Natural Environment Director

The City Of London; Greater London; On-site; GBP 107,000 - 122,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of London Corporation is seeking an exceptional Natural Environment Director to provide strategic leadership to the Natural Environment Division and shape the future of its urban green assets. You will oversee eight open-space charities, develop a sustainable funding model and advance biodiversity alongside climate action initiatives.

The successful candidate will bring experience across environmental, conservation, parks, leisure or related sectors and a strong track record of leading

Qualifications

• Extensive senior leadership experience in environmental, conservation, parks or related sectors.
• Strong understanding of charity governance and income generation.
• Proven track record of leading complex organisations through change.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership to the Natural Environment Division.
• Oversee management and transformation of eight open-space charities.
• Develop a sustainable long‑term funding model.
• Champion conservation, biodiversity and climate action strategies.

Job description

Level of DBS required for this role: None required

Level of vetting required?: No security vetting is required

Is this a politically restricted post?: No

Does this post require a Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) check?: No

The job requirements are detailed below. Where applicable the skills, qualifications and memberships required have also been included. Workplace role categories describe our approach to workplace attendance

Salary: £106,790 - £122,460 inclusive of London Weighting. A Market Forces Supplement of up to £25k also applies

Basis: Permanent

The City of London Corporation is responsible for approximately 11,000 acres of some of London's most treasured and historic green spaces including Epping Forest, Hampstead Heath, West Ham Park and Burnham Beeches. These extraordinary places provide vital spaces for recreation, conservation and biodiversity and are enjoyed by communities across London and beyond.

Such extraordinary places deserve extraordinary leadership. So, we are seeking an exceptional Natural Environment Director to provide strategic leadership to our Natural Environment Division and shape the future of these nationally significant assets.

This position forms part of the Environment Department’s Senior Leadership Team, with the successful candidate working collaboratively with colleagues across the department and wider City Corporation to deliver its strategic ambitions. You will oversee the management and transformation of our eight open-space charities, develop a sustainable long-term funding model and ensure our natural assets continue to thrive for future generations. You will champion conservation and biodiversity, contribute to the delivery of the City Corporation's Climate Action Strategy, enhance visitor experience and build influential partnerships across government, charities, communities and the wider environmental sector.

We are looking for an accomplished and inspiring senior leader with experience gained across the environmental, conservation, parks, leisure, charitable, voluntary or wider public sectors. You will bring an understanding of charity governance and income generation alongside a strong track record of leading complex organisations through change, developing strategy, managing significant budgets commercial and building collaborative relationships with boards, trustees, elected Members and external stakeholders.

Applications should be submitted by Sunday 11 October 2026, 23:59

Online Psychometrics issued: w/c 19 October 2026

Technical Interviews: 28October 2026

Assessment Day: 18November 2026 (in person at the Guildhall)

Final Interview: Friday 20November 2026 (in person at the Guildhall)

The City of London Corporation is committed to Equal Opportunities and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

Because our roles are so varied, we don’t have a ‘one size fits all’ policy for workplace attendance. How many days a week you’ll be required to attend your workplace will depend on the requirements of your role. It’s important that you understand the requirements before applying to ensure you are able to meet them. We are committed to considering requests to work flexibly and job share. Requests will be considered by the recruiting manager in line with our policies and business needs.

For more information on our categories for workplace attendance, please view our guide here .

We will be reviewing this policy and approach at regular intervals to ensure we’re meeting our attendance needs.