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***Please Note: This role is based at the Sheffield Office***

About the team

This vacancy is an exciting opportunity to be involved in the Biodiversity Gain Site Register programme, one of the most significant change projects for Natural England, delivering the government’s flagship policy on Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). You will be at the forefront of helping to build a new function, the Register Operator. This new and significant function, of over 125 people, will involve working at pace, and in partnership across Natural England to ensure we have a highly skilled and performing team.

At Natural England, we love what we do. We’re here to make sure people and nature can thrive. A healthy natural environment is fundamental to our wellbeing, prosperity, and happiness – that’s why we collaborate with scientists, lawyers, project managers and experts to implement environmental policy and shape decisions.

Net Gain is an approach to development and or/land management that aims to leave the natural environment in a measurably better state than beforehand. This means protecting existing habitats and ensuring that lost or degraded environmental features are compensated for by restoration, or by creating features that are of greater environmental value.

The Environment Bill will make the Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) approach to development mandatory in the English planning system. It will require planning applicants to deliver 10% BNG, as measured by the Biodiversity Metric, on their own development site or at an offsite location, in order to receive planning permission from the Local Planning Authority (LPA).

About NE

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

About the role

Key responsibilities.

The roles and responsibilities vary per area, Generic responsibilities are:

• Handling queries and applications for various customers, including developers and landowners.
• Engaging with customers both verbally and via email.
• Managing a range of mailboxes and ensure consistency in all communications with internal and external customers.
• Act as a first point of contact for our customers, managing general enquiries and providing our customers with a response.
• Ensuring administration processes efficiently followed and act where issues are identified.
• Actively seeking feedback from our customers through a range of ways.
• Sharing knowledge and continuous learning whilst dealing with customers.
• Collecting and inputting data onto various systems.
• Acknowledging complaints within deadlines.
• Providing flexibility in supporting colleagues with a range of duties.
• Contacting other National Delivery teams to ensure a timely response to enquiries and complaints.

Technical/specialist knowledge/qualifications:

Previous environmental or ecological experience/knowledge is not required for these roles. Full training will be given to successful candidates.

• A working knowledge of Microsoft applications such as Excel, Word and Outlook (Desirable)
• Experience in/evidence of providing advice to customers and/or stakeholders (Desirable).
• Experience in/evidence of applying effective communication skills (verbal and written) in conveying complex and/or difficult messages to a variety of different audiences (Desirable).
• Experience of working in a fast-paced environment delivering work within deadlines and contributing to team targets (Desirable)
• Ability to build relationships and resolve complaints /queries / Problems in a timely matter (Desirable)
• Experience in delivering continuous improvement through delivery (Desirable)

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.

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:

When completing the application form you should present relevant examples using the STAR format.

• Situation
• Task
• Action
• Result

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

Personal Effectiveness

Description

• Use clear and appropriate language, communication styles and technique (Basic)
• Share expertise and knowledge with people and networks so that you can develop together (Basic)
• Act with integrity, addressing challenging issues and managing conflict through being open and honest (Basic)

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, and comply with delegations, policies, and procedures (Basic)

Competence 3 Professional competency

Detail

Technical Skills and Knowledge

Description

• Ability to build relationships and resolve complaints /queries /problems in a timely matter (Desirable)
• Experience in/evidence of providing advice to customers and/or stakeholders (Desirable).

Contact and additional information (Recruiters Name, Email and Phone Number)

Samantha Wallace [email protected]

Ellen McCurdy [email protected]

• 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 :
Samantha Wallace
Email :
[email protected]

Recruitment team

Email :
[email protected]