£36,000 pa + company benefits

Full time, standard annual contracts (with the strong expectation of continuing renewal), start date 4th April 2022.
The closing date for applications is 5pm on 1st February 2022. 

You will be notified by 7th February if you have been selected for interview.
Interviews will be held (probably virtually) on 14th February.

How to apply:  

Send your CV and a covering letter to sarah.garratt@naturespaceuk.com by 1st February 2022.

The role

This is an exciting opportunity to join a young company in a ground-breaking project that is delivering a step-change in the conservation of great crested newts. The role would suit a mid-career graduate planner or ecologist looking looking to join the management team of a friendly and growing company that is working with developers, planning authorities and NGOs to deliver high-quality conservation outcomes. The successful applicant will lead and manage a team of a dozen graduate ecologists who are all employed as ‘Newt officers’ supporting Local Authorities across England to deliver District Licensing. The role’s primary responsibility is to lead our operational team to ensure NatureSpace and our partner Local Authorities deliver our mission to the highest possible standards and produce the greatest possible conservation outcomes.

Background

Natural England have granted ‘District Licences’ for great crested newts to planning authorities across England. The scheme allows planning authorities to authorise (under strictly defined terms) activities which affect newts at the same time as they grant planning permission. The District Licensing scheme has significant advantages for newt conservation (and wider biodiversity benefits) through a fully funded region-wide conservation strategy that creates high quality habitat at a landscape scale and delivers long-term management and monitoring for newts. The scheme benefits developers because the licensing process for great crested newts is simplified and streamlined.

The District Licensing scheme is administered by NatureSpace, is adopted by the Local Planning Authorities, is regulated and approved by Natural England and is supported by the country’s leading amphibian and freshwater NGOs – Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust and the Freshwater Habitats Trust. The habitat creation, management and monitoring are delivered by a not-for-profit Community Benefit Society – the Newt Conservation Partnership, which works with landowners and managers to create and manage ponds and other habitats across the region.

As part of the scheme, ‘Newt Officers’ are employed by NatureSpace to provide local support for developers, planners and ecologists. The Newt Officers – normally one per county – work with and for their Local Authorities – providing direct technical and administrative support to planning departments – to make sure the District Licensing scheme works well for all stakeholders. The role of each of the individual County Newt Officer covers:

• Raising general awareness of GCN licensing requirements and the licensing scheme and informing the public, developers, ecologists and planners
• Ensuring good planning decisions through administrative and technical support to planners, developers and ecologists, including site visits to inform, monitor and enforce planning conditions
• Providing a local point of contact for all stakeholders

Main duties of the role – the Operations Manager will:

1. lead and manage, support, drive, enthuse and inspire, the team of Newt Officers in all aspects of their work creating a vibrant and positive team spirit across a team that is home-based and scattered across England
2. ensure best practice is adopted and followed wherever the NatureSpace scheme is licensed across the country
3. liaise closely with the Manager of the Technical Team to ensure joined-up working across the Company and contribute fully to the overall management of the Company
4. report to the Director of Conservation

The successful candidate will have: 

1. At least a relevant degree (e.g. in ecology, planning, management)
2. At least two years’ experience of leading and managing people in any of the private, charitable or statutory sectors
3. An enthusiasm for nature conservation and alignment with the Company mission

Essential key skills: 

1. An excellent communicator with good inter-personal skills
2. Highly literate and numerate with excellent IT skills – able to QA the work of others quickly and effectively
3. Organised, methodical and conscientious – able to juggle and prioritise multiple cases, enquiries and tasks, and work efficiently to meet tight deadlines
4. Self-motivated and independent – able to work flexibly with minimal supervision
5. A good understanding of UK nature conservation and protected species legislation in England and/or
6. A good understanding of UK planning practice and policy in Local Authorities
7. Full driving licence and access to a car for business travel

Employment benefits and location: 

NatureSpace Partnership is a small but growing (c25 staff) company. The successful candidates will be joining a friendly, close-working team of home-workers. The post holder will have responsibility for managing workload and working independently, as part of a dispersed national team. The post requires high levels of motivation and high standards of self-management. Location is flexible – this post will be mainly desk-based but some site visits and travelling to meetings may be required.

We offer a significant benefits package for all staff including: flexible working, flexible annual leave, free leave over the Christmas period, annual performance bonus of up to 20% salary, company pension contributions, private health and life insurance, electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme.