Natural Environment Principal (Nature Recovery)
Grade H-I
Fixed Term Contract for 2 years
Are you ready to manage transformative change for nature and communities in one of the UK’s most ambitious cities for environmental innovation?
Plymouth City Council is seeking a dynamic Natural Environment Principal to drive forward pioneering work enhancing nature and empowering communities across the City. The role will drive work to secure enhancements for nature in Local Nature Reserves and strategic green spaces alongside communities and partners. It will play a key role in designing, fundraising for and delivering nature-based solutions that will maximise the benefits for health and wellbeing, skills development, climate resilience, recreation and businesses.
What You’ll Do
You will support the development and coordination of key functions linked to nature recovery across the city, helping to deliver a joined-up approach to biodiversity, access and environmental resilience.
This is a varied and evolving portfolio of work, bringing together ecological expertise, project delivery, partnership working and funding development. You will play a key role in maximising the value of the Council’s natural estate, delivering measurable biodiversity improvements as a catalyst to support wider city priorities
Key Responsibilities Will Include
A degree in a natural environment or related field.
You’ll be part of Plymouth City Council’s ambitious Natural Environment Service, bringing together groundbreaking work across Communities, Trees, Marine, Nature Recovery and Environmental Operations. Our service brings together a broad range of environmental professionals who collaborate across teams to maximise delivery and impact.
Plymouth is nationally recognised as a Nature City, with a strong track record of innovation across climate, nature, people and place. This is a hugely exciting time to join us and help deliver our shared ambitions, most recently published in our Plan for Nature and People.
If you’re driven by nature recovery, community impact and healthier, more active places, we’d love to hear from you.
The Disclosure & Barring Service Check requirement for this post is: Standard Check.
We are a flexible employer and provide a variety of working arrangements tailored to the needs of each role.
For an informal discussion please contact Jerry Griffiths jerry.griffiths@plymouth.gov.uk to arrange a time.
Please note, this role is not eligible for visa sponsorship and we can only consider applicants with existing right to work in the UK.
Closing date:- Sunday 31 May 2026
Expected interview dates: 10th / 11 th /12 th June 2026
Plymouth City Council is an equal opportunities employer. All applicants will be considered for employment regardless of age, care experience, disability, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity, race, religion/belief, sex or sexual orientation
As part of our commitment to promoting equality we offer guaranteed interviews to those who meet the essential criteria and are considered disabled, care experienced or are an Armed Forces Service Leaver within the last two years.
Fixed Term Contract for 2 years
Are you ready to manage transformative change for nature and communities in one of the UK’s most ambitious cities for environmental innovation?
Plymouth City Council is seeking a dynamic Natural Environment Principal to drive forward pioneering work enhancing nature and empowering communities across the City. The role will drive work to secure enhancements for nature in Local Nature Reserves and strategic green spaces alongside communities and partners. It will play a key role in designing, fundraising for and delivering nature-based solutions that will maximise the benefits for health and wellbeing, skills development, climate resilience, recreation and businesses.
What You’ll Do
You will support the development and coordination of key functions linked to nature recovery across the city, helping to deliver a joined-up approach to biodiversity, access and environmental resilience.
This is a varied and evolving portfolio of work, bringing together ecological expertise, project delivery, partnership working and funding development. You will play a key role in maximising the value of the Council’s natural estate, delivering measurable biodiversity improvements as a catalyst to support wider city priorities
Key Responsibilities Will Include
- Ecological leadership and support – acting as a lead practitioner within the team, providing ecological advice and supporting the development of best practice
- Habitat bank delivery – supporting the development, promotion and delivery of the Ocean City Nature habitat bank, including helping to implement site enhancements and monitoring outcomes
- Planning and policy input – contributing ecological expertise to Local Plan development process, supporting the integration of biodiversity and nature recovery priorities
- Nature recovery coordination – supporting the development and delivery of statutory obligations including Local Nature Recovery Strategy, Plymouth Nature Recovery Network and Environmental Improvement Plan
- Natural Environment data and monitoring – coordinating the collection and use of data to inform decisions, track progress and evidence outcomes
- Site and reserve management – lead with others in the development and delivery of management plans for Local Nature Reserves and other sites, including identifying opportunities for blended funding to support biodiversity and access improvements
- Habitat creation and enhancement – coordinating and supporting delivery of habitat creation, restoration and maintenance programmes across Council-owned land
- Team and Partnership delivery – working collaboratively with partners, including the National Trust, to support delivery of the Urban Pioneer Partnership including joint working with National Trust Rangers across key sites
- Funding and innovation – contributing to the development of funding opportunities, including supporting bids and identifying new income streams to enable nature recovery work
- Proven ability to lead and deliver complex projects from inception to completion, including planning, risk management, stakeholder coordination, and achieving outcomes on time and within budget.
- Ensuring safe delivery of work across a diverse range of sites, by embedding strong health and safety practices within all programmes
- Overseeing the completion and quality of risk assessments, method statements and safe systems of work for activities across sites and projects
- Promoting a positive health, safety and wellbeing culture across staff, partners, contractors and volunteers, ensuring compliance with Council policies and legal requirements
- Delivery against key strategies and plans, including the Plan for Nature and People and locally driven community plans
- A high-performing team, working across often challenging environments and alongside community organisations across the city and beyond
- The development and delivery of an innovative programme of nature recovery, promoting wellbeing, tackling inequality, and supporting net zero and climate adaptation ambitions through strong partnership working
- The planning and delivery of programmes of work, including securing external funding and supporting the sustainable, long‑term future of the city’s natural assets
- Strong partnership working, building and maintaining effective relationships with internal teams and external stakeholders across nature recovery and the local economy
- A significant project budget, ensuring sound financial management and effective operational delivery
A degree in a natural environment or related field.
- Membership (or willingness to work towards) of a relevant professional institute.
- Exceptional track record of working with partners and communities to delivery environmental impacts which benefit, people, places and prosperity.
- Proven leadership in delivering large scale projects.
- Experience of securing funding and awareness of emerging natural capital markets.
- Excellent communication skills working with a variety of audiences.
- Strategic thinking, and political awareness.
- Substantial experience of working with communities, volunteers, and cross-sector partners to deliver joint outcomes.
You’ll be part of Plymouth City Council’s ambitious Natural Environment Service, bringing together groundbreaking work across Communities, Trees, Marine, Nature Recovery and Environmental Operations. Our service brings together a broad range of environmental professionals who collaborate across teams to maximise delivery and impact.
Plymouth is nationally recognised as a Nature City, with a strong track record of innovation across climate, nature, people and place. This is a hugely exciting time to join us and help deliver our shared ambitions, most recently published in our Plan for Nature and People.
If you’re driven by nature recovery, community impact and healthier, more active places, we’d love to hear from you.
The Disclosure & Barring Service Check requirement for this post is: Standard Check.
We are a flexible employer and provide a variety of working arrangements tailored to the needs of each role.
For an informal discussion please contact Jerry Griffiths jerry.griffiths@plymouth.gov.uk to arrange a time.
Please note, this role is not eligible for visa sponsorship and we can only consider applicants with existing right to work in the UK.
Closing date:- Sunday 31 May 2026
Expected interview dates: 10th / 11 th /12 th June 2026
Plymouth City Council is an equal opportunities employer. All applicants will be considered for employment regardless of age, care experience, disability, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity, race, religion/belief, sex or sexual orientation
As part of our commitment to promoting equality we offer guaranteed interviews to those who meet the essential criteria and are considered disabled, care experienced or are an Armed Forces Service Leaver within the last two years.