Natural Environment Principal (Nature Recovery - DCP/Poole Farm) in Plymouth

Are you ready to manage transformative change for nature and communities in one of the UK’s most ambitious cities for environmental innovation? Plymouth City Council is seeking a dynamic Natural Environment Principal to drive forward pioneering work enhancing nature and empowering communities across the City. The role will drive work to secure enhancements to nature in Local Nature Reserves and strategic green spaces, including Derriford Community Park/Poole Farm alongside communities and partners. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of a site that champions learning and wellbeing through nature, ensuring it delivers measurable outcomes for biodiversity, climate resilience, and community engagement. It will play a key role in designing, fundraising for and delivering nature-based solutions that will maximise the benefits for health and wellbeing, skills development, climate resilience, recreation and businesses.

What You’ll Do

• Lead the strategic development of Derriford Community Park and Poole Farm, a flagship site for nature-based solutions, environmental education, green skills, and wellbeing in Plymouth, while ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of Poole Farm through innovative and resilient business models.
• Leading and growing high-impact partnerships to enable the sustainable delivery of key Natural Environment Service projects, including Derriford Community Park and Poole Farm.
• Providing operational expertise and guidance to ensure smooth operation of key functions relating to Derriford Community Park/Poole Farm and the wider Nature Recovery Team.
• Line-manage the Poole Farm team, providing clear direction, support, and oversight while contributing to the coordination and development of the wider Nature Recovery Team and Natural Environment Service.
• Drive income generation, securing a blended funding model through successful external bids and by developing diverse income-generating opportunities across internal and external sources.
• Build, strengthen, and manage strategic relationships with internal departments and external organisations to realise long-term positive impacts for Plymouth, secure funding and collaboration.
• Proven ability to lead and deliver complex projects from inception to completion, including planning, risk management, stakeholder coordination, and achieving outcomes on time and within budget.
• Ensuring safe delivery of work across a diverse range of sites, by embedding strong health and safety practices within all programmes.
• Overseeing the completion and quality of risk assessments, method statements and safe systems of work for activities across sites and projects.
• Promoting a positive health, safety and wellbeing culture across staff, partners, contractors and volunteers, ensuring compliance with Council policies and legal requirements.

What You’ll Manage

• Delivery against key strategies and plans, including the Plan for Nature and People, as well as locally driven community priorities and place-based initiatives.
• A high-performing team operating across dynamic and sometimes challenging environments, working with a diverse range of participants, including those who may present complex needs or behaviours, across the city.
• A busy, high-profile Community Park serving a diverse range of users, including partners, contractors and often vulnerable and higher-risk groups.
• Strong and evolving partnerships with national organisations such as the National Trust, alongside a wide network of local stakeholders across health, education, skills, and the local economy.
• A significant project budget, ensuring robust financial oversight and value for money.

What You’ll Bring

• A degree in a natural environment discipline or related field.
• Membership of, or willingness to work towards, a relevant professional institute.
• A solid background in health and safety management, with experience of applying best practice in operational environments.
• An exceptional track record of working with partners and communities to deliver environmental outcomes that benefit people, place, and prosperity.
• Demonstrable experience in leading and delivering large-scale programmes or projects.
• Proven success in securing external funding.
• Excellent communication, engagement, and evaluation skills, with the ability to work effectively with a wide range of audiences and stakeholders, and to clearly evidence and demonstrate impact.
• Strong strategic thinking, with sound judgement and political awareness.
• Significant experience of working with communities, volunteers, and cross-sector partners to achieve shared outcomes.

The Disclosure & Barring Service Check requirement for this post is: Enhanced Child Check. Plymouth City Council is an equal opportunities employer. All applicants will be considered for employment regardless of age, care experience, disability, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity, race, religion/belief, sex or sexual orientation. As part of our commitment to promoting equality we offer guaranteed interviews to those who meet the essential criteria and are considered disabled, care experienced or are an Armed Forces Service Leaver within the last two years.