Location
This post will have a base in Peterborough or Aberdeen. 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 our office base or at external meetings or events for 1 – 2 days a month as a minimum, this 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
About the job
Job summary
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.
Post background
JNCC’s Marine Management Team provides evidence-based advice on the environmental impacts of activities taking place in the offshore marine environment to appropriate authorities responsible for their regulation. The advisory functions of the team are centred on helping government(s), regulators and developers meet the requirements of relevant legislation. Our teams core role focuses on advising on impacts of industry activity for example: marine cables, offshore oil and gas, aggregate extraction, and renewable energy, as well as other industry sectors. We also advise on the development of marine plans.
Job description
Post Duties
The post holder will join a team of experienced offshore industry advisers and contribute towards the team’s advisory role for nature conservation issues. Duties include:
• Provision of fast paced, evidence-based nature conservation advice to regulators and industry, including but not limited to oil and gas, aggregates, renewables, cables, deep sea mining, marine planning and more. Both in UK seas and in some cases, overseas.
Specifically:
o Reviewing environmental assessments, licensing rounds, marine plans.
o Understanding and advising on the impacts of offshore activity on protected habitats and species.
o Working across nature conservation bodies to provide joint advice, achieving consistency across the UK, identifying and addressing issues that affect our advice (e.g. scientific, procedural or legal).
• Develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders (e.g. developers, regulators and other nature conservation bodies across the UK)
• Be trained in and lead specific areas of work within the team, for example decommissioning activity, pollution response, offshore renewables.
• Participate on the roster for duty officer, providing a 24/7 response service for environmental information and advice in the event of an offshore pollution incidents (this includes on-call allowance uplift payments).
Person specification
Please demonstrate in your statement of suitability your reasons for applying. You will then be asked later in this application to provide a short statement against how you meet each of the technical and experience requirements
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
- Delivering at Pace
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- A relevant qualification (or equivalent experience) in marine biology, biological sciences, environmental sciences, or other relevant discipline.
- Have a broad knowledge and understanding of marine biodiversity in offshore waters, particularly offshore benthic habitats.
- A good understanding of legislation relating to the management of offshore industries and Marine Protected Areas in UK waters.
- A good knowledge of marine conservation issues, particularly the impacts of offshore marine industries on offshore habitats and species (i.e. aggregate extraction, oil and gas activities, renewable energy and subsea cables)
- Experience in reviewing Environmental Impact Assessments and/or Habitat Regulations Assessments and their associated permit applications.
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £30,573, Joint Nature Conservation Committee contributes £8,254 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Equality and diversity
JNCC is committed to creating an environment where everyone feels valued and respected and see this as a good place to work. JNCC has a responsibility to ensure that we have an inclusive culture where discrimination, harassment, bullying and prejudice will not be tolerated. Our selection process is determined on fair and open competition and regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership.
Continuous professional development (CPD)
Employees are encouraged to keep developing skills and professional knowledge.
JNCC has made available, and encourages employees to use, on average, five working days per annum for CPD activities with access to related funding
Leave entitlement
JNCC annual leave allowance is 25 days per annum. After five years’ service, leave entitlement increases to 30 days per annum.
In addition to annual leave, JNCC offers 12 public and privilege days per annum, three of which are explicitly reserved for office closure between Christmas and New Year.
Work/life balance
JNCC supports flexible working hours and practices to help employees strike a good balance between work life and personal life.
Our policies are family-friendly and include flexi-time, flexible working patterns, compressed hours and dispersed working. JNCC also offers paid maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave, over and above the minimum statutory entitlements. Some work/life balance benefits are available following a minimum length of service.
Any move from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/
Civil Service Pension
Employees will have the opportunity to join Civil Service pension arrangements, which include a valuable range of benefits. JNCC makes a significant contribution to the cost of employee pensions.
Employee Assistance Programme
JNCC provides employees with a free and confidential support service which gives unlimited access to information, advice and emotional support to help employees prepare for and manage all of life's ups and downs, events and challenges.
Trade Union
JNCC has entered into a partnership agreement with its recognised Trade Unions: Prospect and PCS, which employees are able to join and be involved with.
Salary sacrifice schemes
Employee Discount Scheme
Civil Service Sports Club
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a statement of suitability. In your statement, refer to the responsibilities and experience section of this advert to show how you’re suitable for the role.
Please use the STARR technique
Situation: Set the stage.
Task: Explain where you fit in.
Action: Describe each step.
Results: Impress with your achievements.
Reflection: what have you learned
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a 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
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)
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.
Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
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 :Recruitment Team
- Email :recruitment@jncc.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email :recruitment@jncc.gov.uk
Further information
Selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles, our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of appointment on the basis of merit by fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact recruitment@jncc.gov.uk in the first instance.
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