Hydrogeologist Officer (Groundwater and Contaminated Land) - 31672

Hydrogeologist Officer (Groundwater and Contaminated Land) - 31672
2
South East
West Malling
DEFRA GRP EA ORCHARD HOUSE, ME19 5SH
Staff Grade 4
Permanent
Environment & Sustainability, Operational Delivery
Full Time, Part Time, Part Time Term Time, Compressed Hours
£33,000

15/09/2025, 23:55 hours

Basic Check
The EA’s Kent, South London and East Sussex Groundwater and Contaminated Land team are looking for a qualified and experienced Hydrogeologist Officer to join their lively and dedicated team.

Do you want to work for an organisation that values difference and includes everyone? The EA is committed to having an inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve, so we welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds.

Kent has a great variety of geological and groundwater interests and pressures. Groundwater is vital for maintaining the health of rivers, wetlands and is essential for industrial and agricultural sectors. Groundwater also serves over 70% of Kent’s private water supply for over 5 Water Companies in the area. The Groundwater and Contaminated Land team support the appropriate regulation and management of this precious resource in a variety of ways including, but not limited to:

• Responding to planning consultations from local authorities.
• Providing technical advice to customers on sites affected by land contamination.
• Working with our National Permitting Service to determine Environmental Permits and consents.
• Providing groundwater quality specific advice to various internal and external customers and stakeholders, especially other teams within the area
• Supporting the team’s technical specialists in progressing groundwater quality projects.
By doing the above, you will play a critical role in safeguarding the quality of our groundwater and ensuring that improvements are achieved.

Office location is ideally Addington. Other Kent offices including Tonbridge and Canterbury are also considered. We offer hybrid working with a mix of office and home working where appropriate.

To be eligible, you must:

Have the right to work in the UK,
Provide a verifiable employment history,
Have a valid UK driver’s licence.

Please note this role does NOT qualify for skilled worker sponsorship. You can seek expert, professional advice at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-immigration.
Covering the whole of Kent, South London and East Sussex (KSLES, the team is dispersed across our offices in KSLES. We work with a variety of other teams across the Environment Agency, external customers and partners through written communication, in person, virtual meetings, and site visits.

The team has a very supportive culture despite being dispersed. We prioritise the personal and professional development of team members, including supporting membership to two relevant professional bodies.
You will hold a degree in fields such as Hydrogeology, Geological Science, Earth Science and/or have relevant work experience. You will be able to demonstrate experience and/or awareness of:

• Groundwater quality and land contamination issues.
• The ability to solve problems and make risk-based decisions based on complex or incomplete information.
• Understanding of key environmental legislation and guidance.
• Understanding of the planning regime, including the role of local authorities, the Environment Agency, and other relevant regulatory bodies.
• The ability to use technical knowledge to present a clear and reasoned justification for decisions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills including the ability to communicate with a variety of customers.
• The ability to work as part of a team to achieve common goals.
• IT and data handling skills.

Membership of a relevant professional body, or chartered status, is desirable.
Interviews will take place face to face at our West Malling Office consisting of a technical assessment exercise and a capability interview. The technical assessment exercise will need to be passed before proceeding to the capability interview. Interview dates to be confirmed.

For further details please contact Rebecca Buhrmann at Rebecca.buhrmann@environment-agency.gov.uk.

Responding to incidents is a central part of what we do. You will be required to have an incident role, making yourself available to respond to incidents/provide business continuity support during incidents.

You will be required to travel within Kent and South London on a regular basis, including a minimum of 1 day a week for in office team meetings. Travel to other EA locations will be required on occasion for meetings and training.
Data and Information Management
The Environment Agency, at this time, does not prohibit the use of AI when completing applications when used as a form of technological assistance. This is deemed to be equivalent to pre-existing spelling and grammar checkers. Uses of AI must however be applied by candidates without providing false information or misrepresenting work history, experiences, skills or competency answers.

Feedback is generally not available at sift stage.

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 responses. We encourage you to refer to the candidate pack for a link to our "EA capability dictionary."

Please provide an example of a time you have demonstrated the competency in the question set out below (the answer you provide will be assessed as part of your application):

Application question: Please tell us about a time when you have had to manage information to support the work of others. How did you ensure the correctness of this information whilst meeting organisational and/or legislative requirements?
Manages Self
The Environment Agency, at this time, does not prohibit the use of AI when completing applications when used as a form of technological assistance. This is deemed to be equivalent to pre-existing spelling and grammar checkers. Uses of AI must however be applied by candidates without providing false information or misrepresenting work history, experiences, skills or competency answers.

Feedback is generally not available at sift stage.

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 responses. We encourage you to refer to the candidate pack for a link to our "EA capability dictionary."

Please provide an example of a time you have demonstrated the competency in the question set out below (the answer you provide will be assessed as part of your application):

Application question: Please describe a time when you have had to manage multiple workstreams, with competing deadlines and priorities. What were the challenges you faced and how did you overcome these.
Managing the Environment Agency’s Interaction in the Land Use Planning Process
The Environment Agency, at this time, does not prohibit the use of AI when completing applications when used as a form of technological assistance. This is deemed to be equivalent to pre-existing spelling and grammar checkers. Uses of AI must however be applied by candidates without providing false information or misrepresenting work history, experiences, skills or competency answers.

Feedback is generally not available at sift stage.

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 responses. We encourage you to refer to the candidate pack for a link to our "EA capability dictionary."

Please provide an example of a time you have demonstrated the competency in the question set out below (the answer you provide will be assessed as part of your application):

Application question: Using at least one example describe how you have used, or would expect to use, your knowledge and experience to assess an application for permission to discharge wastewater.
Scientific Knowledge
The Environment Agency, at this time, does not prohibit the use of AI when completing applications when used as a form of technological assistance. This is deemed to be equivalent to pre-existing spelling and grammar checkers. Uses of AI must however be applied by candidates without providing false information or misrepresenting work history, experiences, skills or competency answers.

Feedback is generally not available at sift stage.

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 responses. We encourage you to refer to the candidate pack for a link to our "EA capability dictionary."

Please provide an example of a time you have demonstrated the competency in the question set out below (the answer you provide will be assessed as part of your application):

Application question: Please can you identify and give examples of the skills you possess that you think are most relevant to the role of a hydrogeologist?

Please use this capability to show the breadth of your technical skills that you’ve not had the opportunity to include in the previous capability answers.
Full UK 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.

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Although the Environment Agency is a non-departmental public body sponsored by Defra, we subscribe to and align with the candidate guidance on the use of artificial intelligence found on the  Civil Service Careers website. Please review for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

This Vacancy is closed to applications.