Customer & Engagement Officer - 26725

Effective engagement is key in helping us protect and improve our environment. Working with government, local authorities, business, specialist groups and local communities, we are committed to promoting equality and inclusion in all we do, making the environment a better place for people and wildlife.
As a Customer & Engagement officer you will be at the heart of this work and can expect to be involved in the following:

• Giving the Environment Agency a clear voice and message, protecting and enhancing our reputation.
• Consulting with communities on the environmental impacts of industry, business and infrastructure projects
• Assisting advisors on engagement plans and advising internal teams on techniques, influencing engagement where necessary and advocating for early and timely engagement
• Supporting the customer officers in delivering quality response to freedom of information requests.

This role is extremely varied and will draw upon your full range of skills and experience. There are also opportunities to get involved with incident response as a Category One Responder. We have a flexible range of roles to volunteer for with all the training you need.

Incident response remains a top priority for the Environment Agency. 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. This may attract an additional payment and full training and alternative working arrangements will be available to support you with your incident role.

The Customers&Engagement team are a busy and fast paced team that works with others to deliver excellent customer service in the East Midlands Area. We are the corner stone of the area, supporting the business by managing our relationship with communities, MPs and the general public. We manage a diverse range of requests from active and informed customers and are essential to business delivery by providing support and guidance to our area teams and ALT.

You will be able to demonstrate:
• Proven experience of communicating and engaging effectively, using a range of appropriate methods and techniques
• Building and maintaining effective relationships and networks inside and outside your organisation
• How effective engagement can contribute to behaviour change
• Success working in a fast paced and changeable environment
• Confidence with new technologies to support engagement in a changing world
• A great mix of team working and independence
• An understanding of public consultation and equalities analysis.
• Knowledge of Freedom of information and its importance to the business.

This post is a temporary post until 30 September 2024. The place of work will be Trentside offices and there is an expectation to co locate weekly.
We support flexible working, including a range of part time working options.

For any questions please contact Zoe Sutton, Customers & Engagement Team Leader on 07818584194 or by email zoe.sutton@environment-agency.gov.uk

Interviews are scheduled to take place at Trentside offices in June.

Able to adapt to changing situations and individual styles. Plans, prioritises and schedules activities taking responsibility for effective use of time and resources.

Customer & Engagement officers are often faced with competing deadlines. Please share how you manage yourself effectively.

Plans and evaluates effective engagement using appropriate facilitation techniques. Decides, or helps others decide, how much and what type of engagement is needed.

Please evidence the engagement techniques you have used and why you used them.

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

Communication is vital in any role. As a customer & engagement team we are required to communicate right across the business with all levels of the organisation. Please demonstrate your communication experience and how it would fit the role.

Addresses the needs of internal and external customers, provides rapid and effective responses.

The role involves providing Ministerial briefings at short notice. Can you tell us of a time when you have had to rapidly respond to meet the needs of both internal and external customers/stakeholders?