Biodiversity Technical Officer - 25355

1
London, South East
Welwyn Garden City
Alchemy, Bessemer Road, AL7 1HE
Staff Grade 4
Permanent
Full Time
Operational Delivery
£29,706
The Biodiversity and Geomorphology team are looking for an enthusiastic Biodiversity Officer to provide advice, guidance, and technical support within the Hertfordshire and North London area.

This is an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated individual, with proven technical and inter-personal skills to be part of a friendly but hardworking team. You'll be responsible for covering a wide geographical area providing high quality technical advice relating to biodiversity to a variety of internal and external customers. Adopting a risk-based approach, your work will play a key role in ensuring the conservation of the water environment and water-dependent wildlife, and the delivery of actions to achieve healthier and sustainable systems that are resilient to climate change and achieve objectives set by legislation (e.g. the Water Framework Directive) and policy (e.g. 25 Year Environment Plan).

You will provide input into projects ranging from river restoration to flood risk management.
You will help identify and deliver a programme of mitigation and restoration activities in surface waters to deliver measurable environmental outcomes. Your work with operational staff will ensure we prevent or minimise ecological impacts from our own activities and those we regulate.

You will proactively engage staff across the business, communicating with colleagues internally and externally, to successfully build trusted networks and strong partnerships to maximise delivery.

Responding to incidents is a central part of what we do. 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 team plays a pivotal role in supporting the organisation to achieve biodiversity and ecological objectives. We screen and advise on internal plans and projects for biodiversity and geomorphology impacts to ensure compliance with legislation. We identify and influence opportunities to deliver multiple benefits through river basin management and flood risk management. We seek to develop and influence partnerships and organisations to help meet the objectives of the WFD and 25 Year Environment Plan.
You’ll be qualified to degree standard (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline and have the ability and knowledge to:

• Provide guidance in order to ensure compliance with Environment Agency policy and current legislation.
• Apply influencing skills and knowledge of stakeholder expectations to deal with other teams effectively as well as those we work with outside the organisation.
• Provide knowledge of wetland and river conservation and legislation relating to wildlife and designated sites, and an understanding of policies relating to biodiversity.
• Achieve outcomes in line with the objectives of the Water Framework Directive.
For further information please contact Ben Radbone benjamin.radbone@environment-agency.gov.uk

This role will require the applicant to have a full UK driving licence.

29/01/2023, 23:55 hours

Basic Check
Influences and Persuades Others
Please provide an example of where you have had to influence or persuade others in order to achieve an outcome? What was the situation and what methods did you employ in order to win people over?
Takes Decisions and Solves Problems
Please provide an example of where you have had to make difficult decisions or solve a problem in order to achieve a result. What was the problem and how did you approach this in order to overcome it?
Manages Self
Please provide an example of a situation in which it was important that you were well organised in order to achieve a successful outcome. What was the situation and what methods, tools or systems did you employ to manage yourself.
Full driving licence is required
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.