Biodiversity Technical Officer - 34709

Biodiversity Technical Officer - 34709
1
London, South East
Welwyn Garden City
DEFRA GRP EA ALCHEMY, AL7 1HE
Staff Grade 4
Permanent
Operational Delivery
Full Time, Part Time, Part Time/Job Share
£34,320

08/06/2026, 23:55 hours

TSS04 Technical & Scientific Services, Grade 4

Basic Check

The Biodiversity and Geomorphology team are looking for an enthusiastic Biodiversity Technical Officer to provide advice, guidance, and technical support within the Hertfordshire and North London area. The team has a vast amount of biodiversity expertise, and you’ll be offered mentoring and development opportunities. We cover a diverse range of environments including a mix of urban and rural catchments.

This is an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated individual, with proven technical and inter-personal skills, to be part of a friendly and hardworking team. You'll be responsible for covering a wide geographical area, providing high quality biodiversity technical advice.

You will provide input into a range of projects. You will help identify, design, and deliver a programme of mitigation and restoration activities in surface waters to deliver measurable environmental outcomes. Your work with operational staff will ensure we prevent or minimise ecological impacts from our own activities and those we regulate.

You will proactively engage staff throughout the EA, communicating with colleagues internally and externally to successfully build trusted networks and strong partnerships to maximise delivery.

You will support our statutory work, acting as a consultee on planning and permitting applications, providing biodiversity advice and guidance to ensure compliance.

You will keep up to date on changing legislation and best practice to inform internal priorities and direction. We will shape the job in a way that builds on your strengths and interests and reflects the developing needs of the business.

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. Full training and alternative working arrangements will be available to support you with your incident role. This may attract an additional payment.

The team plays a pivotal role in supporting the organisation to achieve biodiversity and ecological objectives. We screen and advise on internal plans and projects for potential biodiversity and geomorphology impacts, ensuring compliance with legislation. We identify opportunities to deliver multiple benefits through river basin management and flood risk management. We seek to develop and influence partnerships and organisations to help meet the objectives of the WFD and 25 Year Environment Plan.

You’ll be qualified to degree standard (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline and have the ability and knowledge to:

  • Provide guidance to ensure compliance with Environment Agency policy and current legislation.
  • Apply influencing skills and knowledge of stakeholder engagement techniques to work with both internal and external teams and partners.
  • Provide knowledge of wetland and river conservation and legislation relating to wildlife and designated sites, and an understanding of policies relating to biodiversity.
  • Achieve outcomes in line with the objectives of the Water Framework Directive.
  • Be a passionate and confident biodiversity champion, understanding it’s importance and being able to communicate this to others.
  • Be open to innovative ways of working, especially new opportunities to work with nature.

We are committed to having an inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. We promote equality and diversity in all that we do and particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (B.A.M.E.), disabled, female, and LGBT+ candidates who are under-represented across our workforce.

Significant and regular travel across the area and work in the field will be required so you must have a full UK driving licence.

Please read the Candidate / Additional Information Pack for information. Any queries, contact Elodie.blanchfield@environment-agency.gov.uk or southeastresourcing@environment-agency.gov.uk

Interviews will be held Face-to-Face at our Alchemy Office late June/ early July.

If you consent to being held on a reserve list, we’ll hold your details for 6 months and may offer you an alternative post.

Communicates Effectively
Listens and questions to understand and engage. Conveys information and ideas clearly, accurately and persuasively through speech and writing.

Question: Please provide an example of where you have had to demonstrate good communication skills to effectively convey potentially complex data, information, or instructions and ensure understanding. What was the situation, what communication methods did you use, why were these suitable, and what was the outcome?
Focuses on Customers and Partners
Addresses the needs of internal and external customers, provides rapid and effective responses.

In the Biodiversity Technical Officer role, you are often seen as the face of the Environment Agency, acting as a point of contact for stakeholders and partners. This means you might encounter questions and conversations that can be targeted, challenging, and often where opinions do not align. The role will bring you into contact with a range of people, departments and organisations both internal and external.

Question: Can you give an example of how you have dealt with a customer that had a differing viewpoint to yours, and how you managed this interaction? Focusing on how you approached the interaction, methods of communication, and the outcome.
Scientific Knowledge
Applies scientific knowledge (various disciplines, depending on team role) to provide sound, science-based evidence to our internal and external customers.

As a Biodiversity Technical Officer, you’ll need a good understanding of biodiversity fundamentals, ecology, riverine processes, and how to apply this knowledge in practice.

Question: Please tell us about your technical awareness of and interest in biodiversity and how it’s applied in river restoration. Please use examples from either your academic training, practical experience, or theoretical experience.




More information on how to answer competency questions can be found in the candidate pack.
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.