Senior Air Pollution Adviser
| Posting date: | 18 June 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £41,525 per year, pro rata |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 12 July 2026 |
| Location: | Peterborough, Eastern England |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 2 days per week |
| Company: | JNCC Support Co |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 2026026 |
Summary
Post background:
Air pollution remains one of the most significant pressures on biodiversity, impacting species health, ecosystem function and the resilience of habitats across the UK. Alongside its well-established effects on human health, tackling air pollution is increasingly recognised as central to delivering nature recovery and meeting wider environmental ambitions, including net zero and sustainable land use.
JNCC plays a unique role at the interface between science and policy, providing independent, evidence-based advice to governments across the UK. Within this, the Environmental Pollution Team leads on understanding and addressing the impacts of pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and ammonia on terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems, and on developing the tools, evidence and approaches needed to support policy and decision-making.
This role offers an opportunity to apply and develop specialist air pollution expertise in a highly applied, policy-relevant context. The postholder will contribute to a diverse and high-profile portfolio, including UK-wide advisory work, development of tools and services (such as the UK Air Pollution Assessment Service), and collaboration with partners across the four countries. Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, the Senior Adviser will help ensure JNCC continues to provide robust, joined-up advice at a time of increasing demand and scrutiny.
Post Duties:
The Senior Air Pollution Adviser acts as a recognised technical authority on air pollution impacts on ecosystems, shaping how evidence is applied in UK decision-making and advisory contexts. The post holder will:
• Identify emerging risks, evidence gaps and opportunities, helping to shape the future direction of JNCC’s air pollution work
• Build strong partnerships and influence through advice, working with governments, agencies and the research community to ensure robust, joined-up approaches
• Provide expert, policy-relevant advice on air pollution impacts on biodiversity, translating complex evidence into clear guidance for governments and stakeholders across the UK
• Support and mentor others, contributing to high-quality, consistent technical advice across the team
The post holder will lead key areas of JNCC’s air pollution evidence work, including coordination of the Inter-agency Air Pollution Group (IAPG) and alignment of approaches across the country nature conservation bodies. Specific examples include:
• Develop and apply decision-making frameworks and thresholds (e.g. critical loads/levels and emerging approaches) to support consistent, transparent advice
• Shape and deliver strategic evidence products, such as a project to develop Nitrogen Futures advice for timelines past 2030, ensuring outputs meet evolving policy and advisory needs
• Lead the scientific development of tools and services, including new features for the UK Air Pollution Assessment Service (UK APAS), working closely with modelling and product teams as well as external users
Technical:
To be a successful candidate you will have:
• Strong understanding of air pollution impacts on ecosystems including pathways, exposure, and effects on habitats and species and how this evidence is applied in practice. Typically this involves a relevant higher degree and/or commensurate experience.
• Strong understanding of how air pollution evidence is used in decision-making frameworks including approaches such as critical loads/levels, thresholds, scenario analysis or risk-based assessment
• Broad understanding of the UK air pollution policy and delivery landscape including the roles of UK Governments, regulators and country nature conservation bodies, and how evidence feeds into advisory and decision-making processes
Experience (Responsibilities)
To be a successful candidate you will have:
• Delivered authoritative, evidence-based advice in applied settings to produce clear, actionable outputs for policy, regulatory, or operational audiences, including responding to complex or time-sensitive requests
• Led or coordinated work across organisational boundaries, working with multiple partners to align approaches, agree outputs, or deliver shared priorities
• Developed or shaped applied tools, frameworks, or strategic evidence products by contributing to or leading the development of assessments, thresholds, models, scenario analyses, or high-impact evidence outputs
• Identified and driven improvements in evidence, approaches or work programmes by recognising gaps or emerging issues and taking initiative to develop new approaches, update existing frameworks, or shape future priorities
Behaviours:
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Seeing the Big Picture
Air pollution remains one of the most significant pressures on biodiversity, impacting species health, ecosystem function and the resilience of habitats across the UK. Alongside its well-established effects on human health, tackling air pollution is increasingly recognised as central to delivering nature recovery and meeting wider environmental ambitions, including net zero and sustainable land use.
JNCC plays a unique role at the interface between science and policy, providing independent, evidence-based advice to governments across the UK. Within this, the Environmental Pollution Team leads on understanding and addressing the impacts of pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and ammonia on terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems, and on developing the tools, evidence and approaches needed to support policy and decision-making.
This role offers an opportunity to apply and develop specialist air pollution expertise in a highly applied, policy-relevant context. The postholder will contribute to a diverse and high-profile portfolio, including UK-wide advisory work, development of tools and services (such as the UK Air Pollution Assessment Service), and collaboration with partners across the four countries. Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, the Senior Adviser will help ensure JNCC continues to provide robust, joined-up advice at a time of increasing demand and scrutiny.
Post Duties:
The Senior Air Pollution Adviser acts as a recognised technical authority on air pollution impacts on ecosystems, shaping how evidence is applied in UK decision-making and advisory contexts. The post holder will:
• Identify emerging risks, evidence gaps and opportunities, helping to shape the future direction of JNCC’s air pollution work
• Build strong partnerships and influence through advice, working with governments, agencies and the research community to ensure robust, joined-up approaches
• Provide expert, policy-relevant advice on air pollution impacts on biodiversity, translating complex evidence into clear guidance for governments and stakeholders across the UK
• Support and mentor others, contributing to high-quality, consistent technical advice across the team
The post holder will lead key areas of JNCC’s air pollution evidence work, including coordination of the Inter-agency Air Pollution Group (IAPG) and alignment of approaches across the country nature conservation bodies. Specific examples include:
• Develop and apply decision-making frameworks and thresholds (e.g. critical loads/levels and emerging approaches) to support consistent, transparent advice
• Shape and deliver strategic evidence products, such as a project to develop Nitrogen Futures advice for timelines past 2030, ensuring outputs meet evolving policy and advisory needs
• Lead the scientific development of tools and services, including new features for the UK Air Pollution Assessment Service (UK APAS), working closely with modelling and product teams as well as external users
Technical:
To be a successful candidate you will have:
• Strong understanding of air pollution impacts on ecosystems including pathways, exposure, and effects on habitats and species and how this evidence is applied in practice. Typically this involves a relevant higher degree and/or commensurate experience.
• Strong understanding of how air pollution evidence is used in decision-making frameworks including approaches such as critical loads/levels, thresholds, scenario analysis or risk-based assessment
• Broad understanding of the UK air pollution policy and delivery landscape including the roles of UK Governments, regulators and country nature conservation bodies, and how evidence feeds into advisory and decision-making processes
Experience (Responsibilities)
To be a successful candidate you will have:
• Delivered authoritative, evidence-based advice in applied settings to produce clear, actionable outputs for policy, regulatory, or operational audiences, including responding to complex or time-sensitive requests
• Led or coordinated work across organisational boundaries, working with multiple partners to align approaches, agree outputs, or deliver shared priorities
• Developed or shaped applied tools, frameworks, or strategic evidence products by contributing to or leading the development of assessments, thresholds, models, scenario analyses, or high-impact evidence outputs
• Identified and driven improvements in evidence, approaches or work programmes by recognising gaps or emerging issues and taking initiative to develop new approaches, update existing frameworks, or shape future priorities
Behaviours:
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Seeing the Big Picture
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.