NE
Senior Officer - Marine Planning & Licensing - ( Ref : 6867 )
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- United Kingdom
- Work type
- Hybrid
- Posted
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East Midlands (England), East of England, London (region), North East England, North West England, South East England, South West England, West Midlands (England), Yorkshire and the Humber
Job Summary
This position is based Nationally
Job Description
Join us in shaping a future where nature and people thrive. Whether you're drawn to hands-on conservation or playing a vital part behind the scenes, your work at Natural England will support lasting benefits for the environment and society.
Our Role
Natural England is the Government’s adviser for the natural environment and the Nature regulator with a wide range of statutory duties and powers. We provide the evidence, expertise and advice to recover Nature and shape better places for people to live. We do this working through and with others.
Strategic Outcomes for Nature
Our strategy is framed through four strategic outcomes. Each of these outcomes reinforces and amplifies the others, and together they address environmental, social and economic actions critical to thriving nature.
Natural England’s Strategy: Recovering Nature for Growth, Health and Security - GOV.UK
The Team
The Planning and Infrastructure Team sits within the Strategy Directorate of Natural England.
The Team works across the terrestrial and marine environment to:
Job Description
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
At Natural England, we support a healthy work-life balance by offering full-time, part-time, and flexible working arrangements.
We provide excellent opportunities for career progression, training, and development tailored to your role. This includes ten days annually for personal learning and development, plus three additional days for volunteering.
You’ll receive a generous leave allowance of 25 days per year (pro rata), increasing by one day for each year of service up to 30 days (pro-rata), access to the Civil Service Pension scheme with a 28.97% employer contribution, and a range of benefits such as shopping discounts and a cycle-to-work scheme. Staff can also join the Civil Service Sport club for discounts on sports, leisure activities, and social events.
We are committed to fairness, equality, and inclusivity. Our employee-led diversity networks help foster a welcoming environment where everyone feels valued and supported.
Locations
Natural England has adopted hybrid working – which means our staff work from a flexible range of locations, encompassing home, offices (ours and our partners) and relevant sites. All new staff will be formally linked to one of our 25 offices across England, and the expectation is that all new staff will be able to access their local office to be part of the community of staff in their geographical area. Staff are expected to attend their associated office for 20% of their contractual hours.
Staff members are required to carry out all their duties working in this way and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time. Travel expenses will be paid if work-related travel is required but does not apply to travel between home and your associated office.
National team roles can be linked with any Natural England office while Area Team roles will be linked with an office in the relevant geographic area.
View a map of our office locations here: online map of Natural England office locations
Pay It is Natural England policy to employ at the entry point of the salary range.
Please note: Licensed visa sponsoring organisations are employers authorised by the government to recruit and sponsor overseas workers, enabling them to obtain the appropriate visa to work legally in the country. Natural England is NOT a licensed sponsorship employer.
As part of the Natural England’s application process, candidates are asked to confirm their right to work and remain in the UK. If a candidate says that they meet these requirements, ID is checked, a provisional offer of permanent employment is made and pre-employment eligibility checks commence. Only after these checks are candidates given firm offers of employment.
Natural England is unable to employ individuals who cannot provide the required evidence of their right to work.
How To Apply
We welcome and encourage applications from all communities. Natural England is accredited to the Disability Confident Scheme, which denotes organisations which have a positive attitude towards disabled people. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum requirements for the role at the shortlisting stage are guaranteed an invitation to interview.
If you require a reasonable adjustment at interview, or there is anything else you would like the panel to take into consideration, you should notify us of this at application stage where possible, or well in advance of your interview. We now provide primary interview questions in advance for all formal recruitments.
This vacancy uses competency-based assessment. We'll assess you against the competencies below during the selection process. Please be aware that we reserve the right for roles that receive a high volume of applications to initially sift applications for one competence only.
Please note that STAR format is not required when answering the Technical Skills & Knowledge competency.
Examples should be given in no more than 250 words for each competency.
If you are successful at the shortlisting stage, you will be invited to attend an interview via MS Teams or a suitable alternative, where you will be asked to give examples for all competencies as set out in the Job Description.
