Join the Land Condition Community Early Careers Network Steering Group

Amy Bond

3 April 2025

Join the Land Condition Community Early Careers Network Steering Group

The Early Careers Network (ECN) exists within the Land Condition Community to provide tailored events and opportunities for Land Condition Community members who are in the first 10 years of their career in the sector. The ECN is led by an approachable, friendly Steering Group who plan and deliver resources covering everything from technical guidance to career progression. We are excited to share that the Steering Group is looking to recruit approximately 5 new members to increase its capacity and enable more ECN members to take on a leadership role.

Our Communities are groups of members brought together around a shared professional interest, goal, or challenge. Communities are an integral part of the IES ecosystem, providing thought leadership for their area of focus, and a forum for members to network, collaborate and shape their field. At the IES we know that our members are the experts. Communities are a key tool for directly engaging with our members, channeling their expertise into a unified voice, and informing the development of tailored resources. Being member-led, they provide members with the agency to set their own priorities and develop associated workplans aligned with their needs and interests.

The ECN Steering Group supports the wider Land Condition Community by working collaboratively with IES staff to deliver on elements of the annual Community workplan.

We are inviting expressions of interest from IES members (Full Members, or Associates) in the first 10 years of their Land Condition career to join the Steering Group. The Steering Group has space for up to 10 members in total, with around 5 being recruited this year to support the existing team. Terms will last for two years.

Benefits of joining an Early Careers Network Steering Group

Help shape the IES’ Land Condition work and develop tailored resources for those starting out in the sector
Engage with fellow environmental professionals and expand your network in the sector
Build on your leadership skills and support your continuing professional development
Deepen your connection with the IES and gain opportunities to engage with the wider sector through partnerships with external organisations
Play a key role in a Network that supports the professional development of fellow early careers professionals

Who can express interest?

Any professional Associate or Full IES member in the early stages of their land condition careers (first 10 years) can apply.

Current IES members and those interested in applying for professional IES membership can express interest. If successful, your appointment would be conditional on being an Associate or Full Member of the IES by 1st June 2025. Find out more about joining the IES and membership requirements.

We aim to appoint around 5 positions to complement the existing group. Our goal is to represent a range of sectors and backgrounds across the environmental sciences, so regardless of your professional background, we would love to hear from you.

The IES is committed to fostering an inclusive culture which reflects the diversity that exists within society, enabling us to deliver outputs that reflect the diverse needs of our members. In recruiting for these roles, we welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of your ethnicity, age, sex, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, educational background, national origin, religion and beliefs.

What is involved?

The Steering Group currently meets every other month (6 times per year). Meetings are typically 1 hour long and are held virtually. In-person meetings may be organised from time to time depending on member interest.

At Steering Group meetings and via email, the work you will be involved with includes:

Supporting the delivery of elements of the Land Condition Community's annual workplan
Helping shape Community activities that pertain to Early Career professionals
Being an ambassador for the Community and sharing Community outputs
Engaging with IES staff and partners on areas related to Community activities
Providing feedback for relevant publications, events and policy outputs as appropriate

Terms on the Steering Group last two years, and ordinary members can have two concurrent terms. If in the Chair position, terms of office are three years, with two potential concurrent terms.

If you would like to express your interest in joining the Steering Group, please send the following information to Amy Bond (communities@the-ies.org).

Your CV
A short statement (max 500 words) covering why you want to join the Land Condition Community Early Careers Network Steering Group, your expertise in the sector, and what you will contribute to the group

This information will be used to process your expression of interest and will be shared with the Chair of the Steering Group (if in place), as well as other members of the IES staff team.

The deadline for expressions of interest is 6th May 2025, 9am BST. Member terms will start from June 2025.

The Institution of Environmental Sciences is committed to fostering an inclusive culture for our staff and volunteers which reflects the diversity that exists within society, enabling us to deliver outputs that reflect the diverse needs of our members. After completing your expression of interest, we also request that you fill out our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Monitoring form. We collect this data to monitor the effectiveness of our advertising and recruitment strategies, ensuring they are open to all sections of the community. It is anonymous and held separately to your expression of interest.

If you have any questions about the application process, would like to have an informal conversation about the roles, or you anticipate needing reasonable adjustments to apply for this role, please email Amy Bond (communities@the-ies.org). Alternatively, you can call the IES office on +44 (0)20 3862 7484.

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