Project Officer - Biodiversity

About the Council

The Town Council represents the thriving and picturesque Henley-on-Thames, bordered by both the Chilterns and the River Thames. Henley is renowned for its beautiful market town facilities, its sporting achievements, and an ever-growing programme of cultural and recreational events.

The Town Council is the first tier of local government, with 16 councillors and a staff of c.30. We are one of the busiest town councils in the country, providing a wide range of quality services including parks, recreation grounds, open spaces, sports and arts facilities, allotments, cemetery, moorings, car parks, a visitor information service, and community buildings. We also have an extensive property portfolio and significant financial investments

We are a very ambitious town council, dedicated not only to fulfilling our statutory functions, but leading on a wide range of projects and services to benefit the community. Recent projects have included a new adventure playground and installation of air source heat pumps and electric vehicle charging points at the riverside park at Mill Meadows. Currently, projects are underway to install solar panels on Council owned buildings, review the decarbonisation options for the Town Hall, construct a new 3G football pitch and provide a new sports pavilion, parks depot, and more affordable housing for the town.

The Council has also declared both climate and nature emergencies and is dedicated to leading on schemes to improve biodiversity, sustainability and reduce emissions throughout the town.

Purpose of the role

This is an exciting opportunity for a community-focussed and experienced project manager to help us create a more biodiverse Henley. The successful candidate will take the lead on the creation of a Biodiversity Action Plan and Policy for the Council and the projects associated with these. They will work with volunteers, other staff, councillors, and principal authorities to identify the needs of the community, create project plans, and deliver the final schemes. Schemes currently include biodiversity audits of the Council’s green spaces, progression of the Council’s Tree Strategy, coordination of actions arising from Henley in Bloom, investigation of options for reducing pesticide use at the Council and community engagement relating to the Council’s actions.

For futher details and applications please visit our website here.