1019-318 Sustainable Development Officer - D Grade - September 2025

Job title: 1019-318 Sustainable Development Officer | Grade: D | Vacancy type: Full time, Temporary until June 2027 | Hours: 35 hours | Salary £38,616 (Pay award pending effect from 01 April 2025) | Location: Any NatureScot office, home and hybrid working considered | Closing date: Midnight 19 October 2025 | Internal Interview date: 04 November 2025; External Interview date: 11 November 2025

Job Summary

NatureScot is Scotland’s Nature Agency. We are working with partners from across Scotland’s public, private and environment sectors to address the climate and nature emergencies, by protecting and restoring nature and inspiring others to value our natural world.   

This is a permanent, full-time role within NatureScot’s Supporting Good Development (SGD) team.  The SGD team works to: 

Protect – influence business, development and regulation so that it safeguards nature, including protected areas and landscapes.  

Restore – provide targeted and influential advice on proposals to enable good quality development that enhances biodiversity and place.  

Value – engage with key business and community interests and industry sectors to help them maximise the advantages nature and high-quality places bring them.  

This position will help to deliver NatureScot’s priorities relating to nature recovery, climate change and the creation of nature rich places. This includes contributing to our engagement in the development of planning policy and the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of policies and plans.   

The post holder will also support the development of approaches and guidance to help ensure the delivery of Positive Effects for Biodiversity (PEfB) through the planning system. They will also collaborate with key agencies, planning authorities, developers and other key stakeholders in helping to build the knowledge and skills needed to deliver good development with nature at its heart.  

The post holder will be required to travel across Scotland to attend meetings, events and site visits, which may involve occasional overnight stays away from home. Most meetings, events and site visits are likely to be in central Scotland and may include travel to areas not covered by public transport. 

Key Responsibilities

1. Supporting the Scottish planning system’s delivery of positive effects for biodiversity, including input to the development of regional approaches to biodiversity offsetting and the Scottish Government’s emerging approach to developing a metric. 
2. Contributing to the development of our approach to planning and protection of peatland, working with specialist advisers in our Natural Resources Management team, the Peatland Action team, and colleagues in SEPA to prepare guidance on best practice in construction including restoration and maintenance of peatlands.  
3. Inputting to strategic planning issues and regulatory policy consultations, particularly with respect to energy and renewables, including leading responses to consultations over the SEA of policies and plans, and input to ongoing consultations over strategic plans and strategies for planning and energy. 
4. Building and maintaining relationships with renewable energy and construction sector interests through liaison with other agencies (e.g. SEPA, Zero Waste Scotland) and representative organisations (e.g. Scottish Renewables, Institute of Civil Engineers, Civil Engineers Contractors Association, Association of Environmental Clerks of Works) and representing NatureScot on sectoral forums (e.g. Scottish Power Energy Networks Sustainability Stakeholder Working Group, Linear Infrastructure Environmental Management Group, Rail Environment Forum, Heads of Planning Energy Resource and Climate Change sub-group) and including work to aid delivery of the Onshore Wind Sector Deal. 
5. Working with industry partners to build capacity in the planning and construction sectors to consider and benefit nature. 
6. Engaging with universities to ensure that learning outcomes related to nature networks, blue-green infrastructure and nature-based solutions are embedded in courses related to planning, construction and engineering; working with NatureScot skills team and the Key Agency Group to prioritise requirements.
7. Representing NatureScot at conferences and events. 
8. Applying, and contributing to the development of procedures, guidance and standards that help us meet the objectives for our service delivery.

Skills Required (Please refer to these in your Supporting Statement)   

1. A degree or equivalent in a relevant subject. 
2. An understanding of the Scottish planning system and Scottish Government's energy policy, with a focus on renewables policy. 
3. Knowledge of onshore renewable energy technologies, their potential impacts on nature and relevant legislation and consents processes applicable in Scotland. 
4. General understanding and/or experience of positive effects for biodiversity / biodiversity net gain approaches. 
5. Ability to provide informed, clear and solution-focused advice in well-structured and accurate written work.  
6. Effective communication and engagement skills including the ability to convey technical issues to general audiences (internal and external) both in writing and verbally; ability to summarise and distil key points for briefings and formal advice; and the ability to influence and forge good working relationships with a range of stakeholders.  
7. Good organisational skills that enable setting realistic work priorities and ensure deadlines are met. 
8. Creative and versatile approach to work, able to be flexibile and adapt to changing priorities and embrace new areas of work. 
9. Relevant experience of working with public bodies, non-governmental organisations and private sector businesses and representatives. 
10. Driving licence or other means of transport. 

Prerequisites Required

• Candidates must be eligible to live and work in the UK and resident in Scotland for the duration of the job contract
• To undertake a Disclosure Scotland application.
• Although Gaelic language is not a prerequisite it is a desirable skill in support of our commitment to our Gaelic Language Plan

Working for NatureScot – what we offer you

• NatureScot offers some great benefits to reward and support you whilst you are working for us. Our benefits package includes the civil service pension scheme, a generous holiday leave allowance plus flexi time, and employee discount scheme.  Visit the NatureScot website for further details including below:
• An environment with flexible working options 
• A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97% (7.35% employee contributions) https://www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/joining-the-pension-scheme/benefits-of-the-pension-scheme/
• 41.5 days of annual leave, including 5 fixed public holidays on St Andrews Day, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day and 2nd January
• Equivalent of 2 days paid volunteering leave 
• A focus on wellbeing with access to an employee assistance programme 
• Job satisfaction from contributing proactively to the twinned nature and climate crisis 
• Death in service benefits 
• Cycle to work and electric vehicle salary sacrifice schemes 
• Access to an employee discounts scheme 
• Learning and development tailored to your role 
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity .

Application Process

Application is by CV and Supporting Statement. Please ensure you have attached these documents when submitting your application.

Before applying for this post;

• Internal applicants should read the Self Service Guide (eRDMS A3155575)
• External applicants should read the Online Job Application Guide 

If you have previously applied for a vacancy with NatureScot you must remove the supporting statement from your profile, before uploading a new version.

Interviews

External candidates will be invited to interview if we are unable to recruit internally.

NatureScot’s Net Zero commitment

Whether working at home or in an office, or travelling to meetings and site visits, as a NatureScot you will contribute to our Net Zero plan, for example through positive carbon travel choices. 

• For information regarding the vacancy please contact 
• Viv Gray, Planning & Renewables Manager, Supporting Good Development 
• E-mail: viv.gray@nature.scot 
• For information regarding the recruitment process please contact:

Recruitment@Nature.Scot

Nature is vital to all of us, so it is vital that we are an organisation for all of Scotland. The more diverse NatureScot is, the better we will be in connecting everyone with nature. We particularly encourage applications from people from Minority Ethnic (ME) backgrounds and people with a disability.