Senior Landscape Officer

Hoople Ltd; Hereford; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in Hereford is seeking a Senior Landscape Officer to preserve the landscape and ensure quality environmental standards. This role requires site visits, assessments, and teamwork within the Natural Environment Team to implement strategies. Ideal candidates will have a strong background in landscape architecture or environmental science, and the ability to work independently and collaboratively.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Annual Leave: 31 days plus bank holidays

Flexible working options

Access to Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience providing landscape advice.
• Strong knowledge of current legislation.
• Ability to provide landscape advice for ecological emergencies.

Responsibilities

• Conduct site visits for new developments.
• Provide reports and recommendations on landscape.
• Support strategic planning and enforcement teams.

Skills

Understanding of landscape officer roles

Knowledge of planning policy

Ability to work under initiative

Site survey experience

Education

Relevant qualification in landscape architecture or environmental science

Job description

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About The Role

Contract: Permanent
Salary: HC07 £32,062 - £36,363
Hours: 37
Location: Hereford
Closing Date: 20/10/2025

The Role

Herefordshire Council are seeking a passionate and knowledgeable Senior Landscape Officer to join our Natural Environment Team. If you have a passion for landscape character, visual amenity and design this is the role for you! Read the full advert to understand how you could play a key role in shaping a sustainable and greener future for the Herefordshire community.

As the Senior Landscape Officer, you will play a vital role within the council to ensure the preservation of the different landscape characters across the county. The role is both rewarding and challenging through a diverse workload and benefits from being part of an experienced and professional team. You will enjoy being part of the wider natural and cultural community within beautiful Herefordshire. This has allowed you to forge and develop relationships with many interesting people for the betterment of the environment within the county.

What will you be doing?

The Senior Landscape Officer role will include carrying out site visits to assess the impact of new development on the landscape character and visual amenity of the area, together with an assessment of any mitigation required, linked with biodiversity net gain and green blue infrastructure. This is then followed up by providing clear and concise reports and recommendations in line with national guidance, planning policy and legislation. You will also provide landscape advice on strategic planning policy, land allocations, neighbourhood plans and support the enforcement team in relation to their investigations on landscape matters.

You will work with other teams across the council to help implement the recently produced Green Blue Infrastructure Strategy, Herefordshire Tree, Hedgerow and Woodland Strategy and the developing Local Nature Recovery Strategy. You will be part of the Natural Environment team comprising; Ecology, Landscape, Trees and Public Open Space and will work closely with colleagues in the Built and Historic Environment team.

About You

As a Senior Landscape Officer you will have:

• An understanding of the role of a landscape officer in a local planning authority and demonstrable experience of providing landscape advice on landscape appraisal, evaluation, surveys design and implementation techniques.
• Strong knowledge of planning policy, regulatory issues and current legislation in regard to landscape and related natural environment issues.
• Provision of landscape advice that would apply to the council's ambition to address the declared climate and ecological emergencies.
• The ability to work under your own initiative as well as within a team, often to tight deadlines and on multiple work streams.
• Ability to undertake site surveys, sometimes on rough terrain and with a driving licence to travel throughout the county.

We Offer

A competitive salary, holiday entitlement, and access to our contributory pension and staff benefits scheme, which includes:

• Salary range of £31,067 - £35,235
• 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.

Diversity and Inclusion

Herefordshire Council is committed to strengthening a diverse and inclusive work environment which reflects the communities of Herefordshire. If you are looking at the next stage of your career and have a broad base of relevant skills and experience, we can provide supportive and welcoming opportunities to help you develop your professional, management & supervisory skills.

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.

Creating an inclusive workplace

We encourage our employees to feel empowered and to use their voices to help embrace diversity, promote inclusivity and shape our organisation. We have eight employee network groups, collectives of colleagues who often share identities, life experiences or cultures and offer support and community.

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.

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.