PSO Planning and Permitting Officer - 34880

PSO Planning and Permitting Officer - 34880
1
North West
Penrith , Preston
Staff Grade 4
Fixed Term
Operational Delivery
Full Time, Part Time/Job Share, Compressed Hours
£34,320 Pro-rata

24/05/2026, 23:55 hours

ER04 Job Family Role Profile Environment & Regulation, Grade 4

Basic Check

We are looking for an enthusiastic, driven and adaptable individual to join the Partnerships and Strategic Overview team in Cumbria & Lancashire. Your work will be conducted in a high-freedom environment that: makes staff happier; focuses on health, safety and wellbeing; embraces emergent leadership; and supports your development.

Your main role will be in the Flood Risk Planning and Permitting work stream. You will:

- Assess and provide flood risk comments for permit applications
- Provide permitting advice to customers
- Provide planning responses as a statutory consultee for flood risk management

We provide advice on Flood Risk Assessments to influence the location and design of new developments. We are passionate about our role in delivering sustainable development and safe and resilient places
We consult on Flood Risk Activity Permits to protect the environment, prevent increasing flood risk and ensure adequate land drainage

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.

You’ll join our Partnerships and Strategic Overview Team, working with Flood Risk Management partners to design, develop and deliver flood risk management solutions that enhance communities.
We compile, manage and use the best available evidence to inform our long- term plans and investment programme.

We’re a dispersed team and work with a wide range of technical and project teams across the country.

We’re part of the Flood and Coastal Risk Management directorate.

In your capability-based answers please demonstrate your:

  • ability to work effectively with people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures and actively encourage others to consider diversity issues in their work.
  • An ability to work under their own initiative and as part of a team
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Deliver work by planning, tracking, gathering and maintaining data/information
  • Good organisational skills, and an ability to use MS Office (Excel skills are desirable) and other relevant applications
  • Ability to assess and use evidence and data to inform decisions and our understanding of risk.
  • Understanding of flood risk management, including knowledge of flooding and coastal change within the planning process, basic engineering principles, and fundamental flood risk modelling is desired
  • Drivers license is not essential for the first 12 months. It will be required once working independently.

You’ll have a range of development opportunities and appropriate training will be provided.

You’ll have an inclusive incident management objective in your development plan. We’ll help you find a role. Appropriate training will be given

Attendance at monthly face to face team meetings is expected, and we've a team charter expectation of regular attendance in the office. Travel will be necessary across the area.

Part of this role is site visits which require the applicant to walk on uneven ground, in all weather conditions and near water. Training/PPE is provided.

Any queries, contact szandy.vezer@environment-agency.gov.uk

Applications are “blind” assessed using your answers to the competency questions.

Interviews held via MS Teams w/c 6th 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.

Up to 12 months
Flood Risk Assessment/ Management
The work involves flood risk technical consultations on planning applications and Flood Risk Activity Permits (FRAPs).

Please describe a piece of work or study when you had to focus on flood risk issues.

What were the challenges? What observations did you make? Did you identify any options? Explain the outcome(s).
Communicates Effectively
Working with a wide range of customers with varying levels of flood risk awareness, requires the ability to communicate effectively and appropriately.
You will be expected to communicate and engage with others effectively through speech and writing.

Please describe when you have used your communication skills effectively to convey information and ideas clearly to others;

Who was your audience?
What was the message?
What did you take into consideration to ensure the message landed well?
Works in Teams
Success in Flood Risk Management is reliant upon team and partnership working. Please describe when you have previously been a member of an effective team;

What was your role in the team?
How did you interact with others in the team to achieve a common goal?
What was your contribution to the team goal?
Focuses on Customers and Partners
Addresses the needs of internal and external customers, provides rapid and effective responses.
Understands the concept of Internal and External customers.
Ensures a consistent message, balances the needs of a range of customers, handles complaints effectively.

Please describe a time where you successfully provided excellent customer service.
Did you resolve an issue? Managed the customers’ expectation? What was the outcome?
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.