Heritage Coast Coastal Officer

We are looking for an individual with to join our Heritage Coast Team, within Environment Division of Neighbourhood and Environment.

 

WHAT IS INVOLVED?

You will be responsible for supporting the Heritage Coast Partnership and Durham County Council on the delivery of the Coastal Access Management and Monitoring Measures in the Habitat Regulations Assessment to protect the qualifying features of the Northumbria Coast Special Protection Area (SPA), Teesmouth & Cleveland Coast Special Protection Area (SPA) and Durham Coast Special Area of Conservation (SAC) from the effects of increasing recreational pressures.



You will be the main point of contact with the community to help people to understand the effects of human and pet disturbance on birds and habitats and encourage behaviours that reduce the impacts.  This comprises research, education, monitoring, and the introduction of new mitigation measures where appropriate.



We encourage you to contact Alex Kaars Sijpesteijn via email at a.kaarssijpesteijn@durham.gov.uk to arrange an informal discussion about the role.  



WHAT WILL I NEED?


  • Degree (or an equivalent qualification) in countryside management, nature conservation, coastal zone management, community engagement or a related field; or substantial relevant experience

  • Please refer to the attached Person Specification for the full criteria.


If successful, you will be required to undertake and pass an in-house driving assessment as part of our pre-employment checks before any offer of appointment can be confirmed.



If successful, you will be required to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service Enhanced Disclosure.



Durham County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore if successful in your application, an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be sought inclusive of a check of the Children’s Barred List, due to the position working in regulated activity. Applicants should be aware that the DBS check will disclose both spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings, in line with current legislation and will confirm whether an individual is barred from working with children.



INTERVIEWS

Interviews will be held on Wednesday 1st April 2026.

 

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran.



OUR OFFER TO YOU

We offer a competitive rewards package that includes attractive salaries, a generous annual leave entitlement of 27 days (rising to 32 after five years’ continuous local government service), membership of the excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme, and a range of flexible working arrangements including hybrid working (home and office) where applicable. Explore the full range of rewards and benefits on our website (https://www.durham.gov.uk/article/26895/Rewards-and-benefits-if-you-work-for-us).

Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions. 



EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

We are a proud equal opportunities employer and believe a diverse workforce brings fresh ideas and drives service improvement. We welcome applications from everyone and make employment decisions based on skills and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled and neurodivergent people and offer support throughout the recruitment process.



HOW TO APPLY 

Please note, we do not accept CVs. All applications must be submitted online via the Northeast Jobs portal. Use the ‘Person Specification’ section of the form to clearly demonstrate how you meet the essential (and where possible, desirable) criteria. Applications that do not evidence the essential requirements will not be shortlisted. 



Please visit our website (https://www.durham.gov.uk/article/2083/How-to-apply-for-a-job-with-us) to understand our position on using AI to support to your application and for guidance on completing your application.



If you require assistance when applying for this role, please contact our Recruitment Helpdesk on 03000 26 27 27, or via email RecruitmentNE@durham.gov.uk

 

All correspondence relating to your application will be sent from donotreply@northeastjobs.org.uk. Kindly check your spam/junk folder regularly to ensure you don’t miss any updates. 



CONNECT WITH US

Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dccjobsandcareers/

Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/durhamcountycounciljobsandcareers

Visit our website http://durham.gov.uk/jobsandcareerswithus



This vacancy is restricted to employees of Durham County Council which includes all permanent, temporary, fixed term employees and agency workers.  Please note that the interview date must be prior to your contract end date if temporary.  



Permanent employees applying for a temporary position are required to seek approval from their line manager, to guarantee the return to their substantive post at the expiry of the temporary post.



Anyone currently listed on the Redeployment Register who would like to be considered for this vacancy should contact the Resourcing team via email alternativeemployment@durham.gov.uk

 
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