Nature Recovery Officer

Location: The designated office base is Abbey House, Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The councils operate in a truly flexible, and hybrid way where the focus is on outcomes not where you work.
Contract Type: Permanent
Hours: Full time, 37 hours per week
Salary and grade: G6 £39,977 - £45,568

Please read the full job description before applying.

Closing date: 15 March 2024

About the role and what we’re looking for

We’re looking for a dynamic and committed Nature Recovery Officer to help restore nature across South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse. Working within our climate and biodiversity team, you will be at the forefront of delivering the two councils’ ambitions around Nature Recovery.

You will be at the forefront of a new approach to scaling-up ambition and delivery of Nature Recovery projects. This post is a rare opportunity to take a leading role in delivering long term ambitious targets for a bigger, better and more joined-up, ecological network across the two districts, this is planning for nature on a strategic scale with a long-time horizon.

Main duties and responsibilities:

• Undertake a biodiversity audit of council owned landholdings. Work with our in-house property and grounds maintenance teams to develop a costed Nature Recovery proposal for our property which delivers both for biodiversity and carbon reduction/sequestration.
• Assist with the development of a Local Nature Recovery Network (LNRS) for Oxfordshire, including contributing to the process of developing the biodiversity priorities and developing the local habitat map.
• Take a lead in developing the councils’ approach to the delivery of the LNRS objectives and targets.
• Assist with the development of council-wide strategic planning for Nature Recovery.
• Work closely with planning policy on developing Local Plan policies to help deliver the new Nature Recovery Network
• Provide both strategic and practical advice on Nature Recovery to town/parish councils and community nature groups. This may include helping to ensure that Nature Recovery is embedded into Neighbourhood Plans and Parish Plans as well as providing practical advice on habitat creation projects.
• Assist with the delivery of new statutory duties arising from the Environment Act 2021, including, the Biodiversity Duty, the Oxfordshire Nature Recovery Strategy and Biodiversity Reporting.
• Provide assistance to the planning ecologists in preparing for the introduction of Biodiversity Net Gain.
• Assist with the development of new Nature Recovery initiatives, such as exploring the scope for new regional parks and nature parks, by undertaking research and presenting the findings to senior managers and members.
• Represent the councils on external partnerships and meetings concerning Nature Recovery.
• Provide authoritative advice and guidance to staff, service teams and managers on Nature Recovery with an emphasis on shared responsibility.
• Help with the assessment of applications for grant funding from the councils where Nature Recovery is involved.
• Work in partnership with the Local Nature Partnership and other Oxfordshire Local Authorities to help develop innovative new mechanisms to help pay for Nature Recovery, including, land-based carbon sequestration and other ways of raising capital to pay for Nature Recovery.

About you

Your essential qualifications and experience.

• Degree or diploma in ecology or related discipline.
• A minimum of two years professional experience in an ecology or Nature Recovery related role, or equivalent experience gained through the voluntary sector.
• Experience of habitat creation and management techniques.

Your abilities, skills and knowledge.

• Experience of managing projects and working strategically with external organisations.
• Knowledge and understanding of UK biodiversity legislation, policy and strategy.
• Ability to communicate both orally, and in writing, to a wide range of audiences (including ability to write clear and concise reports and public presentations).
• Ability to travel to meetings and around the districts (by car or an active travel/ low carbon mode. If by car you must have/ obtain insurance for business purposes)
• IT literate, capable of using Microsoft Office suite and GIS software.

The benefits we offer

• A basic 24 days annual leave per annum, rising to 29 days after five years. You also have all the bank holidays to look forward to and time off between Christmas and New Year.
• Flexible working and annualised hours – a flexible approach to work that our employees love!
• Salary pay awards – most jobs give scope for a pay increase after six months or the following April (depending on your start date) and we also review salaries each April.
• A generous career average pension scheme which includes life insurance of three times your salary
• The opportunity to purchase a bike through Cyclescheme (cheaper than directly through a store) so that you can cycle to work!
• Various schemes to keep you healthy (reduced gym membership, free swims, free eye tests for DSE users and more)
• We give you two days per year to volunteer within the local community.
• A range of resources, support, and activities to help you maintain your wellbeing including a monthly wellbeing hour in addition to annualised hours (the ability to work flexibly as long as, over the course of the year, you complete your contracted hours) and annual leave.

You may also have experience in the following: Nature Recovery, Environmental Conservation, Ecosystem Management. Biodiversity, Conservation, Habitat Restoration, Wildlife Protection, Environmental Assessment, Data Collection and Analysis, Sustainable Land Use, Conservation Planning, Ecological Monitoring, Environmental Legislation, Wildlife Habitat Management, Ecological Research, Conservation Partnerships, Ecosystem Services, etc.

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