Are you looking for an opportunity to build or further your career in biodiversity and greenspace management?
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an Ecology and Greenspaces Officer to join our newly formed Historic and Natural Environment Service at Cambridgeshire County Council.

Working in the Biodiversity & Greenspaces Team, you will help in providing the Council’s statutory biodiversity role, providing ecological advice to internal and external partners to meet our legal requirements to protect and enhance our biodiversity assets for the benefit of biodiversity and people.

The successful candidate will become part of an important team assisting in achieving our statutory biodiversity role and will:

• have opportunities to lead on advice for strategic planning including minerals and waste, major highways schemes and National Significant Infrastructure Projects
• help introduce and deliver biodiversity net gain, engage with colleagues across the County and be part of a wide-ranging projects to improve and enhance biodiversity in the County
• help with the introduction and development of the County Councils role in the local nature recovery strategy
• provide advice to the local community on the management of our suite of local nature reserves

To be successful in this role we are looking for someone who is:

• confident in assessing complex technical ecological information
• can demonstrate an understanding of ecological planning issues as your work will include prioritising responses to planning applications, compiling reports, and providing planning advice
• confident in providing habitat management advice for the County Council’s owned nature reserves and other biodiversity sites to contractors and the nature reserve Friends Groups
• confident in working with local communities and advising colleagues on the Council’s major projects, such as our doubling nature ambition and nature recovery networks.
• able to make informed and independent decisions with minimal supervision
• pro-active and show initiative to develop new ideas
• manage workload effectively to meet strict deadlines while being a part of a dynamic and busy team
• clear and confident in communicating complex information sensitively to a wide range of audiences
• able to negotiate with developers and stakeholders to ensure the continued delivery of high-quality outputs
• computer literate with experience in GIS systems and using databases

Our vision is to be a greener Council, and to demonstrate this we declared a climate change and environment emergency, we have already started to improve biodiversity in our greenspaces and other biodiversity assets. There are lots of exciting areas to be involved in and to have a positive impact on how we manage ecology across Cambridgeshire.

The Ecology and Greenspace Officer will work alongside the existing Ecology Officer in delivering our biodiversity and greenspace goals and objectives.

Whilst the COVID restrictions are in place the role will be mainly working from home. As things improve, we will be operating a flexible mix of home and office-based working.

In return we can offer a varied work programme, training and support to further increase your knowledge and technical competence. Cambridgeshire County Council offers flexible working arrangements, a local government pension and a comprehensive package of staff benefits including savings on big name brands and independent stores, Cycle 2 Work and The Car Benefit scheme.

The role is ‘hybrid’ which means there is flexibility on where you can work. Options include working from home, at our office at New Shire Hall (Alconbury Weald) and other offices across the County.

It will involve travelling to our nature reserves across the County and working with volunteers so will require flexibility in working patterns.

If you would like an informal discussion or have any questions about the role please contact Phil Clark, Biodiversity and Greenspaces Manager, Historic & Natural Environment at Philip.clark@cambridgeshire.gov.uk or 07826 858286.

To apply please click the Apply Now link below.

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