Senior Environment Specialist

About the job.

At National Highways we are very proud of the diverse habitats and associated species within our soft estates. Our linear habitats along the road network help integrate the Strategic Road Network into the landscape and provide invaluable habitat corridors for a range of protected species. At National Highways, as the custodian of these important habitats, we are passionate about the management of these areas and we are looking for a Senior Environment Specialist who will work within our Environment Teams to help to support the safe running of our road networks while maintaining these assets within our South- East region.

Please note that you will be required to drive as part of your role, and you will need to have no more than 3 points to be considered for this position and during employment.

• Lead and coordinate inspections and surveys of the environment assets, in line with the defined inspections regime and statutory requirements.
• Lead and coordinate the identification and evaluation of environmental asset needs to assist with the development of environmental renewal and enhancement schemes and maintenance activities
• Give technical advice and input into the development of early design solutions for enhancement and/or renewals, taking into account new techniques, materials, feasibility, and costs.
• Collaborate with engineering colleagues and Route Managers to ensure forward programme plans reflect asset needs and priorities, environmental legislation, business priorities and strategies.
• Manage internal programme of environmental activities.
• Contribute to the development of process and procedures directly related to environmental assets.

About you.

• Degree or equivalent qualification in relevant discipline or equivalent experience
• Significant experience of habitat management e.g. managing protected species, tree protection, or woodland management
• Strong knowledge of asset condition assessment e.g. Landscape and ecology condition assessment
• Strong knowledge of aspects and impacts for varying environmental receptors.
• Strong knowledge of environmental regulation and standards, and their application on the highways network
• Experience of environmental asset management decision making, with consideration of risk, budgets, safety, sustainability, and cost benefit.

About us.

Here at National Highways, we manage and improve England’s motorways and major A roads, helping our customers have safer, smoother and more reliable journeys. Our priorities are safety, customers and delivery, and at the core of this, are our values of passion, integrity, safety, teamwork and ownership.

Operations is at the heart of keeping the strategic road network moving and ensuring our customers get the best possible experience when using our roads.

We address over 39,000 customer enquiries every month, plan and deliver all maintenance activities on the network, drive efficiencies and improvements across our systems and roads, and respond to incidents across 4,500 miles of motorways and major A-roads that we manage. All to make sure National Highways customers have safer, smoother, and more reliable journeys.

External candidates will be offered a starting salary at the lower end of the pay scale, while current employees will be appointed in accordance with our established pay policy.

We are committed to creating a diverse environment and welcome applicants from all backgrounds

Why you should join us

At National Highways we believe in a connected country. We are passionate about creating a culture where colleagues feel connected, included and enjoy greater wellbeing to achieve this. We’re proud that as an organisation we are continually striving to do better and actively encourage and support our colleagues to do the same with their careers.

So, if you put safety first, take ownership of your work, show passion for what you do, work effectively in a team, and demonstrate integrity in how you do it – then you’ll be a great fit for our organisation.

A connected and sustainable working approach has been adopted across National Highways. For some roles, this means being able to work in a hybrid way spending up to 60% of time working from a remote location such as home.

We offer many different ways to work flexibly and we’re open to discuss part-time working, job shares, and flexible start and finish times.

Please wait until the interview stage before asking us about flexibility, and we will explore what is possible.

Our benefits package

• Our total reward package includes basic salary, the potential for a performance related bonus
• Contributory pension scheme with employer contribution of up to 10%
• Annual Leave starting at 26 days (plus Bank Holidays) rising by 1 day each year up to 31 days (plus Bank Holidays)
• Flexible hours and an approach driven by connected and sustainable working which includes hybrid working
• Life assurance of 4 times annual salary
• Health and wellbeing support, including an Employee Assistance Programme, available 24/7 365 days and network of mental health first aiders. Plus access to a wellbeing app to enhance your self-care 24/7, Occupational health service and flu vaccines
• A cycle to work scheme for the purchase of a bicycle and equipment for healthy, low carbon travel
• Significant investment in your career development, through learning and development, talent management, coaching, mentoring and on job experience

And we are

• Family friendly with enhanced maternity leave and pay, paternity leave (15 days), shared parental leave, adoption leave. Plus access to financial support for holiday play schemes and paid special leave (up to 5 days pa), eg for caring responsibilities
• Money friendly with access to a discounts platform including over 3000 discounts for supermarkets, eating out, leisure, holidays. Alongside a financial wellbeing programme
• Community friendly – offering paid leave to volunteer, 3 days basic/year

If you are successful, it is key to know all offers of employment are subject to satisfactory completion of our pre-employment checks which include:

• Right to work check
• 3 year employment history references
• DBS criminal record check
• Social media and adverse journalism check
• Driving licence check (if applicable)
• Fit to work questionnaire (for all), followed by a medical check (if applicable)
• Qualifications and/or professional membership check (if applicable)

And finally

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