Senior Ecologist and Biodiversity Net Gain Officer WCC619187

Job Details:

Salary range: £41,580 - £45,399 per annum
Work location: Westminster City Hall, 64 Victoria Street, Westminster, SW1E 6QP
Hours per week: 36
Contract type: Temporary up to 24 months
Closing date: 2 December 2024
Contact details for Informal discussion: Thomas Burke, Head of Design, Conservation & Sustainability, via email: tburke@westminster.gov.uk

About Us:

THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF SERENA’S VISION

Regeneration, Economy and Planning in Westminster City Council is a world of extraordinary stories, where innovative and open-minded people bring everything to the cause. Even expertise from surprising places.  

Take Serena. She is an absolute force of nature at the heart of our Church Street regeneration. And she puts the residents first in everything. Serena’s vision is clear. Regeneration isn’t just about bricks and concrete. It’s about communities. It’s about the environment. It’s about the lives of people and how they feel about where they call home.  Serena is their advocate, making sure residents’ voices aren’t just heard, but drive the changes we’re making. The future is safe in her hands. 

Please view the extraordinary story of Serena’s Vision here.

The Role:

As a Senior Ecology and Biodiversity Net Gain Officer, you can make your own powerful contribution by promoting urban greening and biodiversity in the heart of London. This is just the tip of the iceberg though, as we have recently declared an ecological emergency, in which we have recognised the monumental impact of climate change and development on our natural environment – and as such, your work will be invaluable in helping us address this crisis situation. 

Within the borough, we have much to protect and to be proud of – but it is imperative that we now act with conviction to go further in our work. With around 25% of the borough made up of open spaces, and 33 Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINCs), our local wildlife includes various species of bats, hedgehogs, foxes, insects and invertebrates – so you have plenty to fight for! 

You will therefore help us accelerate our actions to protect wildlife and enhance biodiversity on a wide range of high-profile challenges. Working within the Town Planning Service to advise applicants, agents and the general public on the potential ecological impacts of their development proposals, you will have the chance to help us create new natural habitats where nature can thrive. 

With a focus on generating measurable increases in biodiversity, you will assess desk studies, site assessments, reports and BNG Plans, and share innovative and creative ideas on how nature can flourish within an inner-city environment. Central to this interesting challenge is a legal requirement, in which the Environment Act now specifies that mandatory Biodiversity Net Gains must be a significant factor in any planning processes, so you will also share your expertise with wider teams across the department, contributing to climate emergency and policy projects. 

With the scope to grow knowledge and capacity in our department, you will offer guidance and training, and you will also take ownership of devising and delivering an annual monitoring programme for key biodiversity sites and species – so there is an immense opportunity to leave a greener and more biodiverse Westminster for future generations.

Please refer to the Job Description for more information. 

About You:

Joining us for an initial period of 24 months (though this will likely increase as we are building capacity in this area) you will hit the ground running as you share your specialist expertise in biodiversity in an inner-city environment. From a practical point of view, you will be professionally qualified in ecology or an equivalent subject, or you will be CIEEM eligible. Well-versed in ecological assessments and surveys and use of the DEFRA Biodiversity Net Gain metric, you will ideally be fluent in planning processes, planning law and procedures.

With the confidence to negotiate with applicants and support officers in appeals and enforcement actions, you will be a collaborative team player who is keen to share knowledge with the general public, and those involved in developments, so you will have good verbal and written communication skills. With the ability to manage a busy caseload, you will be an organised individual who thrives on the challenge of balancing multiple projects.

Above all else, you will be passionate about the chance to increase biodiversity, and help us tackle this climate crisis so that we can create a greener and more biodiverse Westminster. 

What We Offer:

Westminster is an amazing place. We are home to more than 200,000 residents from all backgrounds, over 50,000 vibrant and vital businesses and three-quarters-of-a-million people work in Westminster. Westminster City Council’s strategy is to work towards a Fairer Westminster. A Fairer Westminster is one in which our communities are at the heart of our decision-making and help to determine the city’s future. By working directly with our communities and other partners, we can build a more inclusive city that celebrates our diverse communities, and where residents, workers and visitors from all backgrounds will feel welcome and safe.

At Westminster City Council, we pride ourselves on being an inclusive workplace and employer of choice. We encourage and welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that, at all levels, represents the communities we serve. We champion equality, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued, has a sense of belonging and is empowered to be their best, that is the Westminster Way. To find out more about how we do this visit  https://www.westminster.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/public-health-strategy-policies-and-reports/equality-duties

As a forward-thinking Council we appreciate that people work in different ways, therefore our staff benefit from working a range of flexible working patterns as well as Agile working.

The Council is a Disability Confident Employer. If you have declared a disability in your application, we guarantee an interview if you meet the essential criteria of the job. If you are invited for interview, you will be asked if you need any reasonable adjustments in order to attend, and we will make these wherever possible.