Working for Natural England
Vacancies, staff pay and benefits.
Natural England’s Our People 2025-2030
Our People 2025-2030 defines how Natural England works with, values, and supports its people from the moment someone considers applying, throughout their career journey, and as they move on.
It brings together all Natural England’s major people plans under one umbrella and gives greater visibility of how commitments are being delivered.
Vacancies
When Natural England has vacancies they’re listed on Civil Service Jobs. If you cannot select Natural England in the Organisation search box we do not have any vacancies.
Student placements, work experience and volunteer roles
Student placements and volunteering provide valuable experience if you’re considering a career working in the natural environment. We sometimes have opportunities for volunteers on our National Nature Reserves and in other areas of our work.
Find out more about these unpaid roles with Natural England, including volunteering while claiming benefits.
Pay and pensions
| Pay group | Minimum salary | Maximum salary |
|---|---|---|
| Level 6 | £66,560 | £71,840 |
| Level 5 | £56,100 | £62,570 |
| Level 4 | £41,550 | £45,720 |
| Level 3 | £33,780 | £36,840 |
| Level 2 | £28,910 | £30,140 |
| Level 1 | £26,980 (spot rate) |
Salaries shown are full time equivalents.
An annual London allowance of £3,500 is payable to people contractually based in our London office.
Our policy is for new starters to begin at the minimum of the pay group.
Staff can join the civil service pension scheme.
Leave entitlement
You will join on 25 days annual leave, increasing by one day for each year of service up to 30 days.
If your manager approves, you can also:
- buy up to 20 days in any leave year
- bank up to 5 days at the end of a leave year for future events
- sell the equivalent of one week’s annual leave
In addition, you’ll get 8 days public holiday per year.
Work/life balance
Staff benefit from:
- flexible working, such as flexi-time and hybrid working
- paid maternity, paternity and adoption leave
- paid and unpaid special leave by agreement with line managers
Learning and development
Every Natural England employee has 10 working days each year allocated for their personal development. We’ll also encourage you to keep developing your skills and professional knowledge throughout your career.
Employee discount schemes
Our staff benefits providers offer a wide range of employee retail discounts.
Salary sacrifice scheme: bicycles
You can exchange part of your salary for a voucher to pay for a bicycle to cycle to work. You’ll save money because the salary you sacrifice as a voucher is free from both tax and National Insurance contributions.
Health cash plans and insurance
Natural England has agreed competitive rates with Bupa, Simply Health and Benenden Health Care.
Payroll giving
We operate a payroll scheme which allows you to give to the charity or charities of your choice tax-free.
Employee assistance
Our employee assistance service offers professional support and guidance for people experiencing work related emotional, health and social problems.
Civil Service Sports and Social Club (CSSC) and Civil Service Motoring Association (CSMA)
Staff can join these clubs and involve themselves in social activities as well as benefit from retail discounts.