Freshwater Ecologist Environmental Monitoring Officer - Chalk – East Anglia - 28826
1
East of England
Brampton , Ipswich
Brampton Office, Iceni House
Staff Grade 4
Permanent
Full Time, Part Time/Job Share
Environment & Sustainability, Knowledge & Information Management, Operational Delivery, Science
£31,429
We seek an experienced Environmental Monitoring Officer (Ecology) who will be based at either our Brampton Laboratory, near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire or our Ipswich Laboratory.
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 are enhancing our efforts to restore chalk streams, and this is an exciting opportunity to contribute to an innovative national programme focused on achieving sustainable abstraction and healthy rivers across chalk catchments. Fundamental to this will be extending the monitoring and assessment of the impacts of water abstraction.
You will work as part of a virtual pan area team to undertake environmental monitoring and assessment across chalk catchments. Most monitoring sites will form part of the national Water Resources Permitting and Planning Network. It will focus on headwater sites including those which periodically dry, and river reaches experiencing elevated flows from existing groundwater support schemes. This work will boost our understanding of the ecological impacts of abstraction and provide an underlying evidence base at both local and national scale.
You will support chalk stream environmental monitoring and assessment by:
• undertaking macro-invertebrate (mixed-taxon level) identification of chalk stream samples (based at either the Brampton Laboratory, near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire or our Ipswich Laboratory)
• undertaking macrophyte and River Habitat Surveys.
• undertaking data management/analysis and interpretation across all freshwater monitoring disciplines
• liaising with other teams and external partners
• supporting investigations into impacts of environmental pollution incidents.
The posts are full-time although requests for other work patterns will be considered.
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 are enhancing our efforts to restore chalk streams, and this is an exciting opportunity to contribute to an innovative national programme focused on achieving sustainable abstraction and healthy rivers across chalk catchments. Fundamental to this will be extending the monitoring and assessment of the impacts of water abstraction.
You will work as part of a virtual pan area team to undertake environmental monitoring and assessment across chalk catchments. Most monitoring sites will form part of the national Water Resources Permitting and Planning Network. It will focus on headwater sites including those which periodically dry, and river reaches experiencing elevated flows from existing groundwater support schemes. This work will boost our understanding of the ecological impacts of abstraction and provide an underlying evidence base at both local and national scale.
You will support chalk stream environmental monitoring and assessment by:
• undertaking macro-invertebrate (mixed-taxon level) identification of chalk stream samples (based at either the Brampton Laboratory, near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire or our Ipswich Laboratory)
• undertaking macrophyte and River Habitat Surveys.
• undertaking data management/analysis and interpretation across all freshwater monitoring disciplines
• liaising with other teams and external partners
• supporting investigations into impacts of environmental pollution incidents.
The posts are full-time although requests for other work patterns will be considered.
The post will be based and managed in the Area Analysis & Reporting (A&R) teams. Each A&R team collects specialist ecological evidence and provides analysis and interpretation of this evidence to inform decisions on effective environmental outcomes.
The pan area virtual team will consist of a Senior Environmental Monitoring Officer and 3 Environmental Monitoring Officers geographically dispersed across chalk areas. This team will work closely with colleagues in national teams.
The pan area virtual team will consist of a Senior Environmental Monitoring Officer and 3 Environmental Monitoring Officers geographically dispersed across chalk areas. This team will work closely with colleagues in national teams.
It’s essential that you will be:
• an enthusiastic and self-motivated person with a genuine passion for the environment
• qualified to at least degree level (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline (e.g. ecology or environmental sciences/biology), with relevant practical experience specialised in freshwater ecology
• experienced in freshwater ecological surveys and laboratory work
• able to analyse macroinvertebrate samples to mixed taxonomic level, and / or undertake lowland river macrophyte surveys and River Habitat Surveys (accreditation desirable)
• experienced in analysing, interpreting and reporting river ecology monitoring data, specifically with respect to anthropogenic pressures
You will have good communication and influencing skills, adaptable, self-motivating and able to take decisions to manage workload to tight deadlines
The post-holder will be required to undertake fieldwork and must hold a full driving licence and be a confident swimmer.
The candidate pack and generic role profile should be read along with the advert.
• an enthusiastic and self-motivated person with a genuine passion for the environment
• qualified to at least degree level (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline (e.g. ecology or environmental sciences/biology), with relevant practical experience specialised in freshwater ecology
• experienced in freshwater ecological surveys and laboratory work
• able to analyse macroinvertebrate samples to mixed taxonomic level, and / or undertake lowland river macrophyte surveys and River Habitat Surveys (accreditation desirable)
• experienced in analysing, interpreting and reporting river ecology monitoring data, specifically with respect to anthropogenic pressures
You will have good communication and influencing skills, adaptable, self-motivating and able to take decisions to manage workload to tight deadlines
The post-holder will be required to undertake fieldwork and must hold a full driving licence and be a confident swimmer.
The candidate pack and generic role profile should be read along with the advert.
The role will be based either in our Brampton Office, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE28 4NE or our Ipswich Office, IP3 9JD with travelling to field locations for which transport will be provided.
You'll be provided with all the equipment you'll need.
We offer a fantastic benefits package including flexible working, 25 days annual leave, and an award-winning Pension Fund.
Responding to incidents is a central part of what we do. Please see the candidate pack for more on how you will support with this.
If invited to interview, these will be in person at either Brampton or Ipswich (tbc). They will consist of competency questions and you'll also need to complete a laboratory based ID assessment.
To find out more please contact Mark Ginns via mark.ginns@environment-agency.gov.uk
You'll be provided with all the equipment you'll need.
We offer a fantastic benefits package including flexible working, 25 days annual leave, and an award-winning Pension Fund.
Responding to incidents is a central part of what we do. Please see the candidate pack for more on how you will support with this.
If invited to interview, these will be in person at either Brampton or Ipswich (tbc). They will consist of competency questions and you'll also need to complete a laboratory based ID assessment.
To find out more please contact Mark Ginns via mark.ginns@environment-agency.gov.uk
22/04/2024, 23:55 hours
Basic Check
Scientific Knowledge
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.
Please detail your ecological experience and your ability to identify freshwater taxa (e.g. macro-invertebrates, plants, algae, fish), including data analysis. Additionally highlight any work you have undertaken with chalk streams.
Please detail your ecological experience and your ability to identify freshwater taxa (e.g. macro-invertebrates, plants, algae, fish), including data analysis. Additionally highlight any work you have undertaken with chalk streams.
Data and Information Management
Please provide a detailed example of a time when you have analysed a variety of freshwater ecological data to draw conclusions for a particular purpose. What was the outcome and what did you achieve?
Communicates Effectively
Please describe when you have used a variety of communication skills effectively to convey ecological information and ideas clearly to others.
Driving Licence
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.
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.
This Vacancy is closed to applications.