Geoscience Permitting Technical Specialist - 31869

Geoscience Permitting Technical Specialist - 31869
1
National
Various
Staff Grade 5
Permanent
Analytical, Engineering, Risk Management, Science
Full Time
£41,617

13/10/2025, 23:55 hours

Basic Check
We are fully committed to having an inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. To achieve this, we welcome applications from all backgrounds regardless of race, sexual orientation and religion. We also welcome applications for flexible working patterns.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and experienced geoscientist to join our Geoscience Operations Team in a National Permitting Service (NPS) Centre (Birmingham, Bristol, Nottingham, Leeds, Sheffield or Warrington).

You will join an existing core technical team and be responsible for providing technical support to the NPS and Area teams. You will work with other technical specialists in the team as well as colleagues across the organisation. The work requires individual technical working, along with internal collaboration and external facing communication of regulatory decisions. To ensure we deliver our goals, you will need to be comfortable making decisions and have a strong focus on delivering outcomes.

Permitting is the foundation of regulation, and crucial to the protection of the environment, people and wildlife, while promoting sustainable growth. This is a unique opportunity to make a real difference to people’s quality of life through minimising the long term impact to the environment.
You will join the collaborative and supportive Geoscience Operational Team. The team is part of the National Permitting Service, providing high quality technical support to NPS colleagues (for permit related work), the Environment and Business Team, and Area teams (for closed landfill review and compliance support).

The team uses its technical expertise to assess and support the landfill, deposit for recovery, and mining sectors and more recently oil and gas and nuclear sectors.
We’re seeking a hydrogeologist or geotechnical engineer, qualified to at least degree standard (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline with proven ability and/or knowledge of:

• Assessment of geological, hydrogeological, or engineering information
• Groundwater risk assessment – interpretation and modelling of groundwater risk
• Gas management and control
• Stability Risk Assessment

We’re ideally seeking individuals with regulatory experience, including a working knowledge of the permitting process and experience of landfill, deposit for recovery.

You will be a chartered member or expected to be chartered within the next 12 months, of a suitable professional body.

The non-technical requirements for this job include:
• Communication of complex technical issues
• Team working
• Establishing and maintaining a network of contacts
• Excellent communication and customer service skills,
• Influencing and negotiating
• As this is a dispersed team, self-motivation is important
• A passion for problem solving and delivering outcomes
This role offers a mix of office and home working, in line with current Environment Agency practices. As the team is based across multiple locations, occasional travel will be required for meetings and team support.

Everyone who joins the Environment Agency is expected to complete training and take part in incident response when needed. This is a vital part of our work to protect communities and the environment. More details can be found in your candidate pack.

Applications will be kept on file for six months for future vacancies.

Interviews will take place virtually via MS Teams during the week of 3 November 2025 and will be capability-based.

For more information, contact: Julian Ingram, Principal Permitting Team Leader – julian.ingram@environment-agency.gov.uk

https://environmentagencycareers.co.uk/careers/
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.