As with all roles in NE, these roles require office attendance of a minimum of 20% of the working time – one day per week for those who work full time, subject to any reasonable adjustments and/or existing contractual homeworking.
Competencies
Competence 1
Professional competency
Detail
Technical Skills and Knowledge
Description
Professional competency
Detail
Putting People at the Heart of the Environment
Description
Professional competency
Detail
Creating Resilient Landscapes and Seas
Description
Professional competency
Detail
Personal Effectiveness
Description
Our Role
Natural England is the Government’s adviser for the natural environment and the Nature regulator with a wide range of statutory duties and powers. We provide the evidence, expertise and advice to recover Nature and shape better places for people to live. We do this working through and with others.
Strategic Outcomes for Nature
Our strategy is framed through four strategic outcomes. Each of these outcomes reinforces and amplifies the others, and together they address environmental, social and economic actions critical to thriving nature.
Natural England’s Strategy: Recovering Nature for Growth, Health and Security - GOV.UK
The Team
The Planning and Infrastructure Team sits within the Strategy Directorate of Natural England.
The Team works across the terrestrial and marine environment to:
Description
Please Refer To Job Description
Alongside your salary of £41,550, Natural England contributes £12,037 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
Please Refer To Job Description
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups:
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window).
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.
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window).
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.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
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 :
https://networkrecruitment.tal.net/vx/appcentre-7/brand-4/spa-1/candidate/so/pm/1/pl/8/opp/6867-6867-Senior-Officer-Marine-Planning-Licensing/en-GB
Job Summary
This position is based Nationally
Job Description
Join us in shaping a future where nature and people thrive. Whether you're drawn to hands-on conservation or playing a vital part behind the scenes, your work at Natural England will support lasting benefits for the environment and society.
Our Role
Natural England is the Government’s adviser for the natural environment and the Nature regulator with a wide range of statutory duties and powers. We provide the evidence, expertise and advice to recover Nature and shape better places for people to live. We do this working through and with others.
Strategic Outcomes for Nature
Our strategy is framed through four strategic outcomes. Each of these outcomes reinforces and amplifies the others, and together they address environmental, social and economic actions critical to thriving nature.
- Recovering Nature– Increased scale and quality of places where nature thrives.
- Building Better Places– Greener homes and infrastructure create healthier, more investable places, recognising we live better where nature thrives around us.
- Improving Health and Wellbeing– Build nature into everyday life so people can support, access and benefit from nature, wherever they live.
- Delivering Security through Nature– Nature helps us adapt to the threats of a changing climate and improves our national security, supporting more resilient food production, healthy soils, clean and plentiful water and clean air.
Natural England’s Strategy: Recovering Nature for Growth, Health and Security - GOV.UK
The Team
The Planning and Infrastructure Team sits within the Strategy Directorate of 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.
Job Description
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.
- 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)
At Natural England, we support a healthy work-life balance by offering full-time, part-time, and flexible working arrangements.
We provide excellent opportunities for career progression, training, and development tailored to your role. This includes ten days annually for personal learning and development, plus three additional days for volunteering.
You’ll receive a generous leave allowance of 25 days per year (pro rata), increasing by one day for each year of service up to 30 days (pro-rata), access to the Civil Service Pension scheme with a 28.97% employer contribution, and a range of benefits such as shopping discounts and a cycle-to-work scheme. Staff can also join the Civil Service Sport club for discounts on sports, leisure activities, and social events.
We are committed to fairness, equality, and inclusivity. Our employee-led diversity networks help foster a welcoming environment where everyone feels valued and supported.
Locations
Natural England has adopted hybrid working – which means our staff work from a flexible range of locations, encompassing home, offices (ours and our partners) and relevant sites. All new staff will be formally linked to one of our 25 offices across England, and the expectation is that all new staff will be able to access their local office to be part of the community of staff in their geographical area. Staff are expected to attend their associated office for 20% of their contractual hours.
Staff members are required to carry out all their duties working in this way and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time. Travel expenses will be paid if work-related travel is required but does not apply to travel between home and your associated office.
