6526 - Sustainable Development Senior Officer Number of jobs available 1 Region South East City/Town Eastleigh, London, Reading, Wallingford Grade SEO Organisation Grade NE Level 4. Post Type Permanent Working Pattern Full Time, Part Time, Part Time/Job Share Role Type Operational Delivery Salary Minimum £39,660 Job description Key Tasks/Principal Accountabilities Provide senior-level support to sustainable development advisers by offering guidance on complex issues, attending internal and external meetings, and escalating risks appropriately. Work collaboratively with other Senior Officers to ensure consistency in advice and decision-making across all areas of work. Drive improvements in ways of working by building team capacity, identifying training needs, and delivering relevant development opportunities. Engage with customers and partners, including Local Planning Authorities, and government agencies, to provide clear, pragmatic advice that supports sustainable development objectives and drives forward the Natural England Strategy ambition to build better places. Providing a strategic lead for specific high risk, high opportunity casework, with a particular focus on Town and Country Planning Act development proposals. This will involve working closely with colleagues across the team, supporting others delivering technical advice, and drawing down national specialist input as required. Providing advice on spatial development strategies and working closely with local planning authorities on high priority local plans to manage risk, ensure nature is designed into development, and secure plan policies that support strong, long term environmental outcomes. Building partnerships with customers and stakeholders to resolve complex planning issues. Providing clear, pragmatic, evidence-based advice to developers and local planning authorities, seeking opportunities to maximising delivery through our discretionary advice service (DAS). Act as an account manager for Lead Environmental Regulator, managing relationships with developers and working with Defra and other Arm's-Length Bodies (ALBs) e.g. Environment Agency, to provide joined up advice to developers and enable delivery of integrated outcomes for nature recovery and growth. Enabling developers to use tools such as Green Infrastructure standards, Biodiversity Net Gain and Environmental Delivery Plans (as these are developed) to secure planning approvals and gains for people and nature. Provide support to other sustainable development advisers within the team, including support at external and internal meetings, providing a steer on complex and challenging issues, and escalating risk through appropriate channels. Contributing to the broader leadership of the area team through active participation in cross-team groups and briefings to NE senior leadership and working with other Senior Officers within the wider area team to ensure consistency in advice delivery across all our work areas. Knowledge, Skills & Experience This role requires strong decision-making and communication skills, with the ability to make objective, evidence-based judgments while balancing risk and pragmatism. You will act with integrity, manage challenging issues, and communicate clearly and flexibly across diverse audiences. Building collaborative relationships and fostering trust are key to achieving practical outcomes aligned with organisational goals. You will combine environmental understanding with effective delivery, managing complex, high-risk casework independently to meet targets and deadlines. The role also involves identifying evidence needs, securing resources through partnerships, and ensuring decisions support both public access and nature conservation objectives. A relevant degree (or equivalent experience) and proven expertise in handling high-opportunity casework are essential. The ability to see the big picture, so you can steer sustainable development work within the context of Natural England's Strategy and help colleagues understand how their work relates to and supports this. The ability to build collaborative relationships with colleagues (both internally and externally) to help make things happen and deliver outcomes. The ability to direct, coach and support staff to deliver on sustainable development objectives. The ability to resolve problems and manage risks with good judgement and seek innovative solutions. Strong planning, prioritisation, and organisational ability to manage complex delivery areas with competing demands. Excellent written and oral communications skills. Robust and current knowledge of relevant legislation and guidance and how to apply and interpret it to NE's activities and duties. Strong understanding of environmental protection in England and the legislation that underpins it. Demonstrable experience of UK ecology with a broad understanding of priority habitats and species. Benefits At Natural England, we support a healthy work-life balance by offering full-time, part-time, and flexible working arrangements. We provide excellent opportunities for career progression, training, and development tailored to your role. This includes ten days annually for personal learning and development, plus three additional days for volunteering. You'll receive a generous leave allowance of 33 days per year (pro rata), access to the Civil Service Pension scheme with a 28.97% employer contribution, and a range of benefits such as shopping discounts and a cycle-to-work scheme. Staff can also join the Civil Service Sport club for discounts on sports, leisure activities, and social events. We are committed to fairness, equality, and inclusivity. Our employee-led diversity networks help foster a welcoming environment where everyone feels valued and supported. Locations Natural England has adopted hybrid working - which means our staff 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 geographical area. Staff are expected to attend their associated office for 20% of their contractual hours. 