6876 - Higher Officer - Protected Sites and Agri-Environment - Nottingham

Natural England; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

Natural England in Nottingham is seeking a Higher Officer to drive nature recovery through farm advice and protected sites management across the East Midlands, aligning with national conservation objectives and the 25 Year Environment Plan.

You will provide expert conservation advice to land managers, regulate protected sites, support Countryside Stewardship schemes, and help deliver nature-based solutions through collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Qualifications

• Good level of agricultural knowledge and agri-environment schemes, particularly Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier.
• An understanding of what makes protected sites ecologically valuable and a working knowledge of how to manage sites for nature conservation.
• A broad understanding of priority habitat management, ideally with more detailed experience in either species rich grassland, wetlands, wood pasture or heathland.
• The ability to gain technical understanding and knowledge quickly over an agreed timetable is a key skill to demonstrate.

Responsibilities

• Engage with farmers and land managers to drive forward nature recovery, providing advice, signposting and encouragement regarding ongoing and new opportunities such as Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier, Landscape Recovery scheme, Capital Grant schemes, England Woodland Creation Offer, Biodiversity Net Gain and Green Finance.

Skills

Conservation knowledge

Protected sites knowledge

Stakeholder engagement

Land management

Job description

6876 - Higher Officer - Protected Sites and Agri-Environment - Nottingham

The East Midlands Area Team covers Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Lincolnshire, Lowland Derbyshire and the Peak District uplands. This covers a wide range of land use, ecologies and topography. There are also a number of urban centres in the region.

Role Description Template for Formal External Recruitment

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.

Strategic Outcomes for Nature

• Recovering Nature– Increased scale and quality of places where nature thrives.
• Building Better Places– Greener homes and infrastructure create healthier, more investable places, recognising we live better where nature thrives around us.
• Improving Health and Wellbeing– Build nature into everyday life so people can support, access and benefit from nature, wherever they live.
• Delivering Security through Nature– Nature helps us adapt to the threats of a changing climate and improves our national security, supporting more resilient food production, healthy soils, clean and plentiful water and clean air.

Find out more about the work of Natural England at:

Natural England’s Strategy: Recovering Nature for Growth, Health and Security - GOV.UK.

The Team

The East Midlands Area Team covers Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Lincolnshire, Lowland Derbyshire and the Peak District uplands. This covers a wide range of land use, ecologies and topography. There are also a number of urban centres in the region. The advertised role sits in one of our integrated County Teams containing staff from a variety of functions and with a wide range of technical expertise.

The Role

Driving nature recovery through farm advice and protected sites management within the East Midlands Team. Achieving the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan objectives for nature recovery and the Environmental Improvement Plan targets are dependent on greener farming. Our team of advisers support farmers and other land managers build long‑term capability to deliver nature recovery and associated environment benefits such as climate adaption, access, clean air and water.

As a Higher Officer, you will have a unique mix of knowledge and skills including an up‑to‑date understanding of conservation management, protected sites management, land management regulations and incentives that underpin them, and how they come together to help farmers and land managers deliver nature recovery. You will also be expert at bringing people together and building consensus to deliver nature‑based solutions for the most challenging problems.

These skills and knowledge will enable you to provide high‑quality advice for Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier applications to famers and land managers on across the East Midlands. You will also provide regulation and advice for the management of protected sites.

Key Tasks/Principal Accountabilities

• Engage with farmers and other land managers to drive forward nature recovery, providing advice, signposting and encouragement regarding ongoing and new opportunities such as Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier, Landscape Recovery scheme, Capital Grant schemes, England Woodland Creation Offer, Biodiversity Net Gain and Green Finance.
• Negotiate Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier schemes, providing Pre-Application advice to applicants that seeks to maximise nature recovery and wider environmental benefits whilst also supporting sustainable food production.
• Regulate protected sites and advise land managers to support positive management of these special areas for nature.
• Where needed, draw in advice and specialist knowledge from other Team members to maximise nature recovery outcomes, including Catchment Sensitive Farming Advisers to secure water and air quality improvements.
• Undertake 1:1 site visits, events, and communications to engage with farmers, land managers and partners to improve environmental outcomes through farming practice.
• Work with partners and stakeholders to identify and deliver shared objectives.
• Support existing Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship agreement holders to maximise the environmental outcomes from their schemes.
• At least weekly attendance in the office to network with colleagues. Attendance at team training and other events across the East Midlands Team area.

• Good level of agricultural knowledge and agri‑environment schemes, particularly Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier.
• An understanding of what makes protected sites ecologically valuable and a working knowledge of how to manage sites for nature conservation.
• A broad understanding of priority habitat management, ideally with more detailed experience in either species rich grassland, wetlands, wood pasture or heathland.
• The ability to gain technical understanding and knowledge quickly over an agreed timetable is a key skill to demonstrate.