National team roles can be linked with any Natural England office while Area Team roles will be linked with an office in the relevant geographic area.
View a map of our office locations here: online map of Natural England office locations
Pay It is Natural England policy to employ at the entry point of the salary range.
Please note: Licensed visa sponsoring organisations are employers authorised by the government to recruit and sponsor overseas workers, enabling them to obtain the appropriate visa to work legally in the country. Natural England is NOT a licensed sponsorship employer.
As part of the Natural England’s application process, candidates are asked to confirm their right to work and remain in the UK. If a candidate says that they meet these requirements, ID is checked, a provisional offer of permanent employment is made and pre-employment eligibility checks commence. Only after these checks are candidates given firm offers of employment.
Natural England is unable to employ individuals who cannot provide the required evidence of their right to work.
How To Apply
We welcome and encourage applications from all communities. Natural England is accredited to the Disability Confident Scheme, which denotes organisations which have a positive attitude towards disabled people. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum requirements for the role at the shortlisting stage are guaranteed an invitation to interview.
If you require a reasonable adjustment at interview, or there is anything else you would like the panel to take into consideration, you should notify us of this at application stage where possible, or well in advance of your interview. We now provide primary interview questions in advance for all formal recruitments.
This vacancy uses competency-based assessment. We'll assess you against the competencies below during the selection process. Please be aware that we reserve the right for roles that receive a high volume of applications to initially sift applications for one competence only.
- Technical Skills and Knowledge
- Putting People at the Heart of the Environment
- Creating Resilient Landscapes and Seas
- Personal Effectiveness
Please note that STAR format is not required when answering the Technical Skills & Knowledge competency.
Examples should be given in no more than 250 words for each competency.
If you are successful at the shortlisting stage, you will be invited to attend an interview via MS Teams or a suitable alternative, where you will be asked to give examples for all competencies as set out in the Job Description.
As with all roles in NE, these roles require office attendance of a minimum of 20% of the working time – one day per week for those who work full time, subject to any reasonable adjustments and/or existing contractual homeworking.
Competencies
Competence 1
Professional competency
Detail
Technical Skills and Knowledge
Description
- 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)
Professional competency
Detail
Putting People at the Heart of the Environment
Description
- 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)
Professional competency
Detail
Creating Resilient Landscapes and Seas
Description
- 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).
Professional competency
Detail
Personal Effectiveness
Description
- 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)
Our Role
Natural England is the Government’s adviser for the natural environment and the Nature regulator with a wide range of statutory duties and powers. We provide the evidence, expertise and advice to recover Nature and shape better places for people to live. We do this working through and with others.
Strategic Outcomes for Nature
Our strategy is framed through four strategic outcomes. Each of these outcomes reinforces and amplifies the others, and together they address environmental, social and economic actions critical to thriving nature.
- Recovering Nature– Increased scale and quality of places where nature thrives.
- Building Better Places– Greener homes and infrastructure create healthier, more investable places, recognising we live better where nature thrives around us.
- Improving Health and Wellbeing– Build nature into everyday life so people can support, access and benefit from nature, wherever they live.
- Delivering Security through Nature– Nature helps us adapt to the threats of a changing climate and improves our national security, supporting more resilient food production, healthy soils, clean and plentiful water and clean air.
Natural England’s Strategy: Recovering Nature for Growth, Health and Security - GOV.UK
The Team
The Planning and Infrastructure Team sits within the Strategy Directorate of 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.
Description
- 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)
Please Refer To Job Description
Alongside your salary of £41,550, Natural England contributes £12,037 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
Please Refer To Job Description
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window).
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.
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window).
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.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
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 : Alistair Horton
- Email : alistair.horton@naturalengland.org.uk
- Telephone : 077489 31444
- Email : defra-recruitment-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk
https://networkrecruitment.tal.net/vx/appcentre-7/brand-4/spa-1/candidate/so/pm/1/pl/8/opp/6867-6867-Senior-Officer-Marine-Planning-Licensing/en-GB
