Higher Officer: Marine Energy NSIPs (Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects)

Do you have a passion for nature and the environment? Do you want to make a real difference and secure significant environmental gains in the present and the future? Do you enjoy working in a team? Can you see yourself advising communities and customers to maximise gains for the Natural Environment? 

If this appeals to you, a career at Natural England offers rewarding opportunities to secure environmental improvements and play your part in creating a better future for people and nature. 

The priority work Natural England is delivering includes:

• Establishing a Nature Recovery Network to help wildlife thrive;
• Monitoring environmental changes to identify and help reduce the effects of climate change;
• Working with farmers and landowners to develop greener food production methods;
• Advising on plans for new developments to maximise gains for nature, and
• Providing ways for people to better connect with nature, including green social prescribing.

We are the Government’s Adviser for the natural environment, playing a vital role in delivering the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan, an ambitious vision which brings new opportunities to protect and enhance and to achieve real outcomes for the environment.

Job description

A core part of our work is using cost recovery mechanisms to bring in income. This involves setting up contracts with applicants utilising the Discretionary Advice Service, NSIP statutory charging and Service Level Agreements (SLAs).

This is an Operational Higher Officer role delivering and supporting Natural England’s statutory and discretionary advice on priority energy NSIPs with combined marine and terrestrial elements. The role holder will understand marine planning, licensing and consenting and NE’s role in the NSIP process, and will have experience of working on marine NSIPs. They will provide support to the NE Areas and Seas Teams preparing for forthcoming examinations and enabling attendance at hearings.

The successful candidate will:

• Work closely with their SRO (Senior Responsible Officer) to develop and deliver NE advice on priority energy NSIPS with a marine component, including but not limited to offshore wind, enabling attendance at examinations and hearings
• Review and advise on Environmental Impacts Assessments, Habitat Regulations Assessments (including technical supporting information); working with developers to ensure environmental impacts of developments have been fully addressed in order to achieve the best outcomes for the natural environment
• Provision of statutory advice to competent authorities within specified statutory timeframes.
• Responding to post-consent consultations on discharge of DCO and Marine licence conditions.
• Provision of advice to developers to inform survey and monitoring plans & reports through Natural England’s Discretionary Advice Service
• Provision of chargeable advice through Natural England’s Discretionary Advice Service (DAS), to maximise early engagement opportunities to achieve better outcomes for the natural environment
• Identify any risks associated with the delivery of this work and ensure they are escalated appropriately.
• Support collaborative working between terrestrial and marine colleagues in the Project Teams you support, sharing learning and identifying opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Participate in relevant internal technical networks, showing leadership & sharing best practice with others to support development of strategic approaches to challenges, and promote skills development across the wider team