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Title

International Advice Team Co-Leader (Aberdeen or Peterborough)

Posted
Reference
Sectors Conservation & Ecology
Location England (East Anglia) - UK
Town/City Aberdeen, Scotland, AB11 9QA : Peterborough, Eastern, PE1 1JY
Salary Additional Information £45,564
Salary (Minimum)
45564
Salary (Maximum)
45564
Type Fixed Term and Permanent Roles
Status Full Time
Level Senior Level
Deadline 05/04/2021
Company Name Joint Nature Conservation Committee
Contact Name
Telephone 01733 562626
Joint Nature Conservation Committee logo
Directory Entry : The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) is the public body that advises the UK Government and devolved administrations on UK-wide and international nature conservation. Originally established under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. For Careers with the JNCC visit the Civil Service Career Portal.
Also Listing:
Description
We’re the environment’s best kept secret. Established in 1991, we’re the UK’s statutory adviser on issues affecting the natural environment across the UK and internationally. Our primary role is advising all four Governments of the UK. With most of our work being within Government, our public profile is low but our impact is high.

What’s the role?

JNCC provides advice on matters as varied as sustainable governance of the UK’s offshore and overseas marine environments, understanding the impacts of the UK’s overseas trade and development assistance on the natural environment, and supporting the UK’s domestic implementation of its international environmental obligations.

The coming decade is seen as vitally important to address the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. This senior role is an opportunity to assist in setting an ambitious post-2020 global biodiversity framework and co-lead a team providing scientific advice to government on international nature conservation issues across both marine and terrestrial environments. An important element will be integrating social, economic and climate considerations alongside ecosystem services and advising on how these can be balanced, and investment adjusted, to improve biodiversity gain whilst achieving wider benefits to society.

Job description

Post Background

The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) is the statutory adviser to Government on UK and international nature conservation working at the science-policy interface.

The International Advice Team in JNCC provides scientific advice on international issues in relation to nature conservation. This includes advising on multi-lateral environmental agreements (MEAs) to which the UK is Party and meeting UK reporting obligations under these.

The United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union (EU) provides an unprecedented opportunity to transform policy affecting the environment in the UK and internationally. Equally, this is seen as a vitally important decade to address the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. The UK has pioneered the ‘Leaders’ Pledge for Nature’ (LPN), which sets the scene for ambitious action on climate and nature throughout 2021. The four countries of the UK have been developing their approaches to these issues with the 25 year Environment Plan in England, The Scottish Environment Strategy and Scottish biodiversity strategy post-2020: statement of intent, Nature Recovery Action Plan in Wales and the Northern Ireland Climate Change Adaptation Programme 2019-2024.

These strategies and plans have expectation of setting an ambitious post-2020 global biodiversity framework (to replace the existing CBD Aichi targets). An important aspect of the delivery of the framework will be adjusting UK policies which directly affect the natural environment including on climate change, the investment of overseas development assistance and on trade. In addition, the recently published The Economics of biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review, highlights overall sustainability of human use of the planet and the need to ensure that biodiversity considerations are fully mainstreamed (integrated and embedded) in the more prominent climate change, social and economics agendas.

This post will lead JNCC’s work to improve the integration of the natural environment into the UK’s international policies. An important element will be integrating social, economic and climate considerations alongside ecosystem services and advising on how these can be balanced, and investment adjusted, to improve biodiversity gain whilst achieving wider benefits to society.

You will develop relationships with stakeholders across core government departments and work to improve the evidence base and advice to these to improve outcomes. The focus will be developing a broad understanding of the priorities of and opportunities for stakeholders and identifying how these can be shaped to take better consideration of the natural environment.

Key stakeholders include officials in the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), where the focus is the natural environment, and with the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), with emphasis on societal, economic and climate change issues. You will also work across the UK with the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

You will have a good understanding of the importance of the relationship between scientific research, evidence and policy development. You will work with specialists from across JNCC to assess and improve the existing evidence base. You will also work with your co-team leader to undertake management responsibilities and development of the International Advice team.

There may be opportunity for international travel associated with this post.


Post Duties

• Work to integrate consideration of the natural environment into the UKs international activities.

• Lead on JNCC engagement with HMG and Devolved Administrations’ International Strategies through provision of evidence-based advice to assist government with international policy development and to assess the effectiveness of policy outcomes.

• Increase JNCC’s contribution to addressing the related climate crisis through input to UNFCCC CoP26 in the UK in late 2021 and positioning JNCC to provide more integrated advice on biodiversity-climate links in future.

