6271 - Senior Officer: Marine Energy NSIPs (Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects)

Job Description

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.

Priority Work

• 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
• Providing ways for people to better connect with nature, including green social prescribing

Natural England is 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.

This vacancy is for roles in two Area Teams, the Sussex & Kent Area Team and the East Midlands Area Team.

Role Overview

This is a cost recoverable Operational Senior Officer role delivering and supporting Natural England’s statutory and discretionary advice on priority energy NSIPs with combined marine and terrestrial elements.

The role holder will understand marine planning, licensing and consenting and NE’s role in the NSIP process, and will have experience of working on marine NSIPs. They will have a good awareness of NE’s templates and processes and will hit the ground running, leading the teams preparing for forthcoming NSIP examinations, attending hearings and dealing with post consent work. The role will involve maintaining an overview of the co‑ordination and delivery of Natural England’s advice on marine sustainable development NSIPS including (but not exclusively) offshore wind and will include direct delivery of complex pieces of work.

As a Senior Officer you will fulfil a key leadership role and will be expected to be a role model for Natural England’s ways of working and help drive the changes needed to meet government’s green energy targets, and ensuring NE’s presence at key examinations and hearings.

Key Tasks and Principal Accountabilities

The successful candidate will:

• Demonstrate expertise in the delivery of major casework at a local and Seas level, maintaining an overview of their portfolio.
• Work with project teams to support the effective case handling and delivery of timely and evidence‑based advice, working with lead advisers, national specialists, principal advisers and managers and attending meetings and hearings.
• Support collaborative working between terrestrial and marine colleagues in the Project Teams you support, sharing learning and identifying opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Quality assure and support marine sustainable development casework delivery as set out in our non‑financial scheme of delegation.
• Oversee and, as required, proactively engage with key partners and customers to ensure effective communications and excellent stakeholder relationships.
• Develop capability and capacity of case teams through mentoring, coaching and contributing to relevant learning and development opportunities especially in the delivery of Natural England’s advice on Nationally Significant Infrastructure projects (NSIPs).
• Support lead advisers in agreeing the delivery of Natural England’s Discretionary and Statutory Advice Service for NSIPs.
• Participate in the relevant internal networks to ensure that marine delivery targets which support major casework are met; exchanging information and best practice; and identifying more effective ways of working by collating lessons learnt.