Engagement Officer - 8150

This is a fantastic opportunity in our Customer and Engagement Team. If you are a forward thinking person with good customer skills, high influencing capability, and the energy to challenge, develop and embrace better ways of working for the environment, then make sure you apply!

We’re looking for a dynamic, out-going, innovative and experienced person to join the team.
Our Engagement Officers play a vital role in protecting the Area's reputation and helping teams work with and influence our customers. You will support technical teams across the Area with their engagement - from helping to create high impact letters and briefings, to consulting communities on our plans. You will act as a mentor to Area teams, following our 'Working with Others' principles of engagement. You will focus on a range of issues including Regulated Industry, Flood and Coastal Risk Management, and Water, Land and Biodiversity. You will also support the Area Manager with MP, other political engagement, and locally significant correspondence to key customers.

You will be expected to have an incident role as part of the Communications & Engagement Cell, updating stakeholders during flooding and environmental incidents. This will be a formal standby rota or an incident activated basis.

Our Engagement officers provide advice to teams to help them engage with customers, communities and partners. They protect our reputation and ensure we give clear, consistent messages around sensitive and emotive issues. Our Enquiries officers use their knowledge, technical skills and work with colleagues to answer customers’ questions. Our diverse range of customers can ask about any aspect of our work so we need to know who to talk to get the information we need.

You must be an excellent communicator, able to produce high quality, plain English letters, briefings and engagement material. You must be confident talking to customers and colleagues, on the phone and face to face, and be willing to facilitate meetings and activities. You must have experience in working with and influencing colleagues, and be very organised.
Understanding of the 'Working with Others' principles would be an advantage. You must also be flexible to changing priorities and working patterns especially during incidents.

In addition, ideally the successful candidate should have all of the following:
• Strong listening and negotiating skills; showing judgement and tact when dealing with challenging situations
• Proven success of building and nurturing relationships; supporting and empowering others to deliver successful outcomes
• The ability to set and deliver high work standards and demonstrate drive

A positive attitude and enthusiasm are essential. No two days are the same!

Closing Date: 3rd June 2018 at 23:55 hours

As part of this role, there could be the occasional requirement for evening work, travel to meetings across the country, out of hours working, and sometimes over-night stays.
For additional information, please contact: David Humphrey (Team Leader) on 020 30250156 or by email: david.humphrey@environment-agency.gov.uk or Jane Lavick (Engagement Specialist Advisor) on 07917238309 or by email on: jane.lavick@environment-agency.gov.uk.

You can also download the candidate pack for more information.

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

• Is an active listener, has time for people; seeks their contribution.
• Uses full range of communication methods to ensure effective understanding.
• Considers needs of and impact on audience, anticipates reactions and uses appropriate communication method and style.
• Prepares written reports and data in clear, readable and accurate manner, using appropriate grammar, syntax and style.
• Ensures communication is two-way; responds and acts on feedback
• When presenting is easily understood and inspires attention from an audience.
• Is clear and to the point when speaking.
• Anticipates the main issues and prepares responses.

• Plans, delivers and evaluates effective stakeholder engagement for a project, issue, plan or site
• Ensures engagement with others is considered and planned at the outset
• Decides, or helps others to decide, how much and what type of engagement (provide to, receive from, or collaborate with) is needed, and who with
• Appreciates and adapts to the different needs of stakeholders, and identifies and fills gaps in information, to ensure joint understanding
• Develops relationships with stakeholders to build trust and achieve better outcomes
• Works with colleagues across the business to understand factors which may affect the way we engage, and ensures our work with stakeholders is joined up and appropriate
• Seeks, listens to and acts on feedback from stakeholders

• Gathers relevant data, marshals facts and prepares sound arguments
• Listens to other’s opinions, understanding their viewpoints, needs and concerns; responds appropriately; lobbies others in advance
• Presents a credible case and explains the benefits to the audience/listener; anticipates the main objections/arguments
• Responds to the needs and style of the listener when influencing.
• Seeks to achieve a “win-win” outcome and develop the relationship with the person(s) being influenced.
• Prepares convincing written arguments on complex issues, presenting information logically, concisely and persuasively.
• Able to modify and reformulate case, read the listener’s mood and adjust accordingly
• Plans and prepares influencing strategies for key players and opinion leaders

Full UK Driving License