NatureSpace are recruiting for a Technical Officer Role and a Newt Officer Role – to find out more on both positions please read below:
Technical Officer
£24,000 pa
Full time, fixed term contract (initially for 1 year but with the expectation of renewal)
The closing date for applications is 5pm on 10th August 2020.
You will be notified by 17th August if you have been selected for interview.
Interviews will be held (virtually) on Tuesday 25th August.
How to apply:
Send your CV and a covering letter to sarah.garratt@naturespaceuk.com before 5pm on Friday 10th August 2020 – Subject heading Technical Officer Vacancy.
The role:
This is an exciting opportunity for an early-career graduate to work on a ground-breaking project, working to deliver a step-change in the conservation of great crested newts.
This role would suit an early-career graduate looking to join a small, friendly company that is working with planning authorities and NGOs to deliver better conservation outcomes. The postholder will use GIS to analyse impacts of development on great crested newts, following defined processes and protocols. Attention to detail and a meticulous approach to assessments, report writing, and recording, as well as the ability to work within strict deadlines, are paramount for this post. Training and guidance will be provided, and day-to-day support will be available for all aspects of the work.
Main duties:
- The Technical Officer will work within the NatureSpace Technical Team, providing accurate quotes, assessments, reports and certificates in line with the deadlines, standards and critical requirements of the district licensing scheme. All work to be conducted and delivered to the high standards expected of NatureSpace staff.
2. The Technical Officer will need to liaise in a professional, confident and knowledgeable manner with:
- Developers (prospective and current clients)
- Ecologists and environmental/planning consultants
- Local Planning Authority GCN officers, ecologists and planners
- The Newt Conservation Partnership
- NatureSpace colleagues
- Other interested stakeholders
3. The Technical Officer will be required to complete casework administration to agreed standards and processes, including:
- Daily maintenance of up-to-date live casework tracking and recording systems
- Data management, e.g. to record habitat and impact information
4. The Technical Officer will be required to undertake or assist with further technical work for the company where required, for example:
- client meetings, where appropriate, to discuss case specific examples
- website and other media maintenance and updates
- mapping work for publications, presentations, etc as required
- internal IT support
5. The Technical Officer will need a close working relationship with the Technical Lead and other Technical Officers, the Conservation Director and Newt Officers to ensure that assessments are accurate, informed, communicated effectively and work well within the planning and licensing framework.
6. The Technical Officer will be responsible for managing their own workload and working independently, as part of a small national team. We are a friendly, close-working team of home-workers. There will be high levels of personal flexibility and responsibility given, but equally high standards of self-management (time recording etc) will be required. The Technical Officer will need to be an organised, motivated and a mature ‘self-starter’, able to manage multiple ongoing tasks. Full training and guidance will be provided for all functions, and day-to-day support will be available for all aspects of the work.
7. Any other duties and functions as are deemed necessary to best implement the District Licensing scheme on behalf of NatureSpace.
The successful candidate will have:
- A relevant degree (e.g. in ecology, environmental management, environmental geography)
- Knowledge and understanding of ecological impact assessment and/or biodiversity in planning
- A genuine enthusiasm for ecology and conservation in the UK
Essential key skills:
- An excellent communicator with good inter-personal skills – able to liaise proactively and confidently with clients, consultants (e.g. ecologists, planners), planning and other regulatory authorities, NGO partners and colleagues
- A detail-focussed analyst, able to deliver critical analysis of projects using knowledge of great crested newt (GCN) ecology and impact assessment
- Understanding of European Protected Species legislation and licensing requirements in England
- Highly literate, able to prepare documents quickly and diligently to a high standard, following defined processes, protocols and guidance.
