Location
Northallerton, North Yorkshire - Hybrid working with access to office bases in Selby, Richmond, Scarborough, Northallerton, Skipton and Harrogate.

Hours
Full-time, 37 hours per week

Salary
£53,051 – £57,372 per annum plus Relocation Allowance

About the Role
As the Environment and Design Manager (Ecology), you will take professional lead for ecology within the Planning Service, leading a specialist team and influencing how environmental considerations are embedded in future growth and development across North Yorkshire. This senior role offers significant professional autonomy and variety, including shaping the new North Yorkshire Local Plan, influencing strategic policy and place-making, and collaborating with specialists in Landscape, Urban Design and the Historic Environment. You will work alongside two other Environment and Design Managers within Planning Policy and Place, delivering high-quality, sustainable development while ensuring ecology is effectively represented in strategic planning, policy, and development management.

Your key responsibilities include working collaboratively to deliver strategic work across all specialisms, supporting the preparation of new policies and site allocations within the Local Plan, providing training and specialist ecological advice to support the development management process, and ensuring legislative requirements are met. You will proactively drive the development and implementation of relevant plans, strategies, and policies, take a creative and innovative approach to service delivery, and support continuous improvement and transformation within the environment and design function.

Keeping up to date with changes in planning policy and legislation, you will recommend and implement necessary changes to plans, policies, and practices to ensure the council’s sustainable growth and place-making agenda is effectively delivered.

Experience
Proven experience as an ecology professional with strong technical knowledge and confident, supportive leadership. Experience of successfully leading a specialist ecologist team or a multidisciplinary team including ecologists. Demonstrated ability to manage people, budgets, and resources effectively. Experience working strategically to provide professional advice and achieve positive environmental outcomes. Knowledge of relevant planning legislation and national and regional planning policy and guidance, with the ability to interpret complex legislation for senior leaders, industry partners, and community stakeholders.

About you
Confident and collaborative leader with strong management skills. Ability to manage competing priorities effectively across your own workload and that of the team. Positive, creative, and innovative approach to service delivery. Commitment to sustainable development and place-making. Comfortable working with a wide range of stakeholders, partners, and infrastructure providers to achieve positive outcomes for North Yorkshire’s natural environment.

Qualifications
Degree and/or post-graduate diploma in a relevant subject. Chartered Membership of a relevant specialism such as CIEEM, CMLI, or MRTPI.