We have an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic, self-motivated biodiversity specialist. This is a full-time, permanent role with hybrid working.

The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a densely built-up inner London borough. It nevertheless supports a surprising diversity of wild plants and animals in a range of habitats. These include protected species such as bats and the Black Redstart, and a number of rare invertebrates associated with brownfield land, such as the Brown-banded Carder Bee and Streaked Bombardier Beetle. There are two Local Nature Reserves in the borough at Mudchute and Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park. Both of these are also recognised as Sites of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation, along with Mile End Park, the River Thames, the River Lea and the canals. The east of the borough lies within the Lea Catchment Nature Improvement Area.

The borough council takes pride in its exceptional team of dedicated professionals who are passionate about providing quality services to the community. LBTH is a unique borough, with huge opportunity given its situation in London with major cultural, business and tourism opportunities the eyes of the world are often on us.

The Role:

Working within our Sustainable Development Team in the Housing and Regeneration Directorate, and alongside our Environment, Parks and Planning Teams, you will act as a consultee on biodiversity matters across the borough to the planning process to ensure applications are in compliance with the legislation, national and local policy, with regards to ecology.

An engaging communicator with excellent written, verbal and presentation communication skills including the ability to clearly communicate technical/complex concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.

You will be responsible for:

In collaboration with others, you will lead on the delivery of biodiversity initiatives, provide expert advice, and drive sustainable practices across the borough. You will have experience in a related role with knowledge of local biodiversity action plans, biodiversity net gain regulations and other environmental legislation.

Providing professional ecological advice and guidance to planning officers, councillors, developers and other stakeholders regarding the assessment, impact and mitigation of development on biodiversity and protected species, particularly with regards to planning applications, development proposals and local planning policy.

The role requires wide-spread engagement across the borough with key activities including:

-    Work closely with partner organisations to deliver the Local Biodiversity Action Plan.

-    Act as a consultee on biodiversity matters across the borough in the planning process.

-    Arrange meeting dates, agendas, papers and minutes for the biodiversity.

-    Contribute to the Mayors Cleaner and Greener Borough objectives and other relevant governance committee agendas and papers as required by colleagues.

-    Contribute to the development and implementation of ecology and biodiversity strategies, projects and programmes.

-   Identify and bring forward new projects which contribute to long-term biodiversity and protection and enhancement alongside climate mitigation and adaptation priorities.

-   Work closely with other officers in the council to ensure co-ordinated service delivery is provided to the Borough’s residents and organisations.

-    Produce monitoring reports / progress update reports for the NZC Team and the Committee.

With a degree or post-graduate degree in an Ecology / Biodiversity related discipline, you also will have significant and practical experience of project management and community engagement. Self-motivated and able to work under own initiative.

Additional Information

Tower Hamlets vision for our borough is that: people are aspirational, independent and have equal access to opportunities; we are a borough that our residents are proud of and love to live in; and we are a dynamic, outcomes-based council using digital innovation and partnership working to respond to the changing needs of our borough. We want people who aspire to our TOWER values: Together; Open; Willing; Excellent; Respect.

Tower Hamlets has a zero-tolerance approach to, and works to eradicate, all forms of discrimination on the basis of race, sex, disability, age, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital status, status as a civil partner, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy and maternity and looks to employ a diverse workforce representative of those groups. We recognise that people can also be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances, so we will work to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage caused by social class.

We welcome applicants interested in flexible working arrangements and also applicants who live in the borough.

For an informal discussion before you apply, please contact Jonathan Taylor, Sustainable Development Team Leader - Email: jonathan.taylor@towerhamlets.gov.uk

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