Natural Environment Team Leader

Hoople; Hereford; On-site; GBP 46,000 - 51,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in the United Kingdom is seeking a dynamic Natural Environment Team Leader to manage a team delivering ecological services. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in ecology or related fields, strong project management, and stakeholder engagement skills. This role offers a salary range of £46,142 - £50,269, flexible working opportunities, and enrolment in the Local Government Pension Scheme.

Benefits

Enrolment in Local Government Pension Scheme

31 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays

Career progression opportunities

Flexible working options

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Significant experience in ecology, biodiversity net gain, or related fields.
• Experience of the UK planning systems.
• Willingness to undertake site visits.

Responsibilities

• Manage a team delivering biodiversity and ecological services.
• Develop and implement the Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
• Provide expert advice to planning teams.
• Oversee the Herefordshire Biological Records Service.

Skills

Strategic mindset

Experience in ecology

Stakeholder engagement

Project management skills

Full driving license

Education

Degree in ecology, environmental science, or related field

Job description

About The Role

Job Title: Natural Environment Team Leader
Hours: 37
Salary: HC10 £46,142 - £50,269 per annum
Contract: Permanent
Closing date: 09/11/2025

The Role

Herefordshire Council are seeking a dynamic and experienced Team Leader for the Natural Environment team.

What will you be doing?

• Manage a team of specialists delivering biodiversity and ecological services.
• Lead the development and implementation of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS).
• Provide expert advice to planning and development teams.
• Oversee the Herefordshire Biological Records Service and Tree Preservation Orders.
• Develop and deliver innovative projects including habitat restoration and species protection.
• Represent the Council in regional and national forums, appeals, and media enquiries.
• Manage budgets and funding bids to support environmental priorities.
• Promote community engagement through volunteering and citizen science.

About You

• A strategic mindset with the ability to deliver complex environmental programmes.
• Significant experience in one or more of the following; ecology, biodiversity net gain, landscape, trees, open space and nature recovery.
• Significant experience of the UK planning systems.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and project management skills.
• A full driving licence and willingness to undertake site visits.
• A degree in ecology, environmental science, or a related field.

Benefits

• Salary range of £46,142- £50,269 (HC10)
• Enrolment in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Career progression: clear pathways to progress
• Annual Leave: 31 days’ annual leave (pro rata) plus bank holidays. You can also purchase an additional 10 days per annum during the request period
• Flexible working: including the potential for job-sharing, part-time hours and agile working.
• Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 access to support and counselling
• Payment of professional membership fees (based on role requirements)
• Pick your perks – our benefits include access to a range of retail, leisure, holiday and health benefits. This includes savings, cash back and discounts.

Why Choose Us?

Herefordshire is big hearted, welcoming and friendly. We have strong and independent communities and idyllic countryside, situated in the South West Midlands and bordering Wales. The county sits between Worcestershire and the Malvern Hills to the east, and Bannau Brycheiniog (the Brecon Beacons) in Wales to the west.
Historically Herefordshire has been the gateway to the Marches. We embrace partnership working. We are a member of the Marches Forward Partnership, which is a cross border collaboration between Herefordshire, Monmouthshire, Powys and Shropshire who are collectively working to secure funding to invest in the region.
The council priorities over the next four years are set out in the Council Plan, with four main areas;
People: We will enable residents to realise their potential, to be healthy and to be part of great communities who support each other. We want all children to have the best start in life.
Place: We will protect and enhance our environment and ensure that Herefordshire is a great place to live. We will support the right housing in the right place, we will support access to green spaces and we will do everything we can to recover the health of our rivers.
Growth: We will create the conditions to deliver sustainable growth across the county; attracting inward investment, building business confidence, creating jobs, enabling housing development along with providing the right infrastructure.
Transformation: We will be an efficient council that embraces best practice, delivers innovation through technology and demonstrates value for money.

Reasonable Adjustments

Our recruitment process runs in partnership with Hoople Resourcing. If you require any reasonable adjustments or alternative methods for the online application process, please contact the resourcing team by email: [e-mail].

Commitments, Covenants and Statutory Obligations

The following candidates will be interviewed if they meet the essential criteria for the post they are applying for:

• Those who indicate that they have a disability. This is part of our commitment to the “Disability Confident” scheme.
• Those who indicate in their application that they are an Armed Forces Veteran or Reservist. This is part of our pledge to support the Armed Forces Covenant.
• Those who indicate in their application that they are a Herefordshire care leaver. This is part of our commitment to supporting young people leaving our care.

We take our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults seriously and expect all of our staff, visitors and volunteers to share in this commitment.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children & young people and vulnerable adults. If you are offered this position, it will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check.

How to apply

To apply for a position, please upload an up-to-date CV and complete the application form demonstrating your experience, skills and abilities for the role.
For more information or to arrange an informal discussion about the role, please contact: Richard Vaughan, Head of Environment, [e-mail]
Be sure to include reference to the job description and person specification or role profile! If you are successfully shortlisted, Hoople Resourcing will contact you via email to arrange your interview and/or assessment. They will confirm the date, time and location of your interview, so please keep an eye on your email inbox - check your spam/ junk folder too. Good luck, we’re looking forward to meeting you!

About The Company

The Council plan sets out how we will make our contribution to achieving a better and more successful Herefordshire, please see the link below to find out more:
Herefordshire Council Plan 2024-28