Field Survey Design Lead Adviser x2, Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (NCEA)

The team

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.

About the Team

The Evidence Services Directorate provides scientific and evidence leadership, services and
support to help Natural England operate as an evidence-led organisation. The Team is
responsible for delivering Natural England’s part of the Natural Capital and Ecosystem
Assessment (NCEA).

The NCEA is a transformative programme to understand the extent, condition and change over time
of environmental assets across England’s land and water
environments, supporting the government’s ambition to improve the environment within a
generation. Data will come from Earth Observation, professional field data collection, citizen
science and partner data sets.

Natural England’s Terrestrial NCEA delivery is organised into projects:

1. Mapping and Earth Observation – Spatial data and maps on natural capital to inform national
   and local decision making and delivery.
2. England Peat Map – Mapping the extent and condition of England’s peatlands.
3. Field data collection – Data on habitats, soils, landscapes and species to understand the
   condition of natural capital assets.
4. Citizen science – Working with citizens and community science to fill gaps, provide local
   and landscape scale information and engaging the public.
5. Data mobilisation and integration and reporting – Making NCEA, partner and volunteer data
   available for analysis, integration and use, producing high quality evidence products by
   analysing and integrating NCEA data.
6. Programme management – Managing Natural England’s NCEA programme.

The roles sit within Project NE3 – Field Data Collection and Soils. The England Ecosystem
Survey work package uses professional survey as a tool to provide high quality data to assess
the state and condition of biodiversity, ecosystems, and natural capital assets within
England’s habitats and landscapes to address data gaps, including soils.

Job description

Role 1: Survey Project Support – Description

The role will provide project support to the England Ecosystem Survey (EES) by assisting the
development of and implementation of new field data collection methods and processes. This will
involve reviewing the processes used in the first delivery year (2023-2024) and identifying
lessons learnt and improvements to implement in subsequent survey years. You will be part of a
project team delivering several aspects linked directly to the work package associated with
mobile field data collection across a number of ecological habitats. The post holder will
provide support around all elements of data capture and assist in the development of new data
capture and storage systems for EES. The role will also include an element of engagement
internally and externally with key partners and provide integration between the soils element
of the project and the wider NCEA field data collection elements.

Key tasks include:

The post holder will support Senior and Principal Advisers in the development and delivery of
the field data collection aspect of the England Ecosystem Survey (EES) by:

• Supporting the design and logistics of survey planning, including habitat classification,
  updating field manuals, providing guidance and development of mobile field survey technology.
• Contributing towards the development and improvement of survey methodology and explore
  opportunities for improvements, enhancements and/or innovations in the field data collection
  process.
• Assisting with access permissions processes and seek ways to optimise them.
• Liaising with landowners, public and staff regarding survey, access and site safety.
• External communication and stakeholder engagement
• Supporting the development of new data capture and storage systems for EES
• Supporting data analysis and presentation

Role 2: Survey Logistics – Description

The role will provide project support to the England Ecosystem Survey (EES) by managing all
aspects of field survey equipment. The post holder will use their knowledge of field survey
work to plan, track and manage equipment; and lead the procurement of new equipment when
necessary. The role will also include collaboration and coordination with multiple stakeholders
within the team, external contractors, managers, and others across Natural England.

Key tasks include:

• Create, populate, and manage an inventory of field survey equipment – take ownership of
  this and ensure other team members understand their responsibilities in relation to field
  equipment.
• Manage the storage of all field survey equipment, including securing suitable storage
  locations.
• Control the movement of equipment for the project, including working with field survey
  coordinators to distribute to field survey teams.
• Take responsibility for the audit of equipment on completion of the field survey season and
  specifying requirements for replacement and additional equipment.