Senior Air Pollution Adviser

Post Title: Senior Air Pollution Adviser
Team: Environmental Pollution Team
Ref No: 2026026
Grade: S (SEO)
Type of appointment: Permanent
Location: Peterborough, Aberdeen, or Cardiff

This post will have a base in either Peterborough, Aberdeen or Cardiff.

JNCC has adopted a hybrid working approach, allowing colleagues to benefit from time in the office, with the flexibility also to work from home. Employees are expected to work from one of our office bases for a few days a month as a minimum with attendance expected at regular face to face team meetings. Arrangements will vary by team and the exact balance will depend on the nature of your role. We can provide more details at the interview and offer stages.

Who are JNCC?

Established in 1991, we’re the UK’s statutory advisor on issues affecting the natural environment across the UK and internationally. Our primary role is advising all four Governments of the UK. We also work with private sector organisations to support decision making on the sustainable use of marine waters and natural resources around the UK. JNCC is led by the Joint Committee, which brings together members from the nature conservation bodies for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and independent members appointed by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs under an independent Chair. Support is provided to the Committee by approx. 300 people who bring together scientific and technical expertise, extensive knowledge of policy at global, European and national levels, and skills in working with other organisations. Staff are based in two main offices in Peterborough and Aberdeen.

Why JNCC?

We’re small enough (c.300 staff) that your voice is heard by everyone including the CEO, but big enough that we have all the skills, resources and people you’ll need to get the job done. All our staff are passionate about conservation and making a difference to the world we live in. We have a very flexible, inclusive and welcoming organisational culture. Our Executive Management provides employees with the freedom and tools you will need, and our friendly team will assist you in your role.

JNCC is committed to maintaining employee health and wellbeing, whether it is physically, emotionally, financially or socially, and offers a range of benefits to support employees in this. Such benefits include the option to join the Civil Service Pension Scheme, professional and personal development opportunities as well as an exciting job in a unique environment.

Hours of work: Full-time

Normal minimum hours of attendance for the post are 36 hours per week over a 5-day period, Monday to Friday.

Flexi time is available. This post may also be suitable for job share.

Annual Leave:

The annual leave allowance is 25 days per year, rising to 30 days per year after 5 years’ service. There are also 12 days public and privilege leave. Part-time staff will receive this on a pro rata basis.

Post background:

Air pollution remains one of the most significant pressures on biodiversity, impacting species health, ecosystem function and the resilience of habitats across the UK. Alongside its well-established effects on human health, tackling air pollution is increasingly recognised as central to delivering nature recovery and meeting wider environmental ambitions, including net zero and sustainable land use.

JNCC plays a unique role at the interface between science and policy, providing independent, evidence-based advice to governments across the UK. Within this, the Environmental Pollution Team leads on understanding and addressing the impacts of pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and ammonia on terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems, and on developing the tools, evidence and approaches needed to support policy and decision-making.

This role offers an opportunity to apply and develop specialist air pollution expertise in a highly applied, policy-relevant context. The postholder will contribute to a diverse and high-profile portfolio, including UK-wide advisory work, development of tools and services (such as the UK Air Pollution Assessment Service), and collaboration with partners across the four countries. Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, the Senior Adviser will help ensure JNCC continues to provide robust, joined-up advice at a time of increasing demand and scrutiny.

Post Duties:

The Senior Air Pollution Adviser acts as a recognised technical authority on air pollution impacts on ecosystems, shaping how evidence is applied in UK decision-making and advisory contexts. The post holder will:

• Identify emerging risks, evidence gaps and opportunities, helping to shape the future direction of JNCC’s air pollution work
• Build strong partnerships and influence through advice, working with governments, agencies and the research community to ensure robust, joined-up approaches
• Provide expert, policy-relevant advice on air pollution impacts on biodiversity, translating complex evidence into clear guidance for governments and stakeholders across the UK
• Lead key areas of JNCC’s air pollution evidence work, including coordination of the Inter-agency Air Pollution Group (IAPG) and alignment of approaches across the country nature conservation bodies. Specific examples include:
  • Develop and apply decision-making frameworks and thresholds (e.g. critical loads/levels and emerging approaches) to support consistent, transparent advice
  • Shape and deliver strategic evidence products, such as a project to develop Nitrogen Futures advice for timelines past 2030, ensuring outputs meet evolving policy and advisory needs
  • Lead the scientific development of tools and services, including new features for the UK Air Pollution Assessment Service (UK APAS), working closely with modelling and product teams as well as external users
• Support and mentor others, contributing to high-quality, consistent technical advice across the team

Technical:

To be a successful candidate you will have:

• Strong understanding of air pollution impacts on ecosystems including pathways, exposure, and effects on habitats and species and how this evidence is applied in practice. Typically this involves a relevant higher degree and/or commensurate experience.
• Strong understanding of how air pollution evidence is used in decision-making frameworks including approaches such as critical loads/levels, thresholds, scenario analysis or risk-based assessment
• Broad understanding of the UK air pollution policy and delivery landscape including the roles of UK Governments, regulators and country nature conservation bodies, and how evidence feeds into advisory and decision-making processes

Experience (Responsibilities)

To be a successful candidate you will have:

• Delivered authoritative, evidence-based advice in applied settings to produce clear, actionable outputs for policy, regulatory, or operational audiences, including responding to complex or time-sensitive requests
• Led or coordinated work across organisational boundaries, working with multiple partners to align approaches, agree outputs, or deliver shared priorities
• Developed or shaped applied tools, frameworks, or strategic evidence products by contributing to or leading the development of assessments, thresholds, models, scenario analyses, or high-impact evidence outputs
• Identified and driven improvements in evidence, approaches or work programmes by recognising gaps or emerging issues and taking initiative to develop new approaches, update existing frameworks, or shape future priorities

Behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Seeing the Big Picture

In the event that we receive a large volume of applications we reserve the right to conduct the sift based on the Lead Behaviour of Communicating and Influencing

Please see the CS Behaviours framework for more details at this grade.

Artificial Intelligence Guidance

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 is 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. Artificial intelligence and Recruitment /Civil Service Careers

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

JNCC do not provide sponsorship.

Closing date and interview date

The closing date for this post is 23:55 on Sunday, 12 July 2026

The anticipated interview date is week commencing Monday, 17 August 2026