Estuarine and Coastal Project Manager - 28835

Do you want to work for an organisation that values difference and includes everyone? Do you want to play a role in helping to ensure the estuarine and coastal environment is protected, restored and resilient?

Then the Environment Agency is the organisation for you!

We 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.

We require two Project Managers, on a fix term until 31 March 2025, to support our work under Defra’s ambitious Marine Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (mNCEA) Programme. The Programme aims to better assess England’s natural capital and transform environmental decision making. We want to integrate natural capital assessments across our estuarine and coastal project work, enabling a catchment to coast approach.

You’ll need project and contract management experience, or the relevant transferable skills. Technical knowledge of the estuarine and coastal environment and natural capital approach would be beneficial, but not essential. You will need to establish effective relationships with our technical specialists, NCEA change management team, suppliers, and our external partners including academia, Defra and other government bodies. Your role will also include coordinating communications, to promote our work, and ensuring project assurance.

We use smart tools to stay connected and reduce travel, but some travel and overnight stays may be required. We promote a positive, inclusive, and supportive culture where everyone feels valued.

Everyone that joins us is required to take up a secondary role in incident management. This may require undertaking relevant training. Having an incident role is an active way to support communities and prevent harm to the environment. Further information on incident response can be found within your candidate pack.

You’ll join our Estuaries and Coasts Planning Team in our Environment and Business (E&B) Directorate. We provide leadership on the protection and restoration of our estuaries and coasts. We’re a dispersed team, working with others across the country.

In E&B we use evidence, expertise, and innovation to enhance and support delivery, influence policy, legislation, and secure resources. We steer the direction, set the priorities, and shape our approach to deliver environmental outcomes and improve regulation.

In your capability-based answers please demonstrate your:

• experience of project, finance, and contract management
• ability to manage multiple priorities, and to deliver through others to time, budget and quality
• ability to deliver on technically challenging projects through coordination of technical experts
• excellent communication skills, and ability to clