Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) Officer

• Location base is County Hall, Taunton TA1 4DY. There is also some flexibility for home working or to work from the other Council offices around the county.
• 37 hours per week – these will be in agreement with the line manager.
• 30 days annual leave. This is inclusive of 2 statutory days. In addition, there are 8 bank holiday days.

We’re working to tackle the Ecological Emergency and deliver on our ambitious aims of nature recovery here in Somerset – and you’ll be a key part of that. Working as a part of the Nature Recovery and Partnership service, you will be well supported with natural environment professionals with the expertise to help with workloads and support the creation of a ‘one team’ culture within the service. Your day-to-day work will involve:

• Managing the Councils processes for assessing and enabling BNG habitat banks by co-ordinating between relevant Council planning and environment specialists, completing work remaining on sites submitted via the Councils environmental call for sites and establishing a rolling system whereby applicants can submit sites (for a fee).
• Continue the development and delivery against Somerset Council’s BNG guidance
• Work with broader environmental and flood management colleagues to assess and provide advice and guidance on BNG proposals.
• Monitor and report on BNG delivery as part of the Councils Biodiversity Duty.
• Support the delivery of Council plans and strategies including the Local Nature Recovery Strategy.

We offer ongoing support, training and guidance to help you be the best you can be. But it will really help if you have:

• A good understanding of nature conservation legislation and guidance in relation to BNG.
• Knowledge of the Environment Act, Town and Country Planning act and NERC act and the requirements associated with BNG, and duties place upon the Local Authority.
• Knowledge of habitats and species (and in particular habitats), with particular reference to their treatment within the planning system and environmental assessment as well as habitat management practices ( and the risks and benefits associated with their delivery in different conditions).

What we are looking for is an individual with professional environmental planning policy experience with skills to develop a solution-focused approach to the Council’s BNG process. Working as part of a team in a collaborative manner is essential with regular engagement working alongside officers from planning, legal services, flood management, climate and nature recovery services.

We’re proud to be here for the people of Somerset. And that means everyone in Somerset. An important part of this is ensuring that we are as diverse and inclusive as the people and communities we serve.

We welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences to enrich our team. You can always contact the hiring manager for a chat if there’s anything you want to talk about before you apply.

We are proud to offer an environment that is supportive and rewarding, working as part of a team who are passionate about the work they do to improve the lives of people in Somerset.

We offer great training and development opportunities, with supportive management. As well as this, we have some fantastic employee benefits available:

• We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible, including working from home.
• Generous annual leave allowance, with the opportunity to purchase additional leave
• Staff discounts in gyms.
• Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee wellbeing services.
• Auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme and optional pension enhancement through our Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme.
• A Flexible Benefits Scheme via salary sacrifice to obtain a cycle for work and health screenings.
• My Staff Shop offering discounts in shops, online shopping, restaurants, cinema tickets, insurance benefits and more

For an informal chat about the role, you can contact Steve Dury -  stevedury@somerset.gov.uk  or on 07960 348521.

When completing your application/CV please provide your full employment history and ensure that any gaps in employment are explained. Please start with your current or most recent employment.

If you have all the information you need, just hit the apply button - we can’t wait to hear from you.