Location
This post will have a base in either Peterborough or Aberdeen. JNCC has adopted a hybrid working approach, allowing colleagues to benefit from time in the office, with the flexibility also to work from home. Employees are expected to work from our office base for 1 – 2 days a month as a minimum, this will vary by team and the exact balance will depend on the nature of your role. We can provide more details at the interview and offer stages.
About the job
Job summary
Who are JNCC?
Established in 1991, we’re the UK’s statutory advisor on issues affecting the natural environment across the UK and internationally. Our primary role is advising all four Governments of the UK. We also work with private sector organisations to support decision making on the sustainable use of marine waters and natural resources around the UK. JNCC is led by the Joint Committee, which brings together members from the nature conservation bodies for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and independent members appointed by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs under an independent Chair. Support is provided to the Committee by approx. 270 people who bring together scientific and technical expertise, extensive knowledge of policy at global, European and national levels, and skills in working with other organisations. Staff are based in two main offices in Peterborough and Aberdeen.
Why JNCC?
We’re small enough (c.270 staff) that your voice is heard by everyone including the CEO, but big enough that we have all the skills, resources and people you’ll need to get the job done. All our staff are passionate about conservation and making a difference to the world we live in. We have a very flexible, inclusive and welcoming organisational culture. Our Executive Management provides employees with the freedom and tools you will need, and our friendly team will assist you in your role.
JNCC is committed to maintaining employee health and wellbeing, whether it is physically, emotionally, financially or socially, and offers a range of benefits to support employees in this. Such benefits include the option to join the Civil Service Pension Scheme, professional and personal development opportunities as well as an exciting job in a unique environment.
Job description
Short Summary
JNCC’s new strategy commits us to work collaboratively to support the transition to a sustainable blue/green economy, linking nature recovery to societal prosperity and wellbeing, and to seek opportunities to integrate the value of nature into decision-making, mainstreaming nature recovery into social and economic policy areas. We are increasing our capacity in the field of economics and this post, which builds on progress we have made in understanding Sustainable Blue Economies and evidence to support blue-green finance, is an exciting opportunity to be part of our new direction.
The post-holder will work in the team leading for JNCC on the Marine Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (mNCEA) programme, an ambitious and pioneering programme of work for Defra, that looks to accelerate nature recovery, growth and delivery of nature’s benefits by transforming marine monitoring, evidence and decision making. They will also have an important role across JNCC, supporting our new leader of Economics to build a community of practice to drive our new strategy, and may find themselves working on concepts and projects across the UK or overseas, covering solely marine issues or linking up to cover interdependencies between marine and terrestrial systems.
- Develop and deliver work on ecological/environmental economics, especially regarding natural capital and ecosystem services, including:
Work closely with ecologists to understand the working of natural, especially marine, systems and identify and value the benefits that the natural environment provides the economy and society
- Maintain strategic relationships and up-to-date knowledge of policy drivers related to marine natural capital and customers across the four UK countries and internationally
- Assess the social and environmental costs, benefits and trade-offs of nature use and conservation and suggest ways in which this information could be incorporated into existing economic models and assessments to support investment in the natural environment
- Work with the MNC team and others to identify solutions for more sustainable decision-making in the marine environment, taking an integrated approach that combines knowledge of ecosystem services and socio-economic evidence
- Lead on and contribute to the development and delivery of project proposals, including bids for additional income to maintain and expand our work in relevant areas
- Lead on new and existing projects, such as case studies or proofs of concept, working collaboratively with various teams.
