Lancashire County Council
Senior Ecologist (Nature Recovery)
Lancashire
Job Description
Salary £36,298 - £41,496 Per annum | Fixed term until 30 April 2024 Full Time, 37 hours per week | Pro Rata
Lancashire County Council is recruiting a temporary full time officer (Senior Ecologist – Nature Recovery) to drive the development of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) for 'greater' Lancashire (Lancashire County plus the unitary authority areas of Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen). We are also happy to consider applications for staff secondment from local partner organisations (subject to partner agreement).
Initial seed funding is currently available for 12 months. however, we anticipate that this will be reviewed as the LNRS development may take up to 24 months to complete. Defra are expected to announce further funding to support the LNRS development process ahead of their planned April 2023 roll-out.
Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs) are locally led, evidence based and collaboratively produced strategies which highlight existing areas of value for nature, identify opportunities and establish priorities for creating or restoring habitat, as well as seeking to deliver wider environmental objectives using nature-based solutions.
As strategy lead, you will have day-to-day responsibility for driving the collaborative LNRS process in accordance with the appropriate Regulations and Guidance. To achieve this, you will work closely with local partners.
We seek passionate, motivated, candidates who share our desire to see better, bigger, and more connected nature-rich places throughout Lancashire, and who enjoy and recognise the benefits of collaborating with others who also want to help realise this vision.
The successful candidate will have sound understanding of ecological principals and issues,
they will have excellent organisational and data management skills (including GIS). They will have experience of partnership working and building relationships with stakeholders to make decisions or influence outcomes.
As such, this new role presents an exciting opportunity for an experienced and highly motivated person to use their previous experience and transferable skills to bring a wide range of people and organisations together to plan for ambitious nature recovery at the local level which will also help underpin delivery at the National scale. We are planning to hold interviews on 4 April 2023.
You will join the rapidly expanding Environment and Climate Team where you will work alongside other ecologists who are responsible for delivering a range of work which makes a significant contribution to the conservation, protection and enhancement of Lancashire's biodiversity. The team has well developed links with the 14 district and unitary councils of Lancashire, as well as voluntary sector environmental and community bodies which operate within our region.
The post will notionally be based in County Hall, Preston. Lancashire County Council operates a flexible working policy where the requirements of the role permit it.
Please ensure you have uploaded and attached your supporting statement to evidence how you meet the criteria for the role. The panel may be unable to shortlist you for interview without this evidence.
In return Lancashire County Council offers a range of benefits, which can be found on LCC Vacancies website
We reserve the right to close down a vacancy early, before the closing date, if we receive sufficient applications.
Job description and person specification
Closing Date: 26/03/2023 Location: County Hall, Preston, PR1 8RE