Biodiversity Officer

This is an exciting opportunity to join the city council’s Net Zero team. Having declared a Climate and Biodiversity Emergency in December 2018, the city council is seeking to recruit a Biodiversity Officer to provide specialist biodiversity advice and guidance to council services, external partners and stakeholders and develop and deliver projects promoting biodiversity across the city.

Interview date: 25 or 26 July 2024

Fixed Term 12 Months

For an informal discussion about this role, please contact Rachel Williams, International & Sustainability Programme Manager on rachel.williams@brighton-hove.gov.uk to arrange a call back

This role is available as a secondment to internal applicants in line with our secondment policy.

About the role

Building on your significant professional experience of nature conservation work in a public, private or third sector organisation, and your sound knowledge of relevant biodiversity legislation, policy and practice, you will provide specialist biodiversity advice and guidance to council services, external partners and stakeholders. You will be a strong advocate for biodiversity initiatives within the city council and represent the council on strategic partnerships such as Sussex Local Nature Partnership and The Living Coast Biosphere. Working within the framework of the 2030 Carbon Neutral programme and the Council Plan, you will promote climate action and the protection and enhancement of the city’s natural assets. In particular, you will progress, monitor and report on statutory responsibilities notably the Environment Act (2021) Strengthened Biodiversity Duty, Local Nature Recovery Strategy and Biodiversity Net Gain.

Using your project management experience, you will work closely with various city council services to establish and help deliver biodiversity projects. This includes building and presenting business cases, securing external funding, leading on procurement activity, contract management, monitoring and reporting. You will also work on projects with a wide range of local, regional and national partners, including The Living Coast Biosphere and the Greater Brighton City Region, and other city stakeholders such as schools and voluntary and community organisations.

You will provide ecological advice and support (eg staff training, provision of 1-1 advice/support) to the Planning service and the Regeneration team on the ecological implications of new developments, particularly around Biodiversity Net Gain requirements. Whilst ecological advice on individual planning applications is provided by East Sussex County Council, there will be instances where you will be required to provide supplementary support including providing comments on key planning applications and advice on pre application proposals.

As part of your application, you will need to complete your education and work history and provide answers to some shortlisting questions. Your answers to the shortlisting questions are the most important part of your application as they will be used in the shortlisting process to assess whether you meet the essential requirements for the role that are set out in the person specification and to decide whether you should be offered an interview. Before you start your application, please read our guidance here (Shortlisting questions guidance (brighton-hove.gov.uk) as this gives important advice which will increase your chance of success in the shortlisting process.

Additional information

Your starting salary will be pro rata if the above position is less than 37 hours or term-time only.

Part office / part home – hybrid - We offer the opportunity for the suitable candidate to choose to work in a hybrid way. Your specific working arrangements will be subject to team and service working arrangements already in place alongside Government guidance. Your contractual location will be the designated council office for your team and travel to and from your contractual location would be at your own expense.

For more information about our values and the benefits of working at the council, visit Why work for us (brighton-hove.gov.uk)

Company information

Encouraging a diverse workforce

Our city is known and loved for its diversity. Not only is the mixture of people, culture and skills vital to the economic and social development of the city, it's what makes Brighton & Hove such a great place to live, work and visit. We are committed to developing and retaining a workforce that is representative of the diverse communities we serve so we welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds. In order to achieve our aims of proportionate representation, we particularly encourage applicants from a BME or White Other background as well as those who identify as disabled, male or trans.

Find out more about our commitment to being a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone can achieve their potential by reading about our fair and inclusive actions, our anti-racism strategy and the work we are doing to encourage a diverse workforce (brighton-hove.gov.uk).

Closing date: 11 July 2024.