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 [email protected] 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.