Senior Officer - Marine Planning & Licensing - ( Ref : 6855 )

The Planning and Infrastructure Team sits within the Strategy Directorateof Natural England.

The Team works across the terrestrial and marine environment to:

• Advise Government on national policy issues, contributing to the development of planning policy, guidance and process changes and responding to national consultations.
• Provide strategic technical advice and leadership to our programme and operations teams and develop new approaches to planning and infrastructure work.
• Develop and maintain relationships with key national partners including Government, other regulators and agencies, NGOs and the commercial sector.

This presents a unique opportunity to influence government policy to secure greater outcomes for the natural environment, whilst also playing a key role in both supporting and shaping Natural England’s Planning and Infrastructure work.

We are looking for a Senior Officer to provide technical leadership and strategic support marine planning and licensing. Working alongside the Principal Officer and colleagues across Strategy and Operations, you will help strengthen Natural England's capability, consistency and effectiveness in this area, ensuring colleagues have access to clear guidance, expert support and a shared understanding of good practice.

Working alongside Principal Officers and colleagues across Strategy and Operations, you will play a leading role in the development of guidance, training, technical networks and advice to support consistent and proportionate approaches to marine planning, licensing and environmental assessment. You will also help identify opportunities to make best use of Natural England's skills, knowledge and evidence base, improving the way we engage with marine planning and licensing processes and supporting Area Teams in delivering high-quality advice on complex and high-priority work.

Natural England's marine planning and licensing work plays an important role in securing positive outcomes for nature through decision-making in England's seas and coastal waters. Working closely with the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), government, regulators and other partners, we provide evidence, advice and expertise to support sustainable marine development and nature recovery.

A further key aspect of the role will be developing and maintaining effective relationships with the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and other marine stakeholders. Through collaboration and influence, you will help improve understanding of emerging issues, coordinate Natural England's input to Marine Plans and other strategic marine initiatives, and identify opportunities to secure better outcomes for nature through partnership working and strategic engagement.

Key Tasks/Principal Accountabilities

• Lead Natural England's strategic engagement with marine planning and licensing processes, coordinating advice and responses to Marine Plans and other relevant marine initiatives to help secure positive outcomes for nature and sustainable development.
• Provide national leadership and technical expertise on marine planning, marine licensing and associated environmental assessment processes, supporting colleagues in the provision of consistent, proportionate and evidence-based advice.
• Develop and maintain guidance, training, technical networks and best practice approaches to strengthen organisational capability and ensure consistency of advice across Strategy and Operations.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and other key stakeholders, acting as a focal point for engagement and identifying opportunities to strengthen collaboration and improve outcomes for nature.
• Support and develop the Marine Casework Network and related forums, ensuring knowledge, learning and emerging issues are shared effectively across the organisation.
• Provide technical support and advice on complex, novel or high-risk marine casework, working collaboratively with Area Teams and specialists to address challenging issues and promote consistency of approach.
• Lead or contribute to the development of Natural England's position on emerging marine planning, licensing and environmental assessment issues, identifying opportunities to improve processes, guidance and ways of working.
• Work across Strategy and Operations to identify opportunities to make better use of Natural England's skills, knowledge and evidence base, improving how the organisation engages with marine planning and licensing and supporting continual improvement of services and advice.

It should be noted that we are working in evolving policy environment with novel technologies and new industry sectors emerging. The successful candidate(s) will therefore need to be willing to adapt in response to changing demands on the team.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

A relevant degree and/or extensive experience in a related field. (Essential)

• Technical expertise and applied experience of the Marine Licensing system and Marine Plans (Essential).
• Technical expertise and experience of the application of environmental assessment processes to planning casework (HRA, MCZ Assessment EIA, SEA) (Essential)
• Experience of working with key national external partners and stakeholders that have been directly engaged with the infrastructure/planning system systems. (Desirable)
• Understanding of the legislative/policy/strategic context of infrastructure and planning work Desirable)

Technical Skills and Knowledge

• A relevant degree and/or extensive experience in a related field. (Essential)
• Technical expertise and applied experience of the Marine Licensing system and Marine Plans (Essential).
• Technical expertise and experience of the application of environmental assessment processes to planning casework (HRA, MCZ Assessment EIA, SEA) (Essential)
• Experience of working with key national external partners and stakeholders that have been directly engaged with the infrastructure/planning system systems. (Desirable)
• Understanding of the legislative/policy/strategic context of infrastructure and planning work Desirable)

Putting People at the Heart of the Environment

• Listen to and understand our diverse partners and customers so that you achieve the best outcomes for them and the organisation. (Practitioner)
• Nurture trusting partnerships and collaborate to achieve pragmatic outcomes that help deliver the organisation’s vision, mission and aims. (Practitioner)

Creating Resilient Landscapes and Seas

• Identify and apply relevant planning and environmental legislation, policies and processes to deliver effective and proportionate evidence-based solutions and advice (practitioner).
• Identify appropriate solutions for avoidance, mitigation, compensation of environmental impacts and meeting shared outcomes; and identify opportunities for enhancing the natural environment (practitioner).

Personal Effectiveness

• Use clear and appropriate language, communication styles and techniques that engage your audience (practitioner).
• Make and explain objective decisions which combine your professional judgement and evidence (Expert).
• Share expertise and knowledge with people and networks so that you can develop together (Practitioner)

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