Cumbria Nature Finance Strategic Lead - WMF2530i

The job requirements are detailed below. Where applicable the skills, qualifications and memberships required for this job have also been included.

Job details

Job reference REQ Date posted 09/01/2026 Application closing date 25/01/2026 Location Various Locations Salary £51,356 - £52,413 Package Blank Contractual hours 37 Basis Full time Attachments Blank

Cumbria Nature Finance Strategic Lead - WMF2530i

INTERNAL ONLY

Location: Barrow, Kendal or Penrith
Contract Type: Temporary - 7 month fixed term

About this opportunity

Westmorland and Furness Council in partnership with Cumberland Council, the Lake District National Park Authority, and Cumbria Wildlife Trust are exploring the opportunity for creating a mechanism to help bring nature-based ecosystem services to market, focusing on opportunities provided by Biodiversity Net Gain and Nutrient Neutrality. With the aim to help bring about the delivery of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS), along with helping developers and buyers with a place to purchase units and credits in Cumbria, unlocking housing developments and providing a mechanism for landowners to bring their credits or units to market with confidence.

Having received DEFRA funding as part of their Local Investment in Natural Capital Programme, Cumbria is now at a point to take the finance and legal advice received. This role is to lead the next steps of this process, to build on momentum to bring units and credits to market.

This post will be hosted by W&F on a temporary 7 months basis and is for getting the mechanism off the ground, once it has been proved

Key Responsibilities

This post will be at the centre of leading a joint venture between local authorities and key nature partners. Setting up the governance and finance structures needed, and helping to deliver for each of the partners through their decision making processes and wider. They will need to demonstrate abilities to think innovatively about the approach as this is a quickly changing market which has many opportunities for our Cumbrian Landscape. Excellent communications skills are needed, including the ability to represent Cumbria nationally helping to unlock opportunities for many stakeholders across the county.

What can we offer you!

Working at Westmorland and Furness Council you will receive a variety of benefits, including a competitive pension scheme, enhanced annual leave allowance and other various perks and discounts schemes. For more information about life at Westmorland and Furness Council and what we can offer you, please visit our Careers site.

Would you like to find out more?

We are currently operating both in-person and virtual interviews. Interview details such as venue/timings will be shared with successful candidates, following the shortlisting process. If you have any concerns or adjustments are needed, we are happy to discuss this with you.

Safer Recruitment & DBS

At Westmorland and Furness Council we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the safety and welfare of children, young people and adults at risk and we expect all workers, employees and volunteers to share our commitment.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Westmorland and Furness Council is committed to improving the diversity of its workforce to better reflect the communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone and work to promote an inclusive, supportive culture that values and celebrates our differences.

As a Disability Confident Leader, disabled applicants, who meet the essential criteria of this job, are guaranteed an interview.

We also offer guaranteed interviews to Armed Forces personnel and veterans and those in care or care experienced and under 24 years old (someone who has been looked after by a local authority at any point, for any length of time, e.g. foster care, residential care, or under the guardianship of a local authority) that meet the essential criteria for the role.