- Excellent I.T. skills
- Competence in using GIS software, preferably ArcGIS or QGIS
- Organised, methodical and conscientious – able to juggle and prioritise multiple cases, enquiries and tasks, and work efficiently to meet tight deadlines
- Self-motivated and independent – able to work flexibly and with minimal supervision, as part of a small dispersed team
- Willingness and ability to travel as necessary
Desirable key skills:
- Practical experience with GCN – preferably first-hand field experience of surveying, GCN mitigation methods and compensation projects
- Knowledge and experience of the local planning system
- Full driving licence and access to a car for business travel
- Marketing experience
- Website administration experience
- Coding / programming experience (including R)
Employment and location:
NatureSpace Partnership is a small, growing company. The successful candidate will be joining a friendly, close-working team of home-workers. The post holder will have responsibility for managing their own workload and working independently, as part of a dispersed national team. The post requires high levels of motivation and high standards of self-management (time recording etc. will be required). Location is to be agreed – this post will be mainly desk based but with some site visits and travelling to meetings required.
Newt Officer South Midlands District Licensing Project – Bedfordshire region
£24,000 pa
Full time, fixed term contract (initially for 1 year but with the expectation of renewal)
The closing date for applications is 5pm on 10th August 2020.
You will be notified by 17th August if you have been selected for interview.
Interviews will be held (virtually) on Monday 24th August.
How to apply:
Send your CV and a covering letter to sarah.garratt@naturespaceuk.com before 5pm on Friday 10th August 2020 – subject heading Newt Officer (Bedfordshire) Post Vacancy.
The role:
This is an exciting opportunity for an early-career graduate to work on a ground-breaking project, working to deliver a step-change in the conservation of great crested newts.
This role would suit an early-career graduate looking to join a small, friendly company that is working with planning authorities and NGOs to deliver better conservation outcomes.
Main duties:
- Raise general awareness of the district licensing scheme
- With developers, agents, planners, consultants, etc. – through LPA webpages, literature, meetings, etc.
- Within the LPAs – to promote the scheme and the conservation strategy amongst staff and Members
- Enable good planning decisions
- Ensure LPA staff are familiar with the district licensing scheme and the processes and protocols
- Provide specific and general advice to planners on reports, certificates and authorisations under the district licence
- Help ensure that licence requirements are appropriately translated into planning conditions
- Help ensure that all developments properly address their ecological impacts
- Monitor developer compliance with any newt-related planning conditions under the scheme
- Provide a point of contact for newt-related matters for the LPA(s) to liaise with NatureSpace Partnership, the Newt Conservation Partnership and Natural England as required.
- Ensure relevant LPA staff and Members are informed of the outputs and outcomes of the district licensing scheme, as appropriate
- Participate in and contribute to the Newt Officer network across the wider District Licensing area. Including bi-monthly catch up meetings and regular NatureSpace and Newt Conservation Partnership meetings.
- Any other duties and functions as are deemed necessary to best implement the District Licensing scheme on behalf of NatureSpace.
The successful candidate will have:
- A relevant degree in ecology or environmental management
- Knowledge and understanding of ecological impact assessment and/or biodiversity in planning
- Knowledge of European Protected Species legislation, planning and licensing policies
- A genuine enthusiasm for ecology and conservation in the UK
- A full driving licence with access to a car for business travel.
Essential key skills:
- An excellent communicator with good inter-personal skills – able to liaise proactively and confidently with clients, consultants (e.g. ecologists, planners), planning and other regulatory authorities, NGO partners and colleagues
- Highly literate, able to prepare documents quickly and diligently to a high standard, following defined processes, protocols and guidance.
- Excellent I.T. skills
- Organised, methodical and conscientious – able to juggle and prioritise multiple cases, enquiries and tasks, and work efficiently to meet tight deadlines
- Self-motivated and independent – able to work flexibly and with minimal supervision, as part of a small dispersed team
- Willingness and ability to travel as necessary
Desirable key skills:
- Experience in great crested newt survey and or mitigation practice
- Competence in using GIS software, preferably ArcGIS or QGIS
Employment and location:
NatureSpace Partnership is a small, growing company. The successful candidate will be employed by NatureSpace Partnership and seconded to support local planning authorities in Bedfordshire. The postholder will be expected to spend the majority of their time working alongside planning and ecology colleagues within Council offices as well as working remotely from home where necessary.
The post will be mainly desk based but will also require site visits across both relevant local planning authority areas. There will also be additional travel requirements for attending annual meetings and/or training sessions. The post requires high levels of motivation and high standards of self-management (time recording etc. will be required).
Find out more on NatureSpace and our district licence scheme.
