5816 - Senior Specialist - Soils

Job description

This is an exciting opportunity for a Senior Specialist in Soils to join our team, working at both the strategic and applied level to develop and deliver research, training and guidance on managing soils.

This new role will involve the leading and delivery of key research, to facilitate the provision of evidence-based and practical advice across Natural England and within the Defra Group and externally.

Key evidence issues include understanding the techniques and approaches required to improve soil health in degraded soils, with a focus on the impact of soil type, past management history, and organic matter status.  Another key area to progress is the development of, evidence-based land management tools and systems, using interactive soil mapping, to encourage the right land management in the right place.

Key tasks and accountabilities

This is an evolving work area and specific responsibilities will develop and change over time. The post holder will need to maintain a flexible and adaptable attitude and approach.  Initial broad work areas are described below:

• Play a key role in research projects, including working with partners, to identify evidence gaps, develop and commission projects and seek funding opportunities to improve the evidence base as it relates to this specialism.
• Provide strategic and technical leadership for Natural England’s contribution to soil issues across land management focussed areas and projects.
• Provision of synthesis of evidence and delivering evidence-based advice to support Natural England projects and Defra policy initiatives, including input to evidence briefings at short notice.
• Develop and deliver communications, knowledge exchange, training provision and capability building across Natural England teams and to external audiences (e.g. farmer workshops), including work to consolidate, develop and promote training resources related to soils in land management.
• Represent Natural England on external groups, government advisory groups, at conferences and through networks.
• Occasional travel, outdoor work, and remote working to enable the delivery of all the above.

The ideal candidate would:

• Be qualified to postgraduate level in a relevant science discipline, with experience delivering scientific and/or advisory work relating to soils and land management 
• Have clear experience in planning, delivering, interpreting and communicating scientific work relating to land management and soil processes, and their impacts on agricultural systems and the natural environment
• Display the ability to critically review scientific and other evidence to draw robust conclusions relating to soils and land management 
• Be a good team player who can build working relationships with a wide range of people, including building capability in others 
• Be committed to continuing to develop knowledge and skills relevant to the work area, through training, self-driven learning, work experience, liaison with other experts and other means 

Benefits

Wherever possible Natural England accommodates requests for both full-time and part-time hours and other flexible working patterns to help employees achieve a good work/life balance and maintain their health and wellbeing.

Natural England provides excellent opportunities for career progression, training and development tailored to your role. From induction to ongoing learning and development, everyone in Natural England is supported to develop their skills and capabilities. Staff in CSD have 20 days to devote to personal learning and development, as well as an additional 3 days to volunteer.

You will have access to Civil Service Pension and benefits arrangements and generous leave allowances (33 day per year pro rata), as well as flexible working, to help you achieve a work-life balance that works for you and us.

You will have access to a range of benefits including discounts on shopping vouchers, cycle to work scheme, and childcare vouchers. You can also join the Civil Service Sport club which offer discounts on a range of sports and leisure opportunities as well as social events.

Natural England is a fantastic place to work, where difference is celebrated.

We are committed to fairness and equality for all, so you feel valued for who you are and what you do. Our shared values help us work together to benefit the communities we serve. Our thriving employee-led diversity networks support our inclusive culture and contribute to our Diversity Action Plan.

Locations

Natural England is adopting hybrid working – which means that our staff will work from a flexible range of locations, encompassing home, offices (ours and our partners) and relevant sites. All new staff will be formally linked to one of our 25 offices across England and the expectation is that all new staff will be able to access their local office to be part of the community of staff in their geographic area. Full time staff are expected to attend their associated office for a minimum of one day a week.

Staff members are required to carry out all their duties working in this way and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time. Travel expenses will be paid if work related travel is required but does not apply to travel between home and your associated office.

National team roles can be linked with any Natural England office while Area Team roles will be linked with an office in the relevant geographic area.

View a map of our office locations here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/natural-england-office-locations

How to Apply

We welcome and encourage applications from all communities. Natural England is accredited to the Disability Confident Scheme, which denotes organisations which have a positive attitude towards disabled people. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum requirements for the role at the shortlisting stage are guaranteed an invitation to interview.

If you require a reasonable adjustment at interview, or there is anything else you would like the panel to take into consideration, you should notify us of this at application stage where possible, or well in advance of your interview.

This vacancy uses competency-based assessment. We will assess you against the competencies below during the selection process:

• Technical Skills & Knowledge
• Personal Effectiveness
• Putting people at the heart of the environment
• Work Delivery

When completing the application form you should present relevant examples using the STAR format. Give us an example of how you have demonstrated the competency (which can be work related or from another area of your life) and tell us about the Situation, the specific Task you had to undertake, the specific Actions you took, and the Result (both immediate and in a wider context) of your doing so.

Please note that STAR format is not required when answering the Technical Skills & Knowledge competency.

Examples should be given in no more than 250 words for each competency.

About Natural England

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
• Providing ways for people to better connect with nature, including green social prescribing

We are the Government’s advisor 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.

Find out more about the work of Natural England at www.gov.uk/government/organisations/natural-england

Job introduction

Natural England recognises that soil health fundamentally underpins a healthy natural environment. Future ambitions for carbon, wildlife and human well-being will depend upon a transition from soil health decline to soil health recovery.

The importance of soil health has never been higher on the agenda. This is reflected in the recent funding provided by Defra, to enable Natural England to develop the evidence base, and deliver new opportunities in soil research and development, through independent and collaborative research.

The successful candidate will work within our supportive and experienced soil team to advance our understanding of how to optimise soil management and soil health for environmental, economic, and societal benefits. Our work will contribute towards the Government’s targets to improve soil health and ensure 60% of agricultural soils are managed sustainably by 2030.

This new role will require an understanding of soil heterogeneity and wider land capability to inform soil and land management options which can best deliver for soil health. We are also seeking an individual who is able to communicate this knowledge to a wider audience, providing robust, clear guidance on soil management.

We are looking for a soil scientist with experience in land management, to join our experienced team of soils specialists, to help guide and shape the way soils are managed in England.

The Team

The Soil Team is part of the Chief Scientist’s Directorate, who lead on the development and application of natural, economic, and social science evidence to inform and enable the achievement of environmental outcomes both within Natural England, and externally. Specialist roles underpin Natural England’s position as an evidence-led organisation. The roles are varied, both building the evidence base and applying it to make a real difference to the natural environment.

Additional Information

For further information on this role or Natural England, please contact either:

Nicola Wright, Team Leader, nicola.wright@naturalengland.org.uk telephone 07792 813975

Eleanor Reed, Principal Soil Specialist, eleanor.reed@naturalengland.org.uk telephone 07818 578440