About The Borough
The London Borough of Sutton is situated less than 30 minutes by train from Central London, with direct connections to London Victoria and London Bridge. The council offers award‑winning parks and open spaces, low crime rates, affordable housing and great schools, and high levels of resident engagement and satisfaction.
Sutton is continually investing in the health, wellbeing and education of its residents and is set to become a world‑leading life‑science district, particularly in cancer research and treatment. Through the ‘Ambitious for Sutton’ corporate plan, the council aims to shape the future of the borough and adapt to the needs of its residents.
About the Role
The postholder will assist with all aspects of delivering biodiversity improvements and nature conservation management throughout the borough, supporting the effective management of the council’s parks and green spaces through protection, habitat management, surveying and habitat creation/restoration.
In The Role, You Will
- Contribute to delivery of the Biodiversity Strategy and the Parks and Open Spaces Strategy.
- Engage and supervise contractor delivery for habitat creation and management works across all sites.
- Comment on planning applications, especially on Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and protected species, and secure section 106 obligations for monitoring and offsetting.
- Assist in onsite BNG compliance monitoring of permitted developments.
- Help develop a BNG offsetting market in Sutton, feeding into the reviews of internal documents such as the Local Plan, Biodiversity Strategy/Nature Recovery Action Plan, Environment Strategy and Parks and Open Spaces Strategy.
Weekend and early morning/evening work will be expected, particularly for species monitoring and public engagement. Flexible working arrangements support a suitable work/life balance.
About You
- Be a driven and passionate conservationist/ecologist.
- Have at least 3 years practical experience of habitat creation and management across a range of habitats.
- Have good identification and surveying skills.
- Have a working knowledge of planning and biodiversity net gain, or willingness to learn.
- Have excellent communication skills and be able to enthuse a wide range of people about nature.
- Show ability to work in partnership with different organisations.
- Be highly motivated, independent and highly organised.
About Us
The role is based within the Council’s Parks and Open Spaces Service’s Biodiversity Team, which manages over 25 Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation, from chalk downland and woodland to wetlands and neutral meadows.
Benefits
- Generous annual leave entitlement of 26–32 days plus bank holidays (pro‑rata if part‑time).
- Enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental, adoption and dependants leave.
- Two volunteering days per year.
- Flexible Working – Smarter Working Scheme (dependent on the role).
- Adjustable and agile working arrangements using Google Chromebooks.
- Learning and development portal offering a range of courses.
- Discounts on local shops, restaurants, gyms and leisure centres.
- Interest‑free season ticket loans.
- Local Government Pension Scheme.
- Bicycle loan facilities and cycle‑to‑work scheme.
- Electric vehicle leasing scheme.
- Confidential health & wellbeing counselling support.
Equal Opportunities
We are proud to be a diverse and welcoming borough. We encourage applications from under‑represented groups and are a disability‑confident employer. All employees are guaranteed the London Living Wage.
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