Flood and Coastal Risk Management Officer - 24909

3
East of England, London, South East
Welwyn Garden City
Alchemy, Bessemer Road, AL7 1HE
Staff Grade 4
Permanent
Full Time, Part Time
Environment & Sustainability, Operational Delivery, Planning, Risk Management, Geography, Project Delivery
£29,706
The post holder will be determining Flood Risk Activity Permits and working with Lead Local Flood Authorities with their Flood Risk Management capital projects. Determining Flood Risk Activity Permits is a statutory activity for us and is one of our key priorities in Flood and Coastal Risk Management. Permits are required whenever works on or near a main river are proposed, either by developers, general public or Environment Agency staff. You would coordinate an internal consultation for each permit to ensure all areas of the business are represented in the response. You would also take a lead on representing our department on consultations we receive from local authorities around planning applications. Your input will ensure all aspects of flood risk management are considered as part of our overall response to a planning application.

You would also assist with EA or Risk Management Authority (RMA) capital projects where flood reduction schemes are proposed. This would involve joining project teams and coordinating some activities such as communications and engagement with stakeholders and the community. Supporting RMA projects will require close links with our external partners and will be providing technical support to progress their projects.

Responding to incidents is a central part of what we do. You will be required to have an incident role (alongside your main 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. Your day job work will pause if your incident role is activated.
The Partnerships and Strategic Overview team have a varied remit within Flood and Coastal Risk Management (FCRM). We engage with many other organisations to deliver FCRM projects. We are a very friendly and inclusive team with a diverse set of skills and experiences. We cover the Hertfordshire and North London area which is one of the busiest and challenging operational areas in England.
It would be beneficial to have some knowledge or awareness of the Environment Agency's role in managing flood risk and experience of using GIS. It is essential to be adaptable, to be able to manage a varied workload and to prioritise effectively to meet fixed deadlines. Having excellent written and verbal English communication skills is important. A degree is not essential but this role would suit graduates with a Physical Geography, Town and Country Planning, Engineering or similar degree. A fast and proactive learner would excel in this role and it would provide an excellent opportunity to build experience to progress a career in flood risk management. We use a number of bespoke IT systems so being a fast learner and comfortable using a variety of software is also important.
Our modern, open plan office is located in Welwyn Garden City just a short walk from the town centre and station. We have adopted a hybrid working arrangement where our time is split between home and office. Annual leave entitlement upon starting is 25 days a year with up to an additional 15 days a year available using flexitime. We have a flexible approach to working patterns and you can often work around personal and social commitments by varying start and finish times.

For further information about the role, please contact lee.james@environment-agency.gov.uk

04/12/2022, 23:55 hours

Basic Check
Achieves Results
You will be able to: Set and deliver high work standards, demonstrates the drive to meet targets. Prioritises and organises tasks and resources to ensure timely achievement of results.

Please provide an example from your past experience where you have had to prioritise multiple projects, tasks or activities in order to meet deadlines or targets. Explain how and why you prioritised the activities.
Communicates Effectively
You will be able to : Listen and question to understand and engage. Also be able to convey information and ideas clearly, accurately and persuasively through speech and writing.

Please provide an example from your past experience where your communication and engagement skills were key to the successful delivery of a project, activity or task. Please focus on your personal contribution to this project or activity and the type/method of communication/engagement you used.
Uses Initiative
You will be able to: Take action before and/or beyond what is required, owning the outcome.

Please provide an example from your past experience where you have used initiative to prevent a problem from escalating or where you've taken responsibility to resolve something that wasn't necessarily your remit to do so. How and why did you do this?
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.