Number of jobs available: 1
Region: South East
City/Town: West Malling
Building/Site: Orchard House
Grade: Staff Grade 5
Post Type: Permanent
Working Pattern: Full Time
Role Type: Environment & Sustainability, Operational Delivery
Salary Minimum: ÂŁ37,462
Job description
Are you looking for an opportunity to help protect and enhance our water environment?
Do you enjoy working with environmental information and data and have experience in water quality and catchment planning?
As an Environment Specialist, you’ll be part of a team that uses data and evidence to help inform and influence integrated working and investment in environmental improvement projects. You’ll work with others to ensure that our data is accurate and reliable. You’ll contribute your knowledge to plans and reports, providing advice to other teams, working groups, senior managers and external partners.
Our team focuses on water quality, catchment planning and the commissioning of our Area’s water monitoring programme, so there’s a variety of work to get involved with and specialise in. We work with numerous teams within the Environment Agency, plus external organisations e.g. Natural England and water companies, so you’ll build productive and influential relationships with a variety of customers and partners.
You will focus on the following areas of work, so knowledge or experience of some of these is essential:
- The Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017
- Water company price review
- Wastewater discharge permitting and modelling
- Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans
- Nutrient neutrality
- Water quality monitoring planning
We support membership of an appropriate professional institute, e.g. CIWEM, and encourage ongoing learning and development.
Responding to incidents is a central part of what we do. You will be required to have an incident role and make yourself available to respond to incidents or provide support during an incident. This may attract an additional payment and full training and alternative working arrangements will be available to support you with your incident role.
The team
The Integrated Environment Planning Team is a water planning team working on:
- River Basin Planning
- Commissioning Area monitoring activities
- Water Quality
- Water Company investment programmes
- Drought management
Using data and evidence we plan, prioritise, and influence delivery of environmental outcomes. We work with internal teams, external partners, and organisations to focus on the right activities to drive major investment from others and contribute to our local and Defra’s 25-Year-Plan aims.
Experience/skills required
You will have a good understanding of our business, environmental activities, strong IT skills and demonstrate specialist technical leadership ability.
Qualified to degree level/higher in a relevant environmental discipline and/or have relevant work experience.
Ideally, you will be:
- Familiar with the Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017, how they help address environmental challenges in area and link with other legislation
- Experienced in gathering, maintaining and quality-assuring data and using a variety of techniques to present data/information in a convincing and engaging way
- An excellent communicator, experienced at making sense of technical information and presenting it clearly and logically
- Well-organised and able to plan, track, deliver and evaluate own work
- Effective at influencing and persuading others to work collaboratively when developing and delivering environmental outcomes
- Diplomatic, sensitive and demonstrate political awareness when dealing with customers, stakeholders, and communities
Contact and additional information
The role will be based at Orchard House, Addington, Kent. We currently have a hybrid working arrangement with a mix of home and office working.
Interviews will take place end of July 2023.
We are fully committed to having an inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. We welcome flexible working patterns for all our vacancies, including job share, so please clearly include any information regarding your preferred working arrangements on your application.
For further details or an informal chat about the role please contact Priya Sharma: priya.sharma@environment-agency.gov.uk or Robert Callahan: robert.callahan@environment-agency.gov.uk
Job description attachment 1
Job Profile – 26958.pdf – 65KB Candidate pack
Candidate Pack – 26958.docx – 2037KB
Converted File Candidate Pack – 26958.docx.pdf – 551KB
Closing Date: 16/07/2023, 23:55 hours
Level of security checks required: Basic Check
Competence 1: Customer and Partner Relations
Description
Addresses the needs of internal and external customers, provides rapid and effective responses.
Please note we do not assess CVs. It is your answers given to the questions below that will be used for interview selection so ensure you draw out your skills and experience in your response. We encourage you to refer to the candidate pack for a link to our “EA capability dictionary” You may find it helpful to research the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) approach when formulating your response.
Question: Please tell us about a time you have delivered a successful outcome by working with and balancing the needs of your customers and/or partners.
Competence 2: Data and Information Management
Description
Collects, analyses, interprets, records, manages, develops and shares data, material or information appropriately for a variety of purposes.
Please note we do not assess CVs. It is your answers given to the questions below that will be used for interview selection so ensure you draw out your skills and experience in your response. We encourage you to refer to the candidate pack for a link to our “EA capability dictionary” You may find it helpful to research the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) approach when formulating your response.
Question: Please tell us about your experience successfully using data to drive real, evidence-based, positive change for the environment.
Competence 3: Achieves Results
Description
‘Sets and delivers high work standards, demonstrates the drive to meet targets. Prioritises and organises tasks and resources to ensure timely achievement of results.
Please note we do not assess CVs. It is your answers given to the questions below that will be used for interview selection so ensure you draw out your skills and experience in your response. We encourage you to refer to the candidate pack for a link to our “EA capability dictionary” You may find it helpful to research the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) approach when formulating your response.
Question: Describe a time when you led or managed an important piece of work under pressure, that relied on others’ input to achieve environmental results.
Competence 4: Takes Decisions and Solves Problems
Description
Finds and delivers optimal solutions by effectively analysing all the information, probing to develop alternatives and taking sound and timely decisions.
Please note we do not assess CVs. It is your answers given to the questions below that will be used for interview selection so ensure you draw out your skills and experience in your response. We encourage you to refer to the candidate pack for a link to our “EA capability dictionary” You may find it helpful to research the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) approach when formulating your response.
Question: Describe a time when you had to solve a particularly complex problem or make a difficult decision. What steps did you take and what was the outcome
If you are applying from the Civil Service please note that the Environment Agency is not a part of HM Civil Service and you would not be a Crown Servant in the event of being appointed. Therefore, you will not be eligible for continuous service. For applicants who currently work in local government or other bodies listed in the Redundancy Payments (Continuity of Employment in Local Government etc) (Modification) Order 1999, you may be eligible for continuous service for the purpose of calculating any future redundancy payment. If you are unsure of your status then you should contact your own HR Team.
We are fully committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. We welcome flexible working patterns for all our vacancies, including job share, so please include clearly any information regarding your preferred working arrangements on your application.
We also have a Guaranteed Interview Policy to support those with a disability who are seeking employment. We have committed to guaranteeing an interview to anyone with a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.
The Environment Agency, as a Non-Departmental Public Body, is committed to providing value for money and utilises Central Government frameworks and contracts for all external recruitment needs. For this reason, we are unable to engage with the market directly through post, email or phone calls . Should you wish to become a support supplier on one of these frameworks or contracts please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/become-a-crown-commercial-service-supplier/becoming-a-supplier-through-the-crown-commercial-service-what-you-need-to-know for more information.
