necessarily required for this competency)

Description

Qualified to degree level in Landscape or a related environmental discipline or have an equivalent level of applied experience (a post-graduate qualification is desirable). Applicants that do not hold a relevant degree should specify experience and outputs that demonstrate that they have an equivalent level of knowledge. Chartered membership of the Landscape Institute. (essential)

In-depth, working knowledge of Seascape, Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment and an ability to critically appraise drafts and review SLVIA submitted with development proposals and able to provide clear, practical feedback to advisers and consultants. (desirable).

A good knowledge of relevant national landscape and marine legislation and environmental regulations influencing NE’s statutory remit for landscape including designated areas and the wider countryside (essential)

In-depth, working knowledge of National Character Areas and landscape tools such as landscape and seascape character assessment methods (and how they can be applied in the context of complex seascape and landscape planning casework; including experience of working towards integrated environmental outcomes. (essential)

Experience in managing innovative projects and contracts relating to seascape/landscape research or monitoring seascape/landscape change, together with publication and effective presentation of findings. (desirable)

In-depth, working knowledge of Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment and an ability to critically appraise drafts and review LVIA submitted with development proposals and able to provide clear, practical feedback to advisers and consultants. (desirable)

Good verbal and written communication skills. The successful candidate must be able to work effectively as part of a team and to explain complex concepts in a meaningful way. (essential)

Competence 2

Professional competency

Detail

Personal Effectiveness

Description

Develop your professional expertise by keeping up to date with current evidence and research, aiming to develop a broad portfolio of expertise relevant to your specialism) to enable you to provide holistic advice and to provide support, assurance and challenge across a wide range of topics (expert)

Research, produce and contribute to specialist products such as articles, think pieces, peer reviewed papers, reports and conference presentations for both general and technical readerships, both internal and external (expert)

Develop your personal impact skills in influencing, thought leadership, assertiveness by applying expertise in a proportionate and appropriate way and communicating to have impact (practitioner)

Test and challenge others in a constructive and evidence-based way providing scientific scrutiny, challenge and assurance so that the guidance you provide is practical and, where appropriate, cross-disciplinary (Expert)

Competence 3

Professional competency

Detail

Putting People at the Heart of the Environment

Description

Build relationships and effective networks both externally and internally to bring in fresh perspectives, approaches and evidence to raise the profile of both your individual specialist work and that of Natural England (expert)

Work proactively and collaboratively with stakeholders and partners to identify and secure opportunities to deliver gains for people and nature (practitioner)

Competence 4

Professional competency

Detail

Work Delivery

Description

Manage and deliver your work to meet agreed targets and deadlines (expert)

Understand evaluation and apply it to your work at an appropriate scale in order to identify the impact of our evidence or interventions and opportunities for improvement (practitioner)

Identify and apply the most appropriate data and methodologies for your analysis, utilising reproducible analytical pipelines and data science approaches where appropriate (practitioner)

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £33,736, Natural England contributes £9,142 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

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%

Things you need to know

Selection process details

Please refer to Job Description

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

UK nationals
nationals of the Republic of Ireland
nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.