• Position JNCC as an evidence-provider / adviser on the integration of ecosystem services with social, economic and climate considerations and advise on how these can be balanced, and investment adjusted to improve biodiversity gain whilst still achieving wider societal benefits.

• Develop and maintain effective relationships with key international policy customers and identify priority areas for advice provision.

• Cultivate and manage an informal advisory network of developing country apex-level, forest and farm organizational representatives – to gauge and assess the priorities of Indigenous People’s and Local Communities to assess local priorities for nature based solutions.

• Track emerging developments in evidence provision and provide technical leadership to a team of specialists on how this can be used to support customer needs.

• Seek income opportunities related to JNCC’s international focus and realise those for the organisation.

• Jointly lead the International Advice Team, manage staff and financial resources, develop individuals and ensure manageable outcome-focused delivery plans, which support the overall goals of the team.

• Ensure that the team operates within JNCC’s standard corporate policies and procedures including surfacing any significant issues through corporate risks.

Responsibilities

Experience

To be a successful candidate you will need to demonstrate in your statement of suitability that you have:

• Developed strong stakeholder relationships with both policy level actors in the UK and abroad.

• Knowledgeable about the natural environment and societal benefits it provides and how these can be affected and adjusted through core interventions such as securing tenure, strengthening social organisations, building technical natural resource management capabilities and incentivising sustainable enterprises.

• Contributed to the development of nature conservation policy and implementation in the UK and/or internationally.

• Experience of working internationally.

• Taken a strategic approach to work, including spotting new opportunities and prioritising within a complex portfolio.

• Assessed complex policy needs and translated these into science projects.

• Integrated the natural environment within broader economic and social agendas.

• Excellent analytical and writing skills, including experience of literature review, statistical analysis, synthesis of complex information, identification of key messages, and graphic presentation, communicating complex concepts to non-technical audiences in simple, succinct, and easily accessible terms.

• Experienced in participatory methods to ensure that local voices shape and help govern conservation interventions and other nature-based solutions.

 

Behaviours

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

  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Leadership
  • Seeing the Big Picture
  • Changing and Improving
  • Developing Self and Others

 

Technical skills

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

  • A degree or equivalent experience in a relevant subject such as natural sciences, environmental economics, social sciences.

Benefits

Equality and diversity

JNCC is committed to creating an environment where everyone feels valued and respected and see this as a good place to work. JNCC has a responsibility to ensure that we have an inclusive culture where discrimination, harassment, bullying and prejudice will not be tolerated. Our selection process is determined on fair and open competition and regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership.

Continuous professional development (CPD)

Employees are encouraged to keep developing skills and professional knowledge.
JNCC has made available, and encourages employees to use, on average, five working days per annum for CPD activities with access to related funding

Leave entitlement

JNCC annual leave allowance is 25 days per annum. After five years’ service, leave entitlement increases to 30 days per annum.
In addition to annual leave, JNCC offers 12 public and privilege days per annum, three of which are explicitly reserved for office closure between Christmas and New Year.

Work/life balance

JNCC supports flexible working hours and practices to help employees strike a good balance between work life and personal life.

Our policies are family-friendly and include flexi-time, flexible working patterns, compressed hours and dispersed working. JNCC also offers paid maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave, over and above the minimum statutory entitlements. Some work/life balance benefits are available following a minimum length of service.

Any move from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/

Civil Service Pension

Employees will have the opportunity to join Civil Service pension arrangements, which include a valuable range of benefits. JNCC makes a significant contribution to the cost of employee pensions.

Employee Assistance Programme

JNCC provides employees with a free and confidential support service which gives unlimited access to information, advice and emotional support to help employees prepare for and manage all of life's ups and downs, events and challenges.

Trade Union

JNCC has entered into a partnership agreement with its recognised Trade Unions: Prospect and PCS, which employees are able to join and be involved with.

Salary sacrifice schemes

Employee Discount Scheme

Civil Service Sports Club

Things you need to know

 

Security

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.
People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

 

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and a statement of suitability. In your statement, refer to the responsibilities and experience section of this advert to show how you’re suitable for the role. Make your statement no longer than 1250 words.

The anticipated interview date is during week commencing 03 May 2021

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

  • UK nationals
  • nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
  • nationals of the Republic of Ireland
  • nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with (or eligible for) status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
  • relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
  • relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
  • certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
Further information on nationality requirements

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Apply and further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :
Name :   Recruitment Team
Email :   recruitment@jncc.gov.uk
 
Recruitment team :
Email :   recruitment@jncc.gov.uk

Further information

Selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles, our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of appointment on the basis of merit by fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact recruitment@jncc.gov.uk in the first instance.

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