About the role
As a Senior Natural Environment Officer, your role involves providing specialist advice on natural environment issues, with a technical specialism in ecology. As well as supporting our Development Management Team, you'll play a crucial part in creating and keeping natural environment policies up to date, which will be essential to guide and set high standards for future development in the area.
Additionally, you’ll contribute to the specialist monitoring, research and statistical activities to support the Planning Service.
What will you be doing?
The role involves offering timely advice on ecology and the natural environment to support our development management team, our policy planners and other Council services. You’ll be a subject expert in your field and will be able to prepare advice for meetings, site visits, and committees. As a proactive individual and excellent communicator, you’ll be able to balance enhancing our ecological and natural environment with the need to support growth, sustainability, and energy efficiency in West Northants.
Our Specialist Services function is made up of teams dedicated to the natural environment, historic environment and design so you will be part of an exciting peer group helping shape the future of West Northamptonshire.
About you
You will bring with you a wealth of experience with a technical specialism in ecology.
With your in-depth knowledge of environmental legislation, best practice and statutory procedures, you’ll be able to offer comprehensive guidance and support to colleagues and customers to ensure best practice is followed. You’ll be dedicated to achieving positive outcomes for our ecology and the natural environment alongside enhancing new development and growth within West Northants. Your understanding of the Local Plan system, national and local planning policy will provide context for your expert guidance.
You’ll have the relevant qualifications required and be a member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management. Experience with DEF, MasterGov or other planning related systems and mapping software would be helpful but not essential.
Our benefits
We offer a wide range of benefits to our employees, these include:
- Generous annual leave entitlement starting at 28 days annual leave per year, 29 days for senior managers (pro rata, depending on how many hours per week you work), plus bank holidays. An additional 5 days, linked to continuous service, and ability to purchase up to 6 weeks additional leave per year.
- Cycle to Work scheme.
- Local Government Pension Scheme plus immediate life cover (3 times your annual salary from day one) and ill-health protection.
- Employee discounts with local and national retailers, days out, finance, health and beauty, travel and eating out plus lots more.
- Car Lease scheme
- Payment of professional subscription / membership - If your job description requires that you are registered with or are a member of a professional body, WNC will pay for your professional subscription or membership fees.
- Employee Assistance Programme - We have an employee support programme run by Health Assured, an independent, external organisation. Health Assured is available for you and your immediate family members, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and includes telephone counselling, legal advice, bereavement support and medical information.
- Ongoing training and development opportunities.
- A variety of flexible working options to support your work/life balance, including full or part time, term time, 9-day fortnight, etc. (subject to business needs).
- Our West Ways of Working – We want our workforce to thrive, and we equip our employees with the right technology to support hybrid and collaborative working, on or off site, depending on the role.
- Making a difference - If you want to use your skills and experience with an organisation that are genuinely invested in making a difference, are committed to improving people's lives, and whose success has a direct impact on the wellbeing of your family, friends and people in your local area, then West Northamptonshire Council is the place for you.
About us
We’re a new council, following one of the largest shake-ups in local government reform in recent history. As a new authority, we’re embarking on an exciting journey to deliver exceptional services for our residents, customers and communities.
Our vision at West Northamptonshire Council is ‘to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive’. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services.
Hear more from our Chief Executive, Anna Earnshaw, about what it's like to work at West Northants Council https://youtu.be/lV0EfeUF4aU
At West Northants Council, it’s about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like-minded people.
When potential is unlocked, talent thrives.
Choose a career that offers you a true sense of achievement, fills you with pride and challenges you in a positive way, every day.
West Northants Council, where careers thrive.
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