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Location

Penrith, Cumbria | United Kingdom

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Job description

Do you have a passion for nature and the environment? Do you want to make a real difference and secure significant environmental gains in the present and the future? Do you enjoy working in a team? Can you see yourself advising communities and customers to maximise gains for the Natural Environment?

If this appeals to you, a career at Natural England offers rewarding opportunities to secure environmental improvements and play your part in creating a better future for people and nature.

The priority work Natural England is delivering includes:

• Establishing a Nature Recovery Network to help wildlife thrive;
• Monitoring environmental changes to identify and help reduce the effects of climate change;
• Working with farmers and landowners to develop greener food production methods;
• Advising on plans for new developments to maximise gains for nature, and
• Providing ways for people to better connect with nature, including green social prescribing.

We are the Government’s Adviser for the natural environment, playing a vital role in delivering the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan, an ambitious vision which brings new opportunities to protect and enhance and to achieve real outcomes for the environment.

Find out more about the work of Natural England at

About the job

This role is an exciting opportunity to manage the EU LIFE funded R4Ever Kent project led by Natural England in Cumbria. The R4Ever Kent project is a partnership project to deliver catchment restoration actions in the River Kent Special Area of Conservation (SAC) in the Lake District National Park and South Cumbria. The River Kent, which partly flows through the Lake District’s World Heritage Site landscape has some of the UK’s rarest and at-risk species. It is the only major English river system where native crayfish populations are still abundant throughout and the only UK river where native crayfish and freshwater mussels are found together. Freshwater mussels formerly occurred more widely in the Kent, but the population is now near to extinct with less than fifty individuals found across two locations.

This project will move the 88.9ha SAC towards Favourable Recovering/Favourable secure condition by using a range of river/riparian restoration and invasive control best practice methods.
The projects key objectives will improve the resilience of the river's habitats and species to future pressures and threat:

1. Restore the SAC: a range of river/riparian restoration and invasive control best practice methods will improve the resilience of the river's habitats and species to future pressures and threats.
2. Increase critically endangered species’ populations. The project will reinforce the site’s population with donor stock from other suitable sites and improve the breeding facilities to secure England’s long-term freshwater mussel population (FPM). It will also protect the endangered White-clawed crayfish from crayfish plague, provide optimum conditions for FPM's salmonid hosts and maintain bullhead populations.
3. Trial new techniques: By using biocontrol methods and eDNA surveying techniques to detect key species movement/distribution and provide an early warning system for crayfish plague, the project will research the effectiveness/sustainability of these methods.
4. Secure the long-term sustainable management of the River Kent’s catchment: Targeted advice and training for landowners and to the agricultural/forestry sector will improve practices and reduce nutrient/sediment inputs entering the SAC.
5. Transfer knowledge/skills: a programme of communications and outreach, together with networking with other UK and European projects will inspire conservation action and raise awareness of the value and function of more natural riverine systems

The Finance officer works under the direction and line management of the Project Manager. The post holder is required to comply with all financial regulations required by the LIFE monitor; to track spend; process spend and provide financial reports as requested by the project manager. This is a partnership project and as such regular liaison with our partners is an integral part of the role.

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Job tags

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Salary

£29.32k per annum