Principal Officer – Lead Environmental Regulator

The Corry Review recommended the implementation of an approach called ‘Lead Environmental Regulator’ to streamline the regulatory service offered to major infrastructure projects by Defra Group Arms
- Length Bodies (ALBs) - Natural England, Environment Agency, Marine Management Organisation and Forestry Commission.

This approach, a Secretary of State reform priority, is being initially piloted with a small number of projects. In summary, it involves establishing a robust approach to project managing the interactions with the developer across the relevant Defra Group ALBs, seeking to avoid unnecessary delay and improve the customer experience. An Operating Model and evaluation methodology have been established in partnership with the cross-Defra Project Board.

As a Strategic Lead for the Lead Environmental Regulator pilots, you will provide strategic oversight, leadership, and direction for one of Natural England’s most high profile and influential reform initiatives. You will be accountable for shaping how Natural England and the wider Defra Group engage with major national infrastructure projects, helping to embed a collaborative, consistent and customer‑focused regulatory service. You will be accountable for shaping how Natural England and the wider Defra Group engage with major national infrastructure projects, helping to embed the LER approach.

This role requires a leader who can combine strategic thinking, system-wide influence and programme leadership
, while representing Natural England at senior level with developers, regulators, and government partners with influence and programme leadership.

This is a high‑profile work area, offering a fantastic opportunity to trial and shape the way that we work with some of the most significant development projects in our country.

The role will be based in the Major Planning Casework Team (MPCT) in National Delivery. This multi‑disciplinary team works on significant, large‑scale, complex casework and strategic programmes, providing expert support and technical leadership to area teams and coordinating major infrastructure programmes. Its current portfolio of projects includes High Speed 2 (HS2), Sizewell C, East West Rail and RAPID and other High Risk/High Opportunity casework.

• Work closely with the Defra Lead Environmental Regulator (LER) team and ALBs to deliver current LER pilots.
• Serve as Natural England’s primary point of contact for the Defra LER team.
• Develop and maintain Natural England’s future pipeline of suitable projects for LER implementation.

• Engage proactively with developers to identify opportunities for applying the LER model and to resolve emerging issues.
• Champion the LER approach internally, promoting awareness, understanding, and adoption across the organisation.

• Ensure the LER model is embedded into Natural England’s Sustainable Development (SD) critical reforms, including innovation and risk related activities.
• Support culture change by ensuring lessons learned on innovation and risk influence Natural England’s risk appetite statements and related programmes.

• Oversee the effective rollout of the LER approach across Natural England’s 12 area teams.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues to identify and address barriers to adoption and ensure consistency in practise nationwide.

• Highly organised, with strong analytical skills with a proven track record of delivering complex work projects and/ or programmes to deadlines managing risks and dependencies, benefits realisation, resources & budget.
• Strong people leadership skills, with the ability to functionally lead a multi‑disciplinary and dispersed project team to deliver programme outcomes.
• Strong stakeholder management and relationship building skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills - able to communicate complex concepts and analysis in a simple, straightforward, and honest way.
• Confidence in engaging with senior leaders, regulators, and external partners and excellent track record of partnership working,…