Farm Adviser Higher Officer - ( Ref : 6754 )

Job description

About the job

Job summary

This position is based at Worcester

Job description

The Team

Natural England's West Midlands Area Team covers Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands Combined Authority. Our offices are in Shrewsbury and Worcester.

The West Midlands landscape is rich in nature and cultural heritage, from its industrial heartlands to the hills of the Welsh border in the West. We have accessible nature next or near to dense conurbations, home to over 6.5 million people. Most of the area is farmed, with the River Severn and its many tributaries snaking through the landscape. The area boasts a great natural diversity, including rivers, meres, mosses, lowland heaths, uplands, ancient woodland and grassland.

Our vision for the West Midlands reflects the ambitions set out in the Government's 25 year Environment Plan. Our ambition is for a West Midlands characterised by distinctive landscapes of connected high quality habitats, teeming with nature. Our urban environments providing high quality green space that connects both people and nature to the wider landscape.

Job description

The Role

Driving nature recovery through farm advice within the West Midlands Team. Achieving the Government's 25 Year Environment Plan objectives for nature recovery and the Environmental Improvement Plan targets are dependent on greener farming. Our team of farm advisers support farmers and other land managers build long-term capability to deliver nature recovery and associated environment benefits such as climate adaption, access, clean air and water.

As a Natural England Farm Adviser, you will have a unique mix of knowledge and skills including an up-to-date understanding of conservation management, farming systems, the regulations and incentives that underpin them, and how they come together to help farmers and land managers deliver nature recovery. You will also be expert at bringing people together and building consensus to deliver nature-based solutions for the most challenging problems.

These skills and knowledge will enable you to provide high quality advice Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier applications to famers and land managers on across the West Midlands - although the specific geography will depend on the successful candidate's location within the 7 Counties that the West Midlands Team covers.

Key Tasks/Principal Accountabilities

• Engage with farmers and other land managers to drive forward nature recovery, providing advice, signposting and encouragement regarding ongoing and new opportunities such as Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier, Landscape Recovery scheme, Capital Grant schemes, England Woodland Creation Offer, Biodiversity Net Gain and Green Finance.
• Negotiate Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier schemes, providing Pre-Application advice to applicants that seeks to maximise nature recovery and wider environmental benefits whilst also supporting sustainable food production.
• Support applicants with developing Feasibility Studies that seek to integrate outcomes and the required management in the context of restoring, where possible, natural function.
• Where needed, draw in advice and specialist knowledge from other Team members to maximise nature recovery outcomes, including Catchment Sensitive Farming advisers to secure water and air quality improvements.
• Undertake 1:1 site visits, events, and communications to engage with farmers, land managers and partners to improve environmental outcomes through farming practice.
• Work with partners and stakeholders to identify and deliver shared objectives.
• Support existing Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship agreement holders to maximise the environmental outcomes from their schemes.
• At least weekly attendance at either our Shrewsbury or Worcester office to network with colleagues. Attendance at team training and other events across the West Midlands Team area.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Experience of providing on farm advice and being able to communicate effectively with farmers to deliver environmental outcomes alongside long-term sustainable food production/agricultural transition.
• Good level of agricultural knowledge and agri-environment schemes, particularly Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier.
• Good knowledge of agricultural water and air pollution and being able to recognise and identify farming practices which can cause pollution.
• A broad understanding of priority habitat management, ideally with more detailed experience in either species rich grassland, wetlands, wood pasture or heathland.
• The ability to gain technical understanding and knowledge quickly over an agreed timetable is a key skill to demonstrate.

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. We now provide primary interview questions in advance for all formal recruitments.

This vacancy uses competency-based assessment. We'll assess you against the competencies below during the selection process. Please be aware that we reserve the right for roles that receive a high volume of applications to initially sift applications for one competence only.

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 Action.

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.

If you are successful at the shortlisting stage, you will be invited to attend an interview via MS Teams or a suitable alternative, where you will be asked to give examples for all competencies as set out in the Job Description.

As with all roles in NE, these roles require office attendance of a minimum of 20% of the working time - one day per week for those who work full time, subject to any reasonable adjustments and/or existing contractual homeworking.

