Environmental Performance Officer - Biodiversity

South East Water; Hailsham; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in water management seeks an Environmental Performance Officer - Biodiversity to support its Environment Team. This role involves delivering professional environmental services while collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to manage environmental risks effectively. Responsibilities include overseeing environmental projects, engaging with regulators, and ensuring compliance with environmental legislation.

Qualifications

• Practical ecological/environmental experience.
• Experience in habitat restoration and management techniques.
• Technical excellence in Environmental delivery.

Responsibilities

• Manage environmental aspects across a wide range of settings.
• Support environmental performance commitments and integration of biosecurity practices.
• Liaise with regulators and stakeholders on compliance and environmental risks.

Skills

Verbal communication

Environmental management

Botanical identification

Project management

IT skills

Job description

Job Description Summary

Do you have a passion for environmental stewardship and excellent stakeholder liaison skills?

Do you thrive on collaborating with internal and external partners on environmental and recreation issues?

We are looking for an Environmental Performance Officer - Biodiversity yo support the Environment Team Leads. In this role you will deliver a professional environmental service to the core business and liaise with key external and internal stakeholders on environmental and recreation issues. You will sign off on advice to the wider business to ensure effective management of environmental risk.

Main Responsibilities

• Contribute to all environmental aspects of projects following company strategy and guidance.
• Assist Environmental Leads with the delivery of the environmental performance commitments.
• Assist Environmental Leads Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP).
• Support Environmental Leads and work closely with the Project Managers, Project Engineer and Operational staff to ensure timely delivery of survey work and documentation.
• Working within business to integrate good biosecurity practice and increase awareness of INNS.
• Onsite management of Water Company owned SSSIs, to include sign off of reports with Natural England, organisation of on site management and monitoring of compliance with legislation. Partnership working with other regulatory and environmental stakeholders.
• Capture and management of environmental data and updating of South East Water environmental asset database.
• Support the business with reactive and emergency environmental advice to minimise environmental impact of work and to reduce the likelihood of environmental prosecutions.
• Liaison with environmental regulators obtaining consents and advice where necessary and reporting back to the business.
• Environmental desktop appraisal and sign off of elements of the project delivery process on behalf of the business ‘client’ (Assets). This will involve providing environmental advice on how the project should proceed and likely environmental sensitivities of a project.

You'll need:

Skills / Qualifications / Experience

• First class verbal skills are essential.
• Management of environmental aspects and risks across a wide range of settings.
• Ability to determine pragmatic outcomes which minimise harm to the environment and communicate these to the business.
• Passion for the environment with the ability to work closely with colleagues, contractors, stakeholders, regulators and members of the public.
• Technical excellence in Environmental delivery.
• Demonstrable practical ecological/environmental experience.
• Experience of the delivery of effective environmental risk management
• Good botanical field identification skills are essential.
• Good IT skills are essential.
• Working knowledge of BNG and UKHabs.
• Experience of ArcGIS or similar.
• Experience in habitat restoration and management techniques essential, in particular, experience of survey and working in woodland, chalk grassland and heathland habitats.
• Experience of Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) control and biosecurity advantageous but not essential.

It will be a bonus if you have:

Skills / Qualifications / Experience

• Holder of protected species licences for Great crested newt, Bats, and Dormice are desirable
• Chainsaw, brush cutter, ride on mower and hedge cutter qualifications and experience advantageous but not essential
• Ability to mentor and inspire members of the team.
• Report writing and data presentation skills
• Working Knowledge and familiarity with the Statutory Biodiversity Metric
• Experience with aquatic environments.
• Experience managing projects including finances.
• Working knowledge of SEA, HRA and EIA is advantageous but not essential.
• Experience of working on construction sites would be an advantage.