Community Nature Engagement Officer

Cambridge County Council; Huntingdon; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

An exciting opportunity awaits as a Community Nature Engagement Officer, where you will lead efforts in nature recovery through community engagement. This role is pivotal in developing Community Nature Recovery Plans that enhance green spaces and promote biodiversity. You will work closely with local communities, stakeholders, and partner organizations to identify restoration opportunities and support local initiatives. Join a forward-thinking organization dedicated to environmental stewardship and community well-being, making a tangible impact on nature conservation and climate resilience. If you're passionate about nature and community engagement, this role is perfect for you!

Benefits

Comprehensive wellbeing package

Flexible bank holidays

Paid volunteering hours

Access to development opportunities

Employee Recognition Awards

Discount schemes

Additional annual leave options

Qualifications

• Understanding of nature conservation and community engagement.
• Ability to build partnerships and collaborative projects.

Responsibilities

• Develop Community Nature Recovery Plans with local communities.
• Identify funding opportunities and support community groups.

Skills

Nature Conservation

Project Management

Stakeholder Engagement

Communication Skills

Decision Making

Initiative Development

Workload Management

Education

Degree in Environmental Science or related field

Tools

GIS Systems

Databases

Job description

Our Community Led Nature Restoration Project will provide the catalyst for a County-wide scale, community led nature recovery approach. The project aligns with the Council's ambition to support our communities and natural environment to adapt and thrive as the climate changes.

To support the achievement of our ambitions, the Community Nature Engagement Officer will work to develop our strong commitments to nature's recovery through work with local communities, engaging them in the development of Community Nature Recovery Plans (CNRP) that will allow for the provision of better green spaces that:

• Develop Parish based biodiversity plans
• Identify habitat restoration/creation opportunities that deliver local improvements for nature and for local residents appreciation of it
• Meet the health and well-being needs of local communities

The post holder will develop a network of practitioners and produce a guidance framework resource that is appropriate for practical testing, refining, and scaling up.

This post is fixed term role for 18 months with a possibility of an extension subject to the release of more funds.

For more information or to chat about this opportunity please contact Phil Clark, Biodiversity Manager on 07826 858286/Deborah Ahmad on 07391730740 or email [e-mail]

Our benefits

We value our colleagues in Cambridgeshire County Council and have developed a number of benefits in addition to the basics like annual leave, sick pay, pension and mileage:

• A comprehensive wellbeing package to cover all aspects of wellbeing, both in and out of work, which can also be accessed by your family.
• Buy up to 4 weeks additional annual leave (pro-rata) through our salary sacrifice scheme.
• Take your bank holidays flexibly to better suit your personal circumstances.
• Make Additional Voluntary Contributions (Shared AVCs) to your pension with tax and National Insurance savings.
• Access to development opportunities, apprenticeships and qualified coaches to support your personal and professional growth.
• Paid volunteering hours each year so you can make a positive impact on our community during your normal working day.
• Access to Peer Support Groups through our IDEAL staff equality, diversity and inclusion network.
• Opportunities to nominate and receive Employee Recognition Awards.
• An Our Cambs Rewards account, giving you access to in-store and online discounts as well as our Car Lease and Cycle to Work schemes.

Take a look at our Employment Benefits Brochure attached to this advert to find out more.

What will you be doing?

Our new Community Nature Engagement Officer is an exciting opportunity to develop our strong commitments to nature's recovery through work with local communities to engage them in the development of Community Nature Recovery Plans (CNRP), provide better green space, supporting local people that surround them, and identify restoration opportunities that deliver local improvements for nature.

This project will build on the Parish Nature Recovery Plan toolkit, developed by Natural Cambridgeshire Local Nature Partnership (LNP), to create a toolkit for local communities, whilst contributing to the Nature Recovery Strategy for Cambridgeshire as a whole. Filling the gap in a more focused and local, urban nature recovery plan.