- Support in monitoring and evaluation of projects and programmes in the UK and abroad, including advising on theories of change, logframe and indicators, as well as data collection and reporting
- Develop our evidence base in line with strategic needs, to reduce uncertainty and improve assessments and advice regarding nature conservation
- Participate in meetings with other agencies, academics, businesses and stakeholders regarding environmental economics, ecosystem services, natural capital and blue and green finance or blue economy
- Lead for JNCC as an advocate for marine Natural Capital within JNCC and with partners and customers, including:
articulate the evidence and narratives to explain the benefits
drive dialogue to deepen our understanding of the opportunities & barriers
transmit the messages via meetings, groups, talks, training courses, presentations, reports, web material and other media
- Support the JNCC Team Leaders and Senior Environmental Economist, for example, in responding to requests for evidence and advice, collating and synthesising information, publishing and disseminating outputs (including online)
Person specification
Please demonstrate in your statement of suitability your reasons for applying. You will then be asked later in this application to provide a short statement against how you meet each of the technical and experience requirements.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Making Effective Decisions
- Working Together
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Educated to degree level or equivalent in economics, preferably ecological economics, environmental economics, or natural resource economics
- Broad understanding of marine policy in the UK, and good understanding of the drivers of policy and the needs of stakeholders
- Good understanding of the principles and application of ecological and environmental economics, including ecosystem services, natural capital, natural capital accounting and valuation of non-market goods & services
- Excellent writing skills, including experience of fact-finding and synthesis of complex information, identification of key messages, use of graphic presentation, able to communicate complex concepts to non-technical audiences in simple, succinct, and easi
- Proven ability to engage in constructive dialogue to influence people’s ideas and form working partnerships
- Experience of or willingness to learn and apply project evaluation methods, including logical frameworks, theories of change, monitoring and learning
- Sound computer literacy skills, including use of spreadsheets, word processors, computer presentations and the internet
- Understanding of the concepts of ‘blue’ and ‘green’ finance; value chain analysis; ‘net gain’; nature-based solutions; climate change mitigation and adaptation; carbon accounting; behavioural economics; GIS mapping and economic modelling
Benefits
Hybrid Working (occasional travel) + 25 Days Leave + 12 Public & Privilege days + Civil Service Pension.
Equality and diversity
JNCC is committed to creating an environment where everyone feels valued and respected and see this as a good place to work. JNCC has a responsibility to ensure that we have an inclusive culture where discrimination, harassment, bullying and prejudice will not be tolerated. Our selection process is determined on fair and open competition and regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership.
Continuous professional development (CPD)
Employees are encouraged to keep developing skills and professional knowledge.
JNCC has made available, and encourages employees to use, on average, five working days per annum for CPD activities with access to related funding
Leave entitlement
JNCC annual leave allowance is 25 days per annum. After five years’ service, leave entitlement increases to 30 days per annum.
In addition to annual leave, JNCC offers 12 public and privilege days per annum, three of which are explicitly reserved for office closure between Christmas and New Year.
Work/life balance
JNCC will be adopting a more flexible approach to working options and, once we are able to return to working in our office locations, our people will have more flexibility about where they choose to work. The expectation is that we will be expected to work from our office base for 1 – 2 days a month as a minimum. We can provide more details at the interview and offer stages.
Our policies are family-friendly and include flexi-time, flexible working patterns, compressed hours and dispersed working. JNCC also offers paid maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave, over and above the minimum statutory entitlements. Some work/life balance benefits are available following a minimum length of service.
Any move from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/
Civil Service Pension
Employees will have the opportunity to join Civil Service pension arrangements, which include a valuable range of benefits. JNCC makes a significant contribution to the cost of employee pensions.
Employee Assistance Programme
JNCC provides employees with a free and confidential support service which gives unlimited access to information, advice and emotional support to help employees prepare for and manage all of life's ups and downs, events and challenges.
Trade Union
JNCC has entered into a partnership agreement with its recognised Trade Unions: Prospect and PCS, which employees are able to join and be involved with.
Salary sacrifice schemes
Employee Discount Scheme
Civil Service Sports Club
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a statement of suitability. In your statement, refer to the responsibilities and experience section of this advert to show how you’re suitable for the role. Make your statement no longer than 1000 words.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
- certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
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