Environment Manager

Location

Aberdeen, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, London, Salford

About the job

Do you want a career where you can make a real difference? Do you want to have an impact on the UK and beyond? If yes, then a career at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) could be for you.

Here at DESNZ we are delivering our mission to make the UK a clean energy superpower, with clean electricity by 2030 and accelerating the UK’s journey to net zero.

Our work is helping ensure clean energy for all, keep bills down and seize the opportunities to lead the world in new green industries, taking back control of our energy with Great British Energy and encouraging greater energy efficiency across the UK. The work of the department has never been more timely or relevant, and by joining us you will be part of making that difference.

Our work is varied, interesting and most importantly it's impactful. Our DESNZ Values are interwoven into everything we do; we are bold, we are collaborative, we are inclusive, and we learn. As a department we are committed to these values to build a culture where everyone can thrive.

We work in an agile way. This means that, as our priorities evolve, your work may adapt to meet emerging needs and help us deliver our mission. This approach offers opportunities to develop your skills, gain new experiences, and contribute where you can make the greatest impact. This relates to the nature of the work rather than contractual terms, such as location or working pattern.

We offer great working benefits including a world‑class pension, flexible working options and a career where your learning and development is taken seriously. We are enormously proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We support candidates with adjustments throughout our recruitment process.

Job description

As the Environmental Assessment Manager you will have the opportunity to influence energy infrastructure planning decisions across a range of sectors including offshore wind, large solar farms, energy from waste plants and carbon capture use and storage. We want you to use and develop your environmental knowledge, skills and experience to inform decisions about whether to consent Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects.

This role involves assessing technical environmental information and providing advice to Ministers and senior officials on the environmental risks associated with consenting such projects.

Working as part of the Environment Delivery team, you will provide a critical and sometimes contentious function without which no new energy infrastructure can proceed, putting the role at the heart of meeting energy security, price stability and Net Zero carbon objectives.

Person specification

You will use your experience and skills to provide comprehensive, evidence based environmental advice on decisions for nationally significant infrastructure projects, which are subject to tight statutory deadlines.

You will advise Ministers and senior officials of the environmental impacts of offshore and onshore energy development applications and will provide specialist input into policy decisions affecting the future of the UK energy infrastructure planning regime.

This is a lively and fast paced post requiring professional expertise, strong influencing skills and an ability to deliver robust advice, whilst handling competing priorities.

You will work as a collaborative and supportive team member to deliver DESNZ requirements while providing mutual support to other team members to manage workloads, discuss issues, share knowledge and experience etc.

Who are we looking for? We want to hear from you if you can:

• Assess complex, technical and often conflicting environmental information to advise on the nature and level of environmental risk associated with consenting energy infrastructure applications.
• Write Habitat Regulations Assessments for nationally significant energy infrastructure projects.
• Provide advice to tight statutory time scales on the environmental impacts of all types of nationally significant energy infrastructure projects and fulfilling statutory obligations under the Habitats Regulations.

Essential Criteria

• A relevant environmental sciences undergraduate degree.
• Experience of writing, reviewing or responding to Habitats Regulations Assessments and Environmental Impact Assessments and a proven ability to interpret complex environmental information.

Desirable Criteria

• A background or interest in a technical environmental specialism such as landscape & visual assessment, land quality, water, noise, air quality, human health etc.
• Membership to a relevant professional body

Qualifications

Relevant environmental sciences degree

Behaviours

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Personal Responsibility
• Interpersonal Skills
• Professional Practice
• Application of Knowledge and Understanding
• Professional Standards

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £43,765, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero contributes £12,678 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero offers a competitive mix of benefits including:

• A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
• Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
• An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
• Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.