Through consultation, surveys, engagement and support of individuals and groups across Cambridgeshire, the Community Nature Engagement Officer will identify key barriers and opportunities for involving communities in decision making, influencing, and developing a Nature Recovery Community Toolkit to enable communities to act for nature.

The post is funded by the County Councils' Just Transition Fund in partnership with Natural Cambridgeshire LNP. The post-holder will work closely with the Local Nature Recovery Strategy Officer on the implementation of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Cambridgeshire and support the Biodiversity Manager to enable a County-wide, community-led nature recovery approach.

Key aspects of this role will include:

• Identifying, developing and supporting clusters of Parishes/Communities to prepare pilot Community Nature Recovery Plans for their area, supporting local people to identify restoration opportunities that deliver the greatest impact.
• Work with a wide range of stakeholders, including local communities, leading on the development of the Community Led Nature Recovery Plan, associated guidance and resources required to realise the aspiration of connecting communities to deliver for nature conservation and climate change resilience projects.
• To work within relevant environmental policies, legislation and planning regulations to plan small-scale projects for green space and habitat enhancement. Implement and evaluate these projects, including the setting of goals, timelines, resource planning and progress monitoring.
• Identify funding opportunities from internal and external sources for the delivery of green space and habitat enhancement projects, writing grant proposals, and supporting community groups with bids for funding.
• To engage with communities to establish new groups of resident-led volunteers to manage and enhance their local greenspaces following the principles of inclusivity and representation. Where groups already exist, support them in their activities and provide connectivity between communities.
• Develop and deliver educational programs and outreach activities to raise awareness about nature including designing and leading workshops, organising events, and creating educational materials for different audiences.

To achieve this, you will be working closely with the Community Nature Project Officer, Natural Cambridgeshire and other partner organisations to develop community nature recovery plans across the County.

About you

To be successful in this role we are looking for someone who has:

• A good understanding of nature conservation and how people can take positive action for nature.
• Ability to build relationships with diverse stakeholders and develop partnerships that make possible collaborative decision making and co-creation of projects with different local authorities, contractors, and community groups.
• A good understanding of project management and contract procurement within a local authority setting.
• Is confident in working with local communities and having excellent communications skills and confident engaging with various audiences.
• Can make informed and independent decisions with minimal supervision.
• Is pro-active and shows initiative to develop new ideas.
• Can manage workload effectively to meet strict deadlines while being a part of a dynamic and busy team.
• Is computer literate with experience in GIS systems and using databases.

About us

Cambridgeshire is a great place to work and live with a diverse population, an urban centre in Cambridge, historic Isle of Ely, Huntingdon and St Ives as well as more rural landscapes.

Our four values are central to our culture, driving everything we do.

We are proud to serve the diverse communities of Cambridgeshire and want our workforce to be reflective of this diversity, which we firmly believe benefits our colleagues, the organisation and our communities. If you don't meet every single requirement in the job role but think this could be you, please don't be put off. We are committed to building a workplace that is compassionate and inclusive as well as diverse, so if you think you could be a good candidate for this role please consider applying and speak to the recruiting manager if you have any questions.

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, along with our employee network 'IDEAL' and self-organised peer support groups help us to foster an inclusive, supportive and safe working environment where people feel valued, respected, and empowered. We collect relevant diversity data for monitoring as part of the recruitment process to understand the diversity of our applicants and monitor any trends throughout the recruitment processes so that we can take meaningful action.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. We fully support providing reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process, as well as when you join us, and we encourage candidates to contact the Hiring Manager, whose details can be found in the advert, to discuss any adjustment needs. Some examples of adjustments could include additional time to complete an assessment or printing a document on pastel coloured paper with larger font size and line spacing. We would value talking about what might be possible to enable you to join us and thrive, so if there is something that would help you to do your best during your journey with us, please get in touch.

Visit our jobs and careers section to find out more about our wide range of learning and development opportunities; apprenticeships; our wellbeing package; staff benefits; our commitment to equality, diversity and Inclusion.

https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/council/jobs-and-careers