Catchment Planning Specialist - 28805

The Environment Agency are fully committed to having an inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. We don’t just talk about diversity; we seek it, embrace it and live it, for the benefit of our staff, our communities and our environment. We are looking for someone who will live and breathe this ethos, helping us achieve our goal.

Everyone starting in a new role will be welcomed into the team and given all the training and support needed. As part of your comprehensive induction, you will be provided with all the equipment required for your role.

Are you looking for an opportunity to help protect and enhance our water environment?

Do you enjoy working with environmental information and data?

We’re looking for a motivated individual with excellent communication, organisation, planning and data manipulation skills to lead on improving our catchment evidence base for the Hertfordshire and North London (HNL) area.

As the Catchment Planning Specialist, you'll use evidence and data, working closely with our technical specialists and with local interest groups, to prioritise a programme of investigation work and environmental improvements. You'll lead information delivery to senior managers and provide solutions to complex issues.

You'll secure delivery of actions by planning work in an integrated and coordinated way, providing timely, technical input to plans, reports and other communications. You'll also influence ways of working for internal delivery teams to support integrated outcomes. This will involve building and maintaining sound, influential relationships with both internal and external customers / partners.

Responding to incidents is a central part of what we do. You will be required to have an incident role or provide business continuity support during an incident. This may attract an additional payment and full training will be available to support you.

The team is made up of environment planning specialists and officers who focus on water quality and river basin planning activities. Working with area and national colleagues, we collate, analyse and share data to produce environmental evidence. This informs and drives our area priorities, maximising benefits for people and the natural environment.

HNL is an exciting area to work in – we have chalk rivers, multiple nationally significant infrastructure sites, and diverse communities to serve.

We are looking for candidates who:

-have a good understanding of current environmental issues affecting the South East
-have an interest in using environmental data and evidence to help plan and deliver multifunctional environmental benefits
-have proven communication skills including understanding, analysing and translating data and information into evidence that can be used to inform and influence decisions by technical and non-technical audiences
-are able to bring people together, inspiring collaboration and information sharing
-are able to work under their own initiative and as part of a multidisciplinary team

Experience in catchment/river basin planning, mapping software and the Water Framework Directive will be an advantage.

We support membership of an appropriate professional institute, e.g. CIWEM, and encourage ongoing learning and development.

We encourage you to refer to our "EA capability dictionary" which can be viewed by searching online using any web browser.

The roles will be based in our Welwyn Garden City office, although we currently work flexibly with a mixture of office and home working. We are fully committed to having an inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. We welcome flexible working patterns for all our vacancies - our flexible working practices support a healthy work/life balance and offer numerous choices to help accommodate the demands that various personal commitments may present. Training and learning opportunities are available for those wanting to progress their career.

Face to face interviews will be held at our office in Welwyn Garden City in May.

For further information about the role please contact Sandra Spinks (sandra.spinks@environment-agency.gov.uk) or Harriet Corbett (Harriet.Corbett@environment-agency.gov.uk)

Understand current and future environmental pressures. Describe objectives and standards to protect the future sustainable use of the environment.

Question: Explain where you’ve provided evidence to support improved environmental outcomes in a project, policy or development setting.

• Explain the situation;
• Describe the skills that you used to analyse the situation;
• What problems did you have to overcome;
• What technical or legislative knowledge did you use in this situation;
• What was the outcome.

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

Question: Give an example of when you have used data and information to support your communications.

• What were you communicating and who was your audience?
• How did you decide what to include or omit?
• What feedback did you receive from the audience/recipients?
• What did you learn from this?

Works successfully, with people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures and ensuring that work is managed so that everyone is able to deliver their best. Actively encourages others to consider diversity issues in their work.

Question: Can you give an example of where you have got the best from team members with different styles, preferences and strengths?

• What methods did you use?
• How successful were you?
• Would you do anything differently if faced with the same situation again?

Finds and delivers optimal solutions by effectively analysing all the information, probing to develop alternatives and taking sound and timely decisions.

Question: Tell us about a time when you have had to co-ordinate information from a variety of sources in order to solve a difficult technical problem.

• What was your approach to collating this information?
• How did you analyse/sort it?
• How did it assist you in solving the problem?
• How did you deliver your response?


Please note your answers to these questions will be used for interview selection - please draw out your skills and experience in your responses.

You may find it helpful to research the STAR approach (Situation, Task, Action, Result) when formulating your response.

A full UK Driving Licence is preferable.