Senior Marine Planning & Licensing Advisor

Natural England; Greater London; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

Natural England is seeking a Senior Officer to provide technical leadership and strategic support for marine planning and licensing. You will work with the Strategy and Operations teams to strengthen guidance, networks and advice, ensuring consistent, evidence-based approaches across marine planning and environmental assessment.

You will lead engagement with Marine Plans and MMO collaborators, shaping strategic guidance and building partnerships to secure better nature outcomes across England’s

Qualifications

• A relevant degree and/or extensive experience in a related field.
• Technical expertise and applied experience of the Marine Licensing system and Marine Plans.
• Technical expertise and experience of the application of environmental assessment processes to planning casework (HRA, MCZ Assessment EIA, SEA).
• Experience of working with key national external partners and stakeholders engaged with the infrastructure/planning systems.
• Understanding of the legislative/policy/strategic context of infrastructure and planning work.

Responsibilities

• Lead Natural England's strategic engagement with marine planning and licensing processes, coordinating advice and responses to Marine Plans and other relevant marine initiatives to help secure positive outcomes for nature and sustainable development.
• Provide national leadership and technical expertise on marine planning, marine licensing and associated environmental assessment processes, supporting colleagues in the provision of consistent, proportionate and evidence-based advice.
• Develop and maintain guidance, training, technical networks and best practice approaches to strengthen organisational capability and ensure consistency of advice across Strategy and Operations.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and other key stakeholders, acting as a focal point for engagement and identifying opportunities to strengthen collaboration and improve outcomes for nature.
• Support and develop the Marine Casework Network and related forums, ensuring knowledge, learning and emerging issues are shared effectively across the organisation.
• Provide technical support and advice on complex, novel or high-risk marine casework, working collaboratively with Area Teams and specialists to address challenging issues and promote consistency of approach.
• Lead or contribute to the development of Natural England's position on emerging marine planning, licensing and environmental assessment issues, identifying opportunities to improve processes, guidance and ways of working.
• Work across Strategy and Operations to identify opportunities to make better use of Natural England's skills, knowledge and evidence base, improving how the organisation engages with marine planning and licensing and supporting continual improvement of services and advice.

Skills

Marine Licensing

Marine Plans

Environmental assessment

Stakeholder engagement

Policy context understanding

Education

Related degree or extensive related experience

Job description

Natural England is seeking a Senior Officer to provide technical leadership and strategic support for marine planning and licensing. You will work with the Strategy and Operations teams to strengthen guidance, networks and advice, ensuring consistent, evidence-based approaches across marine planning and environmental assessment.

You will lead engagement with Marine Plans and MMO collaborators, shaping strategic guidance and building partnerships to secure better nature outcomes across England’s