Competencies

Technical Skills and Knowledge

• A degree in agriculture, conservation, or equivalent degree and/or relevant experience. (please specify). (Essential)
• Good ecological understanding to assess environmental opportunities on farm and understand how these relate to the priorities in the area to deliver effective nature recovery advice. (Essential)
• Experience of listen to and understand a diverse range of partners and customers so that you achieve the best outcomes for them and nature recovery. (Essential)
• Experience in nurturing trusting partnerships and collaborate to achieve pragmatic outcomes that help deliver nature recovery and wider environmental outcomes. (Essential)

Personal Effectiveness

• Act with integrity, addressing challenging issues and managing conflict through being open and objective. (Practitioner)
• Make and explain objective decisions which combine your professional judgement and evidence. (Practitioner)
• Use clear and appropriate language, communication styles and techniques that engage your audience. (Basic)
• Respect the diverse needs and experience of other people, be inclusive in everything you do. (Basic)

Work Delivery

• Manage and deliver your work to meet agreed targets and deadlines. (Practitioner)
• Handle data responsibly, understand your role in good governance, and comply with delegations, policies, and procedures. (Practitioner)
• Understand and apply relevant policy, legislation, governance frameworks and strategies to your work. (Basic)

Creating Resilient Landscapes and Seas

• Understand and use appropriate agri-environment schemes and other interventions to contribute to a healthy natural environment that benefits people and the economy. (Practitioner)
• Understand how natural processes, land/sea management and use impact the conservation and management of geodiversity, the marine and historic environments. (Practitioner)
• Understand the environmental value of designated sites and explain that to partners, stakeholders and customers. (Practitioner)
• Identify appropriate solutions for avoidance, mitigation, compensation of environmental impacts and meeting shared outcomes; and identify opportunities for enhancing the natural environment. (Practitioner)

Competencies

Competence 1

Professional competency

Detail

Technical Skills and Knowledge

Description

• A degree in agriculture, conservation, or equivalent degree and/or relevant experience. (please specify). (Essential)
  • Good ecological understanding to assess environmental opportunities on farm and understand how these relate to the priorities in the area to deliver effective nature recovery advice. (Essential)
  • Experience of listen to and understand a diverse range of partners and customers so that you achieve the best outcomes for them and nature recovery. (Essential)
  • Experience in nurturing trusting partnerships and collaborate to achieve pragmatic outcomes that help deliver nature recovery and wider environmental outcomes. (Essential)

Competence 2

Professional competency

Detail

Personal Effectiveness

Description

• Act with integrity, addressing challenging issues and managing conflict through being open and objective. (Practitioner)
  • Make and explain objective decisions which combine your professional judgement and evidence. (Practitioner)
  • Use clear and appropriate language, communication styles and techniques that engage your audience. (Basic)
  • Respect the diverse needs and experience of other people, be inclusive in everything you do. (Basic)

Competence 3

Professional competency

Detail

Work Delivery

Description

• Manage and deliver your work to meet agreed targets and deadlines. (Practitioner)
  • Handle data responsibly, understand your role in good governance, and comply with delegations, policies, and procedures. (Practitioner)
  • Understand and apply relevant policy, legislation, governance frameworks and strategies to your work. (Basic)

Competence 4

Professional competency

Detail

Creating Resilient Landscapes and Seas

Description

• Understand and use appropriate agri-environment schemes and other interventions to contribute to a healthy natural environment that benefits people and the economy. (Practitioner)
  • Understand how natural processes, land/sea management and use impact the conservation and management of geodiversity, the marine and historic environments. (Practitioner)
  • Understand the environmental value of designated sites and explain that to partners, stakeholders and customers. (Practitioner)
  • Identify appropriate solutions for avoidance, mitigation, compensation of environmental impacts and meeting shared outcomes; and identify opportunities for enhancing the natural environment. (Practitioner)

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £33,780, Natural England contributes £9,786 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

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 has been 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. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

Please refer to Job Description

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) 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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

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 : James Lloyd
• Email : [email protected]
• Telephone : 077968 81865

Recruitment team

• Email : [email protected]

Further information

https://networkrecruitment.tal.net/vx/appcentre-7/brand-4/spa-1/candidate/so/pm/1/pl/8/opp/6754-6754-Farm-Adviser-Higher-Officer/en-GB