Conservation Officer Radnor & North Brecknock

IMPORTANT:  This Advertiser has requested that applicants MUST be National Residents / Valid Work Permit-holders.  Other applicants need not apply.

 

POST: Conservation Officer, Radnor & North Brecknock
POST NO: 000975
LOCATION: Newtown
GRADE: Band B

MAIN DUTIES

• Contribute to our advice and responses to planning consultations on designated sites, protected species and wider countryside issues as described in the Operational Procedure Notice.
• Contribute to our advice and responses to consultations on designated sites, protected species and wider countryside issues.
• Assist with the evaluation, notification and confirmation of designated sites, such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
• Assist in establishing and maintaining partnerships with statutory and voluntary bodies. Provide advice on preparing and implementing plans and strategies such as Local Biodiversity Action Plans, Forest Design Plans, Community Strategies, Unitary Development Plans and Local Development Plans.
• Promote understanding and enjoyment of, and access to, the countryside. Participate in initiatives and projects to achieve this.
• Work with owners/managers on sympathetic management and monitoring of designated sites, including the preparation of management plans and input into management agreements.
• Assist with the planning and implementation of monitoring programmes, including arranging and carrying out surveys, evaluating results and writing reports.
• Assist in delivery of our responsibilities for protected species licensing.
• Take our full remit for nature conservation, landscape, outdoor recreation and access into account in all responses and advice.
• Ensure continuing personal development and expertise through formal and informal learning. Keep abreast of new ideas and developments in ecological and other relevant fields.
• Coordinate and manage appropriate corporate and team data systems relevant to the above work.
• Work in liaison with other teams and specialists in CCW.
• Contribute to CCW networks such as Habitat and Species Working Groups.
• Take reasonable care for the health and safety of yourself and others and comply with all health and safety legislation as appropriate.
• Behave in accordance with our corporate values.
• Consistently meet the standards required to fulfil the service expectations of your internal and external customers/citizens and partners.
• Assist colleagues in other work and carry out other general duties as necessary.

JOB COMPETENCIES

To be considered for this post you will need to demonstrate the following competencies:

Essential

1. A good grounding in at least one of the following subjects: biology/ecology, planning, environmental science, recreation, agriculture, rural studies or landscape.
2. Knowledge of nature conservation, landscape, outdoor access and recreation or countryside issues, and the ability to apply it in this role.
3. The ability to show initiative and enterprise.
4. Teamworking skills .
5. The ability to influence, negotiate and gain the cooperation of others.
6. Good written and spoken communication and presentational skills.
7. The ability to use IT applications, including GIS, databases, spreadsheets and word processing.
   - The ability to currently and legally drive a car in the UK.
8. Identification skills (vascular plants or other groups), and the ability to effectively carry out field survey or landscape assessment.
9. An awareness of Welsh culture, and a positive attitude to linguistic and cultural diversity.
   - The ability to use basic Welsh conversational phrases (eg ‘bore da’ – ‘good morning’) and to pronounce Welsh place names correctly.

Desirable

1. Knowledge of the legislation relating to planning, wildlife, and the countryside.
   - Fluency in spoken Welsh.

There are 10 sections on our application form for you to tell us how you meet each of the numbered competencies above. Our application form asks about your driving and Welsh language abilities separately, so these competencies are not numbered above and need no further explanation on this part of the form.

SALARY

The starting salary will be £19,429 a year.

STATUS

This is a fixed term, pensionable full-time appointment of 37 hours a week until 6th March 2013.

APPLICATIONS AND CLOSING DATE

Internal job application forms can be downloaded from the intranet. Please return your completed application form to:

Dianne Manning
Countryside Council for Wales
Ladywell House
Newtown
Powys
SY16 1RD

or e-mail it to d.manning@ccw.gov.uk  quoting the post number as a reference.

The closing date for receipt of application forms is midday on 22nd July 2011