Number of jobs available: 1
Region: East of England
City/Town: Huntingdon
Building/Site: DEFRA GRP EA BRAMPTON OFFICE, PE28 4NE
Grade: Staff Grade 5
Post Type: Permanent
Role Type: Operational Delivery
Working Pattern: Full Time, Part Time/Job Share
Salary Minimum: ÂŁ41,617
Closing Date: 21/08/2025, 23:55 hours
Job description attachment 1
Job Profile – 31538.pdf – 177KB
Candidate pack
Candidate Pack – 31538.docx – 2041KB
Converted File Candidate Pack – 31538.docx.pdf – 718KB
Security checks level: Basic Check
Job description
Over half of East Anglia’s drinking water comes from groundwater. With rapid growth and intensive agriculture across the region, safeguarding this vital resource has never been more important. That’s where you come in.
We’re offering an exciting opportunity for an experienced Geoscientist to play a leading role in protecting and enhancing groundwater quality and quantity in East Anglia.
You will:
- Provide expert advice to internal teams and external partners to assist compliance with environmental policy, legislation, and best practices.
- Produce and review technical reports that support operational decisions and team business plans.
- Engage nationally to share and adopt best practices, contributing to a culture of continuous improvement.
- Build technical resilience within your team by mentoring, training, and guiding colleagues in your area of expertise.
- Develop strong relationships with stakeholders across the organisation and beyond, promoting collaboration and influencing positive change.
- Lead and contribute to projects that drive innovation, improve regulatory outcomes, and introduce evidence-based new ways of working.
This is your chance to make a real difference in a region where groundwater is essential to both people and the environment. You’ll work alongside passionate professionals, contribute to nationally significant work, and help shape the future of water resource management in East Anglia.
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.
The candidate pack and generic role profile should be read along with the advert.
All the training, support and equipment required for your role will be provided.
The team
Our Groundwater and Contaminated Land Team (GWCL), which sits within Water, Land and Biodiversity Department in Local Operations, covers Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Norfolk. We work closely with our GWCL team covering Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex
These teams includes specialists in groundwater resources, groundwater quality, land contamination and surface water protection. They provide technical and scientific expertise to various internal teams, and to a wide range of external stakeholders.
Experience/skills required
Essential is a good understanding of, Town and Country Planning, the Water Framework Directive, Environmental Permitting regulations and excellent project management skills.
You’ll be qualified to at least degree level (or equivalent) in a Geoscience related discipline and have proven knowledge/experience of:
- Hydrogeology
- Groundwater chemistry
- Geotechnical engineering.
Chartership with an appropriate professional body (typically Geological Society, ICE or CiWEM) would be beneficial, but not essential.
You’ll be able to:
- Understand wider environmental issues;
- Communicate complex technical issues to a wide audience in an easy to understand way;
- Build and sustain relationships with internal and external customers;
- Solve problems and make sound decisions in a timely manner;
- Influence and secure commitment from others who you do not manage;
- Manage complicated projects to secure efficient and appropriate delivery;
- Apply a risk based approach to your work;
- Deliver positive environmental outcomes.
Contact and additional information
The role is hybrid and travel to the base location office in Brampton (Huntingdon, PE28 4NE) will be required, dependent primarily on business need.
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.
Responding to incidents is a central part of what we do. Everyone that joins us is required to undertake training and participate. Please see the candidate pack for more on how you will support with this.
Interviews are planned to be held 9th to 11th September in person (face-to-face) at the Brampton Office but may be subject to change.
If you have any questions please do contact Simon Reedman via: simon.reedman@environment-agency.gov.uk
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.
In this role you’ll need to consistently uphold high standards of work and demonstrate a strong commitment to achieving targets. Effectively prioritising, organising tasks and resources to deliver timely and high-quality results, even in changing circumstances will be key.
Please give an example of a time when external factors required you to reassess your priorities? How did you adapt your approach to ensure key objectives were still met?.
Competence 2: Focuses on Customers and Partners
Description
Focusing on Customers and Partners will be vital to this role. You’ll need to respond promptly and effectively to the needs of both internal and external customers.
Describe a situation where your technical knowledge and wider environmental understanding enabled you to meet customer needs while also supporting environmental goals? How did you ensure both priorities were addressed effectively?
Competence 3: Programme and Project Management
Description
This role will need to select, plan and manage contractors, programmes or events to achieve a set of Environment Agency objectives cost-effectively.
Can you provide an example of a programme or project you managed that involved multiple stakeholders, teams, or external partners? How did you ensure collaboration and alignment to achieve the desired outcomes?
Competence 4: Develops People
Description
In this role you’ll need to use your technical knowledge and experience to aid the development of the Technical Officers within the team.
Describe a time when you have contributed to the development of a less experienced colleague. What were the challenges? What was the outcome?
Role specific license requirements: Full UK driving Licence – Eligibility for lease cars is made based on the role. Internal candidates ensure you check the lease car policy and consider its impact before applying.
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.
