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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