Customers & Engagement - Engagement Officer - 11458

1
South West
Blandford Forum , Bridgwater
Rivers House Blandford, Rivers House Bridgwater
Staff Grade 4
Permanent
Full Time
Communications / Marketing, Environment & Sustainability, Strategy
£27,572
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!
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 020 302 50156 or by email: david.humphrey@environment-agency.gov.uk

25/07/2019, 23:55 hours

Basic Check
Communicates Effectively
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.
Works in Teams
Works co-operatively as part of a team to achieve common goals.

• Identifies opportunities to work and build relationships with other team members.
• Builds relationships between own team and other teams.
• Supports the line manager in developing the team and gives constructive feedback to line manager.
• Effectively helps others to resolve conflict or tension.
• Actively involves themselves and participates in team activities
• Identifies personally with the team and speaks positively about it
• Balances personal and local team needs with those of the larger team; acts in the best interests of all wherever possible.
Engages others
Plans, carries out and evaluates effective engagement with internal and external stakeholders following the ‘Working with others’ approach

• 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
Builds and Sustains Relationships
Develops and maintains effective working relationships

• Respects different views, cultures, values, opinions and the contributions that all colleagues make
• Makes an active effort to fit in and respect company norms (the “way we do things” in the agency)
• Balances team and personal interests for a win-win outcome
• Displays tact and diplomacy and builds rapport quickly, establishing needs and adapting own approach.
• Communicates honestly, openly and effectively with colleagues and external partners alike
• Openly identifies and challenges inappropriate behaviour or performance constructively and speaks out even when the message is
unpopular.
• Handles people situations effectively; defuses anger, tension, focuses on issues and successfully addresses problems.
Full UK Driving Licence
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.

This Vacancy is closed to applications.