Biodiversity Planning Officer

Matlock, United Kingdom

Closing date: Friday 9 December 2022

Salary: £27,625

Contract type: Permanent / Working hours: Flexible

Location: Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, Sandy Hill, Main Street, Middleton by Wirksworth, Matlock, Derbyshire , DE4 4LR

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We’re looking for a Biodiversity Planning Officer to play a critical role in helping nature’s recovery across the south of Derbyshire.

In this role, you’ll have the opportunity to ensure that significant gains for wildlife are achieved by using your skills and knowledge to scrutinise planning applications and policy proposals. You will ensure that wildlife legislation and Biodiversity Net Gain requirements are fully applied and that biodiversity gains are strategic and achievable. You will work across southern Derbyshire on a diverse range of applications ranging from barn conversions to large housing or mineral applications. You will also support our species and habitat survey work depending on your skill set.

Contact details

For more information please refer to the job description and key terms attached. If you have any questions about the role which are not answered in the attached documents, or require adjustments to the application process, please either email recruitment@derbyshirewt.co.uk or call 01773 881188.

Find out more

To be successful you will need to be highly focused, persistent, and patient, capable of handling a diverse workload, fully up to date with wildlife and planning legislation, survey guidelines and policy. You will be a critical thinker and able to spot new opportunities. You will need to be prepared to back your decisions and advice up with clear evidence and data. You will act as an effective advocate at meetings including potential public enquiry appearances and be an effective advocate at meetings including potential appearances at public enquiries.

Responsibilities

In this role you will

Provide ecological advice to local planning authorities across the south of Derbyshire to ensure that the decisions they take are in full accordance with legislation, policy, best practice, and national and local biodiversity objectives.
Ensure that the planning system and development are delivering Biodiversity Net Gain in accordance with best practice and delivering for the local nature recovery networks.

Monitor the outcomes of our planning work and Biodiversity Net Gain

About you

This role might be right for you if:

You thrive in a role where you can make a real difference for wildlife through the planning system and the opportunities that Biodiversity Net Gain can provide

You have extensive experience of protected species and habitat surveys
You have worked on Biodiversity Net Gain assessments and understand planning policy and process
You have excellent written and verbal communication skills
You have a firm all-round knowledge of wildlife and wildlife legislation

We are happy to talk flexible working!

This role will be based at our office in Middleton although a balance of home and office working will be allowed. We are a local charity so applicants should be easily able to access our office and other locations around the county.