5630 - Senior Adviser, Ancient Woodland Inventory

Do you have a passion for nature and the environment? Do you want to make a real difference and secure significant environmental gains in the present and the future? Do you enjoy working in a team? Can you see yourself advising communities and customers to maximise gains for the Natural Environment?
If this appeals to you, a career at Natural England offers rewarding opportunities to secure environmental improvements and play your part in creating a better future for people and nature.
The priority work Natural England is delivering includes:
• Establishing a Nature Recovery Network to help wildlife thrive
• Monitoring environmental changes to identify and help reduce the effects of climate change
• Working with farmers and landowners to develop greener food production methods
• Advising on plans for new developments to maximise gains for nature, and
• Providing ways for people to better connect with nature, including green social prescribing.
We are the Government’s Adviser for the natural environment, playing a vital role in delivering the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan, an ambitious vision which brings new opportunities to protect and enhance and to achieve real outcomes for the environment.
Find out more about the work of Natural England at www.gov.uk/government/organisations/natural-england
• The Science Directorate is part of the Chief Scientists Directorate (CSD) in Natural England. CSD is responsible for Natural England’s Science, Evidence and Evaluation Strategy and supports its implementation to ensure Natural England is an evidence-led organisation. The Science Directorate leads on the development and application of natural, economic and social science and evidence to drive and enable the achievement of environmental outcomes both within Natural England and externally.
Job description
The Ancient Woodland Inventory (AWI) in England identifies, locates, and classifies Ancient Woodland an irreplaceable resource, in the country. It is compiled and maintained by Natural England. The Inventory was first developed in the 1980s as a paper-based map. The inventory did not however include small woods and the project is capturing Ancient Woodland down to 0.25ha. To address this and benefiting from up-to-date GIS mapping technology, the AWI update project was set up in 2019. Underpinned by significant financial contributions and support, the project is also enabling Ancient Woodland pasture parkland sites to be mapped.
Following an agreed methodology, the work is being progressed on a county by county basis by Local Environmental Record Centres. This includes some Wildlife Trusts. The first phase of the project which generates a map showing woodland that is present on both historic and modern day maps has been completed for over half the counties. Natural England has also begun receiving the first complete datasets for some counties. The final inventory will be published on MAGIC and Webmap.
The AWI is used to support work on woodland protection, restoration and enhancement of landscapes, as well as engaging people in the origins of wooded landscapes. It is also increasingly used by planning authorities, developers and others to meet requirements under the National Planning Policy Framework.
This revision will provide a step-change in the accuracy and reliability of the dataset using the latest GIS mapping, aerial imagery and advances in the availability and interpretation of historical map
sources, along with field checking.
We are looking for an enthusiastic individual to lead this important area of work. This is an exciting opportunity to make a real contribution. Whilst the update is due for formal completion in 2025, there will be ongoing work beyond this.
This is an important leadership role and as well as working closely with other woodland experts within Natural England, you will lead relationships with key partners and stakeholders, including the Woodland Trust and Local Environmental Record Centres. You will need to ensure that the programme remains on track which will include taking budget responsibility and reporting to a programme board of external partners and stakeholders including Defra. There will be a need for creativity and innovative as the programme nears it completion, for example incepting new processes with others (for example managing the publication of data), providing improvements (for example around data) and addressing new challenges.
You will fulfil an important functional role, providing support and direction to two other staff inputting to the update programme including from a technical and quality assurance perspective. One of these staff will keep a detailed project management tracker up to date, monitoring progress, risks and issues in support of the programme.
A proven technical understanding and experience of Ancient Woodland/woodland habitats is key - in taking an overview of the programme, the post holder will need to speak with credibility and authority. They will need to have excellent communications skills (verbal and written) with an ability to establish productive ways of working with others both internally and externally to achieve shared outcomes. The role holder will oversee the provision of technical support and quality assurance of data provided by Local Environmental Record Centres. To facilitate this, a good working knowledge of GIS is important. The role holder will have the ability to make decisions and provide advice based on best available science and evidence, ensuring as part of this that proposals and actions are evidence-based.
Working with colleagues and external partners and stakeholders, the role will make an important contribution to the delivery of the nature recovery agenda for woodlands and wider habitats.