Biodiversity Officer

at  Oxfordshire County Council

ABOUT US

Oxfordshire has a complex landscape influenced by diverse geology and crossed by 8 river systems, as a result it supports an interesting variety of habitats and is home to 7 Special Areas of Conservation, 113 Sites of Special Scientific Interest, and 399 Local Wildlife Sites. 26% of the County lies within 3 National Landscapes (The Chilterns, The Cotswolds and the North Wessex Downs)
Oxfordshire’s natural environment faces many challenges; the Council have acknowledged the county is facing a climate and ecological emergency, and the importance of the natural environment has been recognised in the Future Oxfordshire Partnership’s strategic vision.
That’s why we are looking to expand our team, providing a supportive environment in which staff can successfully apply, and increase, their knowledge and experience to help nature’s recovery throughout Oxfordshire.

ABOUT YOU

We are looking for someone with experience of providing advice to engineers and land managers in relation to protection and enhancement of biodiversity, As such, we would expect the successful candidate to have knowledge in relation to protection and enhancement of UK habitats and species, and experience of the practical application of UK wildlife legislation. Good communication and problem-solving skills will be essential in this role.

The Biodiversity Officer will play a key role in delivery of positive ecological outcomes through supporting teams working on development of schools and other Council buildings, highways maintenance and improvement, and land management through training and awareness-raising as well as on-the-ground support. There will be opportunities to be involved in a variety of related work as we adopt and implement our emerging Biodiversity Action Framework and Local Nature Recovery Strategy.