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: Pay It is Natural England policy to employ at the entry point of the salary range. You will become an active member of the relevant local leadership community, the group of senior Natural England staff in each of the localities across England who we ask to provide support and co-ordination for the local group of staff. 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: Technical Skills & Knowledge Personal Effectiveness Work Delivery Putting People and the heart of the Environment 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. The team Join us in shaping a future where nature and people thrive. Whether you're drawn to hands-on conservation or playing a vital part behind the scenes, your work at Natural England will support lasting benefits for the environment and society. Our Role Natural England is the Government's adviser for the natural environment and the Nature regulator with a wide range of statutory duties and powers. We provide the evidence, expertise and advice to recover Nature and shape better places for people to live. We do this working through and with others. Strategic Outcomes for Nature Our strategy is framed through four strategic outcomes. Each of these outcomes reinforces and amplifies the others, and together they address environmental, social and economic actions critical to thriving nature. Recovering Nature - Increased scale and quality of places where nature thrives. Building Better Places - Greener homes and infrastructure create healthier, more investable places, recognising we live better where nature thrives around us. Improving Health and Wellbeing - Build nature into everyday life so people can support, access and benefit from nature, wherever they live. Delivering Security through Nature - Nature helps us adapt to the threats of a changing climate and improves our national security, supporting more resilient food production, healthy soils, clean and plentiful water and clean air. Find out more about the work of Natural England at: The Role This position offers the opportunity to join the Sustainable Development team within the Thames Solent Area Team, providing senior oversight and support on complex, high-risk, and high-opportunity casework. Natural England has an important role in enabling local authorities and other plan-makers across Thames Solent Area Team (London, Surrey, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire Hampshire & IOW) to embed nature into a range of place-based plans, and you will be central to shaping strong partnerships to drive this ambition. Our Sustainable Development Senior Officers play a crucial part in this role by working together to lead Sustainable Development delivery in the team, providing technical advice to Sustainable Development Higher Officers and working with partners to identify opportunities to best deliver nature's recovery. You will work closely with colleagues across the business to maximise opportunities for nature and access to nature in a range of plans and strategies. You will work closely with local authorities and key stakeholders, developing strong relationships and ensuring effective handling plans and communication strategies in collaboration with area leadership and external affairs colleagues. We are seeking candidates whose strengths lie in collaboration, enjoy working with others and feel passionate about helping to shape improved outcomes for nature through leading Sustainable Development Higher Officers in Thames Solent and acting as part of the Thames Solent Leadership Team. As part of the leadership team, you will contribute to building capability and capacity within the team by supporting staff development and sharing knowledge gained through national networks. Acting as a role model for organisational values, you will help drive consistency in advice delivery and foster a culture of continuous improvement in sustainable development work. Contact and additional information (Recruiters Name, Email and Phone Number) Laura Hughes laura.hughes@naturalengland.org.uk 07825054393 Closing Date: 31/05/2026, 23:55 hours Interview dates To be confirmed - expected Mid - Late June 2026. Level of security checks required Basic Check (BPSS) Competence 1 Professional competency Detail Technical Skills and Knowledge Description • Technical expertise and applied experience of the planning system to shape environmental solutions for designated sites, protected landscapes and species (Essential). • Technical expertise in and experience of planning mechanisms and their application for nature recovery - e.g. Habitats Regulations Assessments, Development Plan process, Sustainability Appraisals, Environmental Impact Assessments (or others). Ability to understand new planning processes and how they might be applied to enable the delivery of enhanced nature recovery (Essential). • Knowledge of how local authorities work, and/or basic ecological or land management knowledge, is also useful but not essential (Desirable). Competence 2 Professional competency Detail Personal Effectiveness Description • Use clear and appropriate language, communication styles and techniques that engage your audience (Practitioner). • Make and explain objective decisions which combine your professional judgment and evidence (Expert). • Be ambitious, identify and adopt ways to make improvements in your team and throughout your organisation and inspire others to act (Practitioner). Competence 3 Professional competency Detail Work Delivery Description • Understand your role in good governance, and comply with delegations, policies, and procedures (Practitioner). • Manage and deliver your work to meet agreed targets and deadlines (Expert). Competence 4 Professional competency Detail Putting People and the heart of the Environment Description • Listen to and understand our diverse partners and customers so that you achieve the best outcomes for them and the organisation you represent (Practitioner). • Work proactively and collaboratively with stakeholders and partners to identify and secure opportunities to deliver gains for people and nature (Practitioner). Role specific qualification requirements Degree or professional qualification in Planning or another relevant discipline Supporting document 1 Organisation Natural England The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. .