Senior Environmental Crime Officer (Water Industry) - 33149

Senior Environmental Crime Officer (Water Industry) - 33149
1
South East
Canterbury , Chichester , Romsey , Rye , Tonbridge , Worthing
Staff Grade 5
Permanent
Operational Delivery
Full Time, Part Time/Job Share
£43,198

08/02/2026, 23:55 hours

ER05 Job Family Role Profile Environment & Regulation, Grade 5

Basic Check

Are you ready to take on a role that makes a difference? Join the Environment Agency’s water industry regulation teams and help lead the fight against growing and increasingly complex environmental crime.

We continue to change the way we regulate water companies. Whilst we recognise their crucial role in managing the water cycle - collecting, treating and returning water to the environment - it’s essential they do so without causing environmental harm.



As a Senior Environmental Crime Officer, you’ll play a vital role in tackling serious non-compliance within the water industry. Your responsibilities will include: 

  • Taking the lead on complex investigations, targeting illegal activities and using your knowledge of the water industry to ensure investigations are focused, conducted to the required standard and delivered at pace.  
  • Gathering intelligence, disrupting offenders and using a full range of enforcement tools to bring activities into compliance, or stop them altogether. 
  • Constructing and supporting robust case files, often working in partnership with legal teams and other enforcement bodies. 
  • You’ll also focus on crime prevention, drawing on your expertise of the industry to identify patterns, anticipate risks and disrupt criminal operations before they escalate. 
  • You’ll work closely with internal regulatory teams, national enforcement and intelligence colleagues and a range of external partners including the police and local authorities. Your leadership within the team will help improve performance, support continuous improvement and encourage the sharing of best practice. 
  • Acting as an advisor to your Team Leader, helping to manage and allocate resources to ensure an efficient and effective approach to your wider team’s work. 

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.

The water industry enforcement team is dedicated to addressing serious and complex performance issues. Based in our Southern Water enforcement team, you will work closely with water companies to achieve these aims.

You will be mainly office based, with occasional travel to support investigations and enforcement across your hub. You will have a designated office base, but flexibility is essential to meet changing priorities and support teams in other locations as required.

We’re looking for an experienced individual with a background in environmental crime enforcement and investigation.

  • Experience in conducting multiple investigations and preparing high-quality case files for serious offences. 
  • An understanding of the water industry, including our regulatory powers and how they can be applied effectively. 
  • Strong knowledge of relevant legislation, including the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act, Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act and water management law. 
  • Experience working within an intelligence-led environment, with the ability to use intelligence to inform and shape enforcement activity. 
  • A proactive and creative approach to disrupting offenders and applying sustained pressure to bring about compliance. 
  • Strong partnership working skills, with experience collaborating with legal professionals, internal teams and external enforcement bodies. 
  • The ability to lead by example - inspiring and motivating others through personal accountability and enthusiasm.
  • Strong organisational skills, with the ability to make best use of available resources.
  • A full UK driving licence.

We’d love to inspire you to apply! If you have any questions, please contact us at regulationresourcing@environment-agency.gov.uk.

Interviews are expected to take place w/c 19th January 2026 via MS Teams.

You will be required to take on an incident role to help us respond effectively to incidents or support business continuity. These roles may attract additional pay, with full training and flexible working arrangements provided. We offer a range of incident roles and will work with you to find the best fit.

A reserve list will be maintained, and you may be offered similar roles in different locations that align closely with this position.

Achieves Results
Please tell us about a challenging goal or piece of work that you have completed.
What steps did you take to achieve it?
Illegal Activity Detection and Enforcement
Please describe a time you took the lead on a complex criminal investigation.
How did you coordinate efforts and make decisions to deliver a successful outcome?
Takes Decisions and Solves Problems
Please provide an example of a time you led a task which involved having to make difficult decisions and/or find alternative solutions to overcome unforeseen problems.
Delivers Results Through Others
Please give an example of a time you influenced partners, internal or external, to deliver an outcome that benefited a team or group of people.
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.

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.