Field Operations Team Member - Asset Maintenance and Incident Response Bedford - 23575

As a Field Team Member you'll be working on the areas watercourses and flood defence assets, preventing flooding and environmental issues.

You'll be working as part of a diverse team maintaining rivers and repairing our flood defences to provide a high standard of flood protection. You will be required to work efficiently, effectively and safely to a high standard.

This is an outdoor role working in all weather conditions carrying out tasks such as grass cutting, tree works, removing blockages from watercourses and trash screens, plus various small construction projects.

You'll provide response to flood and environmental incidents inside and outside of normal working hours by participating, training and exercising. This will include deploying temporary barriers, sandbags, mobile pumps and pollution equipment.

You'll carry out regular checks and inspections on equipment, tools, personal protective equipment, vehicle and plant.

You'll communicate with customers, land owners, partners and members of the public.

All new starters will be enrolled onto the Water Environment Worker apprenticeship, which will take around 18 months to complete. On successful completion, you'll be able to register as a Technician member of Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM)

For more info on working with us see https://environmentagencycareers.co.uk/

Our Operations Field Team are based at Bedford.

We deliver maintenance programme on rivers and watercourses across the area and respond to flooding and environmental incidents both day and night.

We provide advice and support to our colleagues in Asset Performance, Hydrology, Biodiversity and Environment Management.

We also work across the country when called upon to assist other areas in flood and environmental incident response.

You must:
• Have a positive ‘can do’ attitude working and enjoy working as part of a team.
• Be well organised keeping your PPE, tools and equipment in top condition.
• Have effective communication skills to work with customers and partners.
• Have an understanding of site health and safety requirements
• Hold a driving licence
• Have the necessary practical ability and an understanding in environmental awareness
• Literacy and numeracy skills.
• Have the ability to carry out tasks and answer queries effectively.
• Be competent in using IT devices, such as iPads and willing to learn new IT skills and inhouse systems.
• Undertake specialist training when required.

Desirable:
• Some experience in asset operation or maintenance/incident response/use of equipment/tools (however full training will be given).
• You'll be trained and supported to contribute to our response to incidents inside and outside working hours;

In East Anglia we want to create a diverse workplace where people’s views 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 we grow and learn together.

It is our ambition to champion diversity through building a workforce as diverse as the communities we serve.

You'll be given a role within the Incident Response team based at the depot in Bedford. Therefore, you will be expected to live within a 30-minute commute of this location.

Working hours: 9 day fortnight averaging 37 hours per week plus regular out of hour’s standby cover.

We offer an extensive range of employee benefits.

If you have any questions please contact richard.ashby@environment-agency.gov.uk

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.

In this role you will spend much of your time working outdoors with operational equipment. We are committed to ensuring that everyone stays safe at work and encourages safe behaviour from others.

Please give us examples of your experiences from either your current role or previous roles.

It's essential that you're able to work co-operatively as part of a team to achieve common goals.

Tell us about a successful team you have been part of, your role within the team and why you think it worked so well.

In this role, changes to the working day can happen and you may need to re-prioritise your tasks.

Please give an example of a particular task or project where you had to make decisions and solve problems to ensure its delivery, what was the task/project, what problems occurred, what decisions were made and why?

Full driving licence