Planning and Biodiversity Officer / Senior Planning and Biodiversity Officer

Are you passionate about nature’s recovery in our cities and towns? Do you have expert knowledge of the UK’s planning law and processes? We are currently seeking a Planning and Biodiversity Officer (or Senior Officer) to deliver our vital work to protect nature across our urban landscape.

Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust is one of 46 local, independent Wildlife Trusts and is the charity that works to make the environment of Birmingham and the Black Country (Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton) a better place for wildlife and people through conservation management, environmental education, advocacy, and community involvement.

As a wildlife charity serving a heavily urbanised area, a major element of our work is engagement with planning law and policy, through which we seek species and habitat protection along with wider nature recovery.

This is an exciting and rewarding opportunity to make a real difference to nature’s protection and recovery in Birmingham and the Black Country. The post holder will engage with planning processes to advocate for nature, and in doing so will protect local wildlife of great value to people, communities and organisations across our region.

This will be a varied role that will include significant partnership working, engagement with land managers and owners, policy and strategy development, and responding to the demands raised by local planning applications and plan development. The successful applicant will be very well-organised, with a high level of attention to detail, and used to prioritising a complex workload. You will have excellent communication skills, and the confidence and ambition to affect outcomes within planning processes. Above all you will be driven by a commitment to see nature’s recovery across Birmingham and the Black Country’s urban landscape.

Flexible role, based in our offices within Birmingham, but with the option of working from home, as required. Occasional travel regionally and nationally.

The role will be recruited at either Project Officer or Senior Project Officer grade, depending on the level of experience of the successful candidate. Please see the role's person specification for more details.

Benefits include 28 days of annual leave plus bank holidays (pro-rata), a 7% employer contribution pension, flexible and hybrid working opportunities, an Employee Assistance Programme and working alongside a supportive and friendly group of nature lovers!

This role will require the successful candidate to undertake a basic DBS check as part of the pre-employment checks.

Please note that we are not a UK visa sponsoring organisation. Therefore, you will need to be able to demonstrate that you have the right to work in the UK if you wish to apply for this role.

We are committed to ensuring transparent and non-discriminatory recruitment and employment. As a progressive charitable organisation, we champion equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristic.