Catchment Sensitive Farming Integration Lead Advisor

Summary

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 Cheshire to Lancashire Team provide environmental leadership across an area of 6 million people and home to some magnificent natural assets, where Nature Recovery and Partnerships are at the heart of everything we do. Restoring habitats, reconnecting the natural environment, and connecting people with nature across the Lancashire uplands of West Pennine Moors and Bowland Fells, the wetlands and rivers of Cheshire, the wildlife-rich Irish Sea coast and urban heartland of Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region.

Job description

We are seeking a dynamic and motivated individual to join our team as a Catchment Sensitive Farming Integration Lead. The aim of this role is to integrate farm advice into landscape scale delivery, with the primary focus being on the ground, providing advice directly to farmers. In addition to this, the role-holder will collaborate with partner organizations and the agricultural industry to enhance our delivering of a range of priority outcomes across focus areas.

In this role, you will play a crucial part in integrating catchment sensitive farming practices into landscape-scale nature recovery initiatives across focus areas. This position offers a unique opportunity to collaborate with partners and engage directly with farmers, to enhance water quality, restore floodplains, meres, and mosses, and promote sustainable farming practices.

The role would require weekly site visit therefore local knowledge and living in proximity to the area would be beneficial.

Key Tasks:

Landscape Scale Nature Recovery:

• Developing proposed projects in focus areas, identifying which are deliverable through CSF
  advice and then taking them forward into actions on the ground through the delivery of existing
  catchment leads or independently.
• Working with partner organisations to identify and generate projects, where CSF delivery
  results in landscape scale nature recovery.

Farm Advisory Services:

• Provide expert advice to farmers and landowners on implementing sustainable farming
  practices that contribute to water quality improvement and habitat restoration.
• Deliver information sessions, workshops, training and one-on-one consultations to promote
  the adoption of countryside stewardships and sustainable farming incentives.
• Secure agreement and ownership in core areas on key pollution issues and solutions, driving
  change in land management practices on farms.
• Advise on Environmental Land Management applications in focus areas, to deliver suitable
  land management options and/or capital items.

Partnership Development:

• Foster strong relationships with local farmers, agricultural communities, and relevant
  stakeholders to build a collaborative approach to catchment sensitive farming.
• Work closely with government agencies, NGOs, and community groups to leverage resources and
  support for the implementation of nature recovery initiatives.
• Communicate, advocate, and promote CSF activity internally with Natural England colleagues
  and externally with farmers, land managers, and partners.
• Work with NE colleagues and partners such as the Environment Agency, water companies, and
  catchment partnerships to deliver a joined-up approach, with a key focus on the Lost Wetlands
  and Great Manchester Wetland Partners.