Civil Service HEO pay for conservation specialist roles
HEO (Higher Executive Officer) carries delegated technical and casework authority. Most conservation specialist roles in Defra ALBs sit at HEO or above. The grade is the gateway to specialist career-tracks (Senior Adviser, Lead Officer).
HEO conservation role mix
Typical HEO conservation titles: Senior Adviser, Senior Officer, Specialist Adviser, Senior Ecologist, Senior Hydrologist. HEO carries decision-making for site-specific casework (e.g. SSSI consent, licensing decisions, Section 28 notices).
DDaT / STEM specialist allowance
The Civil Service Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) framework and the STEM specialist allowance allow Defra to add £1,500-£3,000 to HEO conservation posts where a market-supplement case is accepted. Ecology, hydrology and GIS are the most commonly approved scarcity skills.
NJC SCP 23-28 cash equivalent
A Defra ALB HEO on £35,000 with alpha employer pension cost of £10,140/year (28.97 percent) totals about £45,140 cash-equivalent. A local authority NJC SCP 28 CO on £35,000 with LGPS employer cost of £7,350/year (21 percent) totals about £42,350. The £2,800 cash-equivalent gap favours Defra ALBs at HEO.