6334 - BNG Metric Team Senior Specialist

Natural England; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A government environmental agency in the UK is looking for an experienced individual to join their Biodiversity Metric Team. This role focuses on developing the Biodiversity Metric Toolkit and requires strong ecological knowledge, proficiency in Excel, and excellent communication skills. Candidates will lead projects while working with stakeholders across the development industry and local authorities. Join us to support biodiversity initiatives that benefit nature and communities.

Qualifications

• Sound knowledge of ecological principles for habitat creation and management.
• Good understanding of BNG policy and UK planning system.
• Ability to advise on project parameters and condition assessments.

Responsibilities

• Develop and enhance the Biodiversity Metric Toolkit.
• Advise on biodiversity audit parameters.
• Lead and deliver complex projects with tight deadlines.

Skills

Ecological knowledge

Communication skills

Data analysis

Project management

Negotiation skills

Tools

Excel

Microsoft Word

PowerPoint

Job description

Overview

Join us in shaping a future where nature and people thrive. Whether you're drawn to hands-on conservation or playing a vital part behind the scenes, your work at Natural England will support lasting benefits for the environment and society.

Our Role

Natural England is the Government’s adviser for the natural environment and the Nature regulator with a wide range of statutory duties and powers. We provide the evidence, expertise and advice to recover Nature and shape better places for people to live. We do this working through and with others.

Our Priorities

• Drive Nature recovery at a greater scale and faster pace than before by supporting large scale projects and making it easier for landowners to get permissions for Nature positive change.
• Tackle the root causes of Nature’s decline working with Defra partners to ensure cleaner air, clean and plentiful water, healthier soils and rich, productive seas.
• Partner with planners and developers on “high nature; low carbon” houses, energy and transport infrastructure and introduce strategic solutions so development can also protect and restore Nature.
• Support food security and sustainable farming, forestry and fishing through targeted advice and the right mix of public and private finance.
• Shape better places for people to work and live by providing clear evidence and advice to our partners, using spatial plans for Nature as a framework for investment and joined up action.
• Connect communities with Nature and create Nature close to people’s homes, ensuring everyone gains from the health benefits Nature can bring.

Find out more about the work of Natural England at www.gov.uk/government/organisations/natural-england

Job description

The Role

The Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) Metric Team sits within the Chief Scientist Directorate in Natural England and operates at the interface between science and policy. The Biodiversity Metric is fundamental to BNG, and it provides the measurability that the entire policy is based upon. The BNG Metric Team leads on the development of the Biodiversity Metric Toolkit and the science and evidence that underpins it. We balance policy ambition and ecological credibility using creative design and problem solving to find bespoke solutions to policy and technical challenges. This enables Biodiversity Net Gain and other policy areas to access a straightforward, robust and repeatable means of auditing and accounting for biodiversity gains and losses.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the team responsible for the ongoing development of the biodiversity metric. This important tool is key to BNG and other emerging policy areas. We are looking to appoint experienced individuals with good ecological knowledge, an understanding of Excel and strong communication skills to provide strategic and technical leadership around the future development and testing of Biodiversity Metric tools within Natural England and with key partners and stakeholders. The successful candidate will be based within the Metric Team but will work alongside other BNG programme delivery, monitoring and data leads, other colleagues across the Defra family, and a wide range of stakeholders including the development industry, local authorities, and environmental Non-Governmental Organisation (NGOs).

Key Tasks / Principal Accountabilities

• A sound knowledge of general ecological principles relating to the creation/enhancement and management of a wide range of habitats and associated features
• A good working knowledge of wider environmental protections in the UK planning system and industry – e.g. protected sites, mitigation hierarchy, district level licencing, irreplaceable habitats etc.
• A good understanding of broad BNG policy and wider planning policy
• A good working knowledge of the biodiversity metric and the ability to work collaboratively to make, recommend and defend changes to it.
• The ability to advise on the parameters for assessing condition, delivery risks and creation/enhancement timescales for a wide range of habitats
• A good knowledge of a range of habitat classification systems used in the UK
• Strong communication, presentation and negotiation skills – oral and written
• A strong track record of partnership working and the ability to listen, empathise with and take on board others’ views whilst presenting potential options
• The ability to analyse large and complex data sets and a strong track record of using evidence and analysis to articulate complex arguments to a range of audiences to draw consensus and influence outcomes.
• A strong track record of leading and delivering complex projects and outputs accurately and effectively to tight timescales
• A comprehensive knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint