Number of jobs available: 1
Region: East of England
City/Town: Huntingdon , Ipswich
Building/Site: DEFRA GRP EA BRAMPTON OFFICE, PE28 4NE, DEFRA GRP EA ICENI HOUSE, IP3 9JD
Grade: Staff Grade 5
Post Type: Permanent
Role Type: Environment & Sustainability
Working Pattern: Full Time
Salary Minimum: £41,617
Closing Date: 30/04/2025, 23:55 hours
Job description attachment 1
Job Profile – 30769.pdf – 187KB
Candidate pack
Candidate Pack – 30769.docx – 2042KB
Converted File Candidate Pack – 30769.docx.pdf – 719KB
Security checks level: Basic Check
Job description
Working to regulate the water industry.
In East Anglia we want to create a diverse workplace where people are respected, valued and listened to. We’re all different, and by embracing Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) we can become an equal opportunity employer where jointly we all grow and learn together.
It is our ambition to champion diversity through building a workforce as diverse as the communities we serve.
We need you to help protect the water environment in East Anglia. It has never been more important to manage the sustainable use of water resources, for public water supply, agriculture, and other sectors, whilst protecting and enhancing the environment.
In this role you will work with colleagues and public water companies in Area to ensure their abstractions are sustainable. You will oversee their programme of environmental monitoring and improvements to reduce and mitigate their impacts on the environment. We will train and help you to develop your skills to manage water resources.
As a Water Resources Specialist, you’ll:
- Act as technical advisor for water company abstractions.
- Take a leading role in overseeing one of the water companies operating in East Anglia.
- Ensure our water resources evidence base, data, and plans are up to date and accurate.
- Plan, prepare, manage, review and sign off environmental improvements in the Water Company Asset Management Plan cycles.
- Provide data and evidence to national and local teams to support our regulatory work.
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 business continuity 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
You’ll join our friendly and welcoming Integrated Environment Planning (IEP) team, which sits within Environment, Planning and Engagement Department in Local Operations.
We are experts in water resources, water quality and catchment planning and work with internal and external partners using data and evidence to identify environmental challenges, then find ways to solve them. We provide technical leadership in drought incidents, protecting the environment and managing water availability through the abstraction licensing system we manage
Experience/skills required
Essential:
You will have excellent interpersonal and technical skills, with a relevant degree or experience, and we would particularly like to hear from you if you can demonstrate the following:
- An understanding of water resources planning and management.
- Using data and information to analyse a problem and identify solutions.
- You can work with Microsoft Office products, including Excel, Word and Teams.
- Self-motivated and able to work on your own initiative as part of a wider team of local and national water resource planners.
- Good judgement, problem solving and decision-making skills
- Well organised, with the ability to handle multiple priorities and deliver to tight timescales.
It would be helpful, but not essential, if you had:
- A good understanding of water resource challenges facing East Anglia.
- Experience of the Environment Agency’s abstraction licensing regime, but full training will be provided.
Contact and additional information
The role will be based at either our Ipswich (IP3 9JD) or Brampton (Huntington, PE28 4NE) office. We’ll accommodate working from home, but you’ll be required to attend your base location on a weekly basis.
This is a full-time post although requests for other work patterns will be considered.
We offer a fantastic benefits package including an attractive salary, flexible working, 27 days annual leave, and an award-winning Pension Fund. See the candidate pack for more details.
Please note this role does NOT qualify for skilled worker sponsorship. Visit https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-immigration where you can seek professional expert advice.
If you have any questions please contact the IEP team leader, Rob Bakewell, at robert.bakewell@environment-agency.gov.uk
Interviews will be w/c 12th May virtually via MS Teams (subject to change).
Competence 1: Achieves Results
Description
Please note we do not assess CVs. Answers to these competency questions will be used for interview selection so ensure you draw out your skills and experience in your responses. You have up to 250 words so please do use them to tell us what we need to know about you. See Candidate pack for more details and a link to our capability dictionary.
Give an example of when you have planned and delivered a challenging piece of work to a deadline, where delivery relied on others’ input as much as your own and what you did to achieve this?
Competence 2: Communicates Effectively
Description
Please tell us about a time when you have had to communicate a difficult message to another person or group. What was the message, how did you choose to deliver it and why?
Competence 3: Takes Decisions and Solves Problems
Description
Tell us about a work situation where you had to choose a course of action to take. What alternative options did you consider? What was the result?
Competence 4: Data and Information Management
Description
Give an example of how you have used data and information to deliver an 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.
