Flexible and remote working options can then be considered after this period. The post-holder may be required to attend meetings at various localities in the UK, and potentially internationally, involving overnight stays away from home.

What is JNCC?

We’re the environment’s best kept secret. Established in 1990, 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.  Our combination of scientific and analytical excellence with deep knowledge of how to facilitate joint working across jurisdictions allows us to deliver a much-valued service to the UK and other governments.

What’s the role?

The Nature Conservation Policy and Advice team is one of the newest in JNCC, and has begun life at one of the most exciting times in the history of working in the environmental sector.  Following the UK’s departure from the European Union, environmental policy and legislation is likely to change and evolve rapidly to meet the new demands of operating outside of the EU’s framework, both in domestic and international settings. Furthermore, since environmental matters are a devolved function, policy may become increasingly divergent across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

JNCC’s Nature Conservation Policy and Advice team operates at the heart of this activity, assisting the four countries of the UK realise their environmental ambitions, working bilaterally with each country on key policy areas, and with all four countries collectively where JNCC can be an effective co-ordinator and facilitator at the UK scale.  Increasingly UK Government is developing its ambition to be a global leader in the environment, and JNCC is a key player, providing evidence and policy advice to government departments, and in international environmental initiatives.

The Nature Conservation Policy and Advice team brings together several major work areas in JNCC.  We integrate UK efforts on protected sites, habitats and species, such as through the guidelines for Sites of Special Scientific Interest and UK advice on the national network of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas. This is closely allied to our work in building the evidence base for landscape scale, ecosystem service orientated approaches to land management, engaging across the UK as each country develops incentives to meet environmental commitments outside of the Common Agricultural Policy. We are developing JNCC’s role as the interface for four country working on the ecosystem impacts of air pollution, developing effective tools and evidence to more effectively meet pollution reduction commitments. At this critical time of change, we analyse the development of emerging legislation and policy in the UK and devolved governments, assess its implications for JNCC and for our partners and stakeholders.  These key work areas are implemented through the prism of climate change and the biodiversity decline, where traditional approaches to nature conservation will need to change and adapt, to meet to the challenges ahead.

As the post holder you will play a key role in leading JNCC’s work on land management for nature conservation and ecosystem services.  There will be a particular focus on building the evidence base and policy advice for the development of new approaches to incentivising land management, outside of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy. While initially this will be on Defra’s Environmental Land Management programme in England, as we grow this capability in JNCC we expect to be able to support similar incentives in other parts of the UK, and potentially overseas.

Within the NCPA team there will be strong synergies between this and our work on protected sites, habitats and species, climate change, and changing approaches to land management and the policy environment which surrounds it.  Working interactively in the NCPA team and with other teams in JNCC, you will get the opportunity to implement innovative solutions that make a real difference to the people and environments that we work with.  Better still, you will get to work in a dedicated and focussed team, helping to shape the new architecture of nature conservation in the UK.

Who are we looking for?

You will need to have a good understanding of the developing policy surrounding agriculture and the environment, how agricultural financial support currently operates, and how it might change (or be changed) to deliver environmental outcomes. It does not matter whether this experience comes from implementing schemes on the ground, an evidence-based modelling approach, or from policy knowledge and analysis.  The important thing is to be able to take that experience, lead and develop the capability in JNCC, and work in an inter-disciplinary way with colleagues in JNCC and partner organisations.

We are looking for someone with a good all-round knowledge of nature conservation and environmental issues in the UK, and with a good grasp of what the future might hold in addressing the environmental challenges and ambitions in the UK and its constituent nations.  You will need to be comfortable working with the ambiguity and uncertainty of a fast-changing sector, whilst focussing on JNCC’s key objectives in this work area.

Good inter-personal skills are important of course, including the ability to lead in a collaborative working environment.  You will need to be comfortable working with people of different levels of seniority in partner organisations and governments, coupled with a sound ability to communicate, tailoring what you present to specialist and non-specialist audiences alike. Full details of the role are included in the job description.

Why JNCC?

We’re small enough (around 200 staff) that you’ll know everyone by name, but big enough that we have all the skills, resources and people you’ll need to get the job done. We are flexible and welcoming, and we focus on supporting our staff with the freedom and tools they need to flourish. You will benefit from our inclusive and lively workplace culture, training and CPD opportunities, excellent holiday and pension benefits, as well as an exciting job in a unique environment.

Assessment

We will assess your application against the experience and behaviours listed in the post details.

Presentation

If you are invited to interview you will also have the chance to present a short presentation, the title of which will be given to you ahead of the interview.

Interviews

The closing date for this post is 09:00 on Monday, 11 January 2021

The anticipated interview date will be Thursday, 21 January 2021

To apply please visit our website at https://jncc.gov.uk/about-jncc/careers/ where you can download the Application Form, Equality & Diversity Form and Job Description, and find further information on How to apply.

Please be aware that at this time interviews may take place either over the phone or by video conference. We will aim to give you a minimum of 5 days’ notice before inviting any candidate for interview but please be aware that this may not be possible, and interviews may have to be changed at short notice.