Environment Monitoring Officer II - 23476

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an analysis and reporting (marine) officer. Working towards improving transitional and coastal water quality and marine ecology for people and wildlife, support and deliver marine monitoring programmes by leading on surveys and monitoring activity including, when necessary, incident response.

Provide good quality data and information for reporting on various directives and local monitoring with the aim of protecting estuarine and coastal waters, Bathing Waters, Water framework Directive, including shellfish protected areas.
Work with specialists and other team members and stakeholders to support monitoring, analysis and reporting.
Contributing across the range of team’s activities and effective team working with an appropriate degree and ideally marine experience in water quality, ecology, or environmental investigations. You will plan and support delivery of monitoring and investigations, inter-tidal vegetation surveys, chemical and biological sampling of water and sediments.

Data acquisition and interpretation will be a significant part of the job, so experience of a wide range of software tools, including Geographic Information System (GIS) is preferred, as is a good level of written and verbal communication skills to deliver marine evidence and data.

The Analysis and Reporting (Marine) team provide a vital service, collecting, analysing, and interpreting biological and water quality data, using evidence to support our responsibilities and ambition to create a better place. Working with colleagues in Kent and South London, we investigate and provide technical assistance for Bathing Waters and Water Framework Directive (including Shellfish) protected areas. We also deliver a dynamic summer survey programme assessing saltmarsh, seagrass and macroalgae across the Southeast of England.

• Understand marine water quality and ecology processes.
• Strong planning skills and awareness of marine environments (tides/currents).
• Proficient in MS Office with experience of Arc Geographic Information System (ArcGIS)
• Excellent communication skills and ability to influence internal and external customers.
• Able to anticipate problems throughout investigations and survey delivery.
• Ability to provide quality and timely technical information.
• Able to build an evidence base to support recommendations and decisions.
• Ability to prioritise work and meet conflicting demands.
• Confident to take decisions with information available.
• Degree/experience in relevant subject (water quality, ecology etc).

There will be some survey work on Intertidal environments including mudflats, sandflats, seagrass beds and lower saltmarsh and creeks. Due to the unpredictable nature of these elements and the fact that they are sometimes remotely located you will need to be sure-footed and able to walk reasonable distances.

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.
We support flexible working hours and practices.
We also encourage you to keep developing your skills and professional knowledge throughout your career.

The Environment Agency is a Category 1 Responder, responding to serious flood and pollution incidents, protecting the environment, lives, and livelihoods of the communities that we serve. Everyone has a role to play and we’ll help you to identify an incident role that fits with your skills, experience and personal circumstances.

If you'd like more information please get in touch with chris.maclaurin@environment-agency.gov.uk

Interviews will be held remotely by video conference date to be confirmed.

Collecting, analysing and interpreting data is an integral part of the role, for instance detecting trends in data. You will be responsible for drafting reports which will use your data as evidence, being able to use, manage and communicate this information is important.

To what extent have you been involved with collecting, analysing and interpreting data sets?

• How have you presented this to colleagues, peers / stakeholders?
• Did you use what you have learnt to inform / influence?

The role requires combining and analysing information from data and/or reports and making effective decisions based on good scientific basis. Prioritising and making timely decisions are a necessity.

Give an example of how you have used analysis to identify potential problems?

• How did you find the root cause of any problems and effect a solution?
• What decision/s did you have to make?

The team already have utilised innovative technology designed for electronic data capture for ecology surveys, this technology and technique will need to continue to develop, so having strong IT skills as well as spatial data analysis skills, Arc Geographic Information System (ArcGIS) would also be advantageous.

Describe a time when you have delivered an efficiency or improvement to an established way working?

• How have you improved a process or way of working?
• What challenges did you face? How did you overcome these?
• How did you present and embed your improvements?
• What would you do differently in future?

In this role you will be required to actively listen and question others to understand and engage. You will need to show that you are able to convey information and ideas clearly, accurately, and persuasively through speech and writing.

What challenges have you had in conveying technical information to a non-technical audience? What was the situation?

• What did you have to explain?
• How did you ensure you were understood?
• What methods did you use to communicate?
• What problems did you identify and how did you address them?
• What was the outcome?

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