Trainee Technical Officer

Duration: Full time (32hrs, 4-day week)

The Role

This is an ‘outward facing’ trainee role interacting directly with a variety of scheme stakeholders. TTOs use GIS to analyse impacts of development or infrastructure works on great crested newts, following defined processes and protocols. Attention to detail and a meticulous approach to assessments, document writing and data recording, as well as the ability to multitask and work within strict deadlines, are paramount for this post. Given the client facing nature of the role, TTOs are expected to learn and apply excellent customer service skills and presentation skills.

Posts are available in the District Licensing (DL) team, focusing on development through planning, as well as in the Organisational Licensing (OL) team, focusing on infrastructure works across road, rail etc.

The Trainee Technical Officer grade allows for new starters to learn the role and the skills required of the Technical Team and includes around three months of active training, ongoing mentor-guidance, and subsequent on-the-job learning, with day-to-day support available for all aspects of the work from established Officers, Senior Officers and the Team Manager.

Progression

Trainee roles are expected to step up to Officer grade 6 months after passing probation, typically at the 1-year mark. This accounts for an average of 3-months training and time to build a catalogue of assessment types, growing in complexity and difficulty over time.

Key responsibilities:

• Fully engage in training and learn case procedures, data management requirements, effective client liaison and scheme background and industry context.
• Deliver casework within the NatureSpace Technical team, providing accurate quotes, assessments, reports, and certificates to clients in line with the deadlines, standards, and critical requirements of the scheme. All work will be conducted and delivered to the high standards expected of NatureSpace staff.
• Liaise in a professional, confident, and knowledgeable manner with developers and infrastructure providers (prospective and current clients), their contractors, ecologists, environmental and planning consultants, District Licensing Officers, local planning authority ecologists and planners, the Newt Conservation Partnership and NatureSpace colleagues.
• Provide excellent customer service on the phone, via client meetings (primarily video conference) and in email correspondence.
• Complete casework administration to agreed standards and processes, including daily maintenance of up-to-date live casework tracking and recording systems and the CRM.
• Report to the Senior Technical Officers and the Technical Team Manager and develop close working relationships with other members of the Technical and Operations Team to ensure assessments are accurate, informed, communicated effectively and consistent with the planning system and licensing framework.
• Be responsible for managing their own workload and working independently, as part of the national team. High levels of personal flexibility and responsibility are given, but equally high standards of self-management are required.
• Deliver reasonable requests to contribute to the wider company, including but not limited to other workstream team cover, website and social media contributions, working groups, key cross-company improvement projects and event organisation.

Essential skills, knowledge, and experience:

• A relevant degree (e.g., in ecology, wildlife conservation, environmental management, geography).
• Understanding of ecological impact assessment and biodiversity in planning.
• An enthusiasm for ecology and wildlife conservation in the UK - conservation is at the heart of what we do.
• Organised, methodical and conscientious – able to juggle and prioritise multiple cases, enquiries and tasks, and work efficiently to meet tight deadlines.
• A detail-focused analyst, able to deliver critical analysis of projects using knowledge of great crested newt ecology and impact assessment.
• An excellent communicator with good inter-personal skills – able to liaise proactively and confidently with all stakeholders.
• Highly literate, able to prepare documents quickly and diligently to a high standard, following defined processes, protocols, and guidance.
• Understanding of protected species legislation and licensing in England.
• Excellent I.T. skills and high competence in GIS, preferably ArcGIS or QGIS.
• Self-motivated and independent – able to work flexibly with minimal supervision.
• Willing and able to travel to occasional team events as required.

Desirable skills, knowledge, and experience:

• First-hand field experience with great crested newts – surveying, mitigation methods etc.
• Knowledge and experience of the planning system.
• Knowledge and experience of the infrastructure industry e.g. roads, railways, utilities (please highlight in your cover letter if so).
• Understanding of data entry and data management.

Company background

Great crested newts have declined dramatically in the UK over the last 50 years and although still widespread across lowland England they are no longer common. Despite protection under UK and European wildlife law, numbers are still declining, and habitat loss is their biggest threat.

In 2018, the NatureSpace District Licensing Scheme was launched – set up in partnership with national freshwater and amphibian Non-Governmental Organisations as well as seven local planning authorities across the South Midlands. Since then, the scheme has expanded nationally and now covers over 60 local planning authorities across Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Milton Keynes, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Staffordshire, Surrey and West Sussex.

The scheme allows planning authorities to authorise (under strictly defined terms) activities which affect great crested newts at the same time as they grant planning permission. The District Licensing Scheme has significant advantages for newt conservation and wider biodiversity benefits through a fully funded region-wide conservation strategy that creates high-quality habitat at a landscape scale and delivers long-term management and monitoring for newts, which is delivered via our partners at the Newt Conservation Partnership. The scheme benefits developers because the licensing process for great crested newts is simplified and streamlined.

NatureSpace also works with national infrastructure providers, such as Network Rail, to help them secure and deliver 'Organisational Licences' for protected species with the same conservation deliverables. The schemes are administered by NatureSpace, are regulated, and approved by Natural England and are supported by the country’s leading amphibian and freshwater NGOs – the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust and Freshwater Habitats Trust.

Company culture, employment benefits and location

NatureSpace Partnership is a small (c.60 staff) but busy and rapidly growing company. Being a small organisation, everyone has a say in what we do and how we do it. Our agility and size mean that your voice will be heard and you will have the opportunity to directly see the results of your work.

Work/life balance is important to us. We actively support a flexible working arrangement so that our work fits in with our lives and we are open to exploring how this role could best work for you. The nature of the 4-day working week means we work intensely during work hours ahead of a longer weekend break.

The successful candidate/s will be joining a friendly, close-working team of home-workers and will have responsibility for managing their workload and working independently as part of a dispersed national team. The post requires high levels of motivation and high standards of self-management. Location is entirely flexible within the UK - this post will be mainly desk-based but some travelling to meetings in England may be required.

NatureSpace embraces equal opportunities, diversity and inclusion and we welcome applications from all suitable qualified and experienced individuals. To build a team of the most talented employees, NatureSpace is committed to being a flexible employer and we place considerable emphasis on wellbeing and job satisfaction.

We offer a significant benefits package for all staff including flexible working, a 4-day working week plus occasional mandatory Friday meetings, time off-in-lieu (TOIL) or overtime pay (in agreement with your line manager), 20 annual leave days (which equates to 5-weeks off per year in light of the 4-day working week, plus bank holidays, weekday birthdays and additional holiday over the Christmas period), an annual performance bonus of up to 20% of your pay, company pension contributions, company private health and life insurance, plus the option to join our electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme.

Applicants must have the legal right to live and work in the UK.

Closing date for applications: Midnight on Sunday 14th September 2025 Please note we may close applications early if we receive a high volume of interest, so early applications are encouraged.

Interview dates: You will be notified by Monday 22nd September 2025 if you have been selected for interview; with interviews being held virtually (via Microsoft Teams) on Tuesday 30th September & Wednesday October 1st 2025.

Expected start date: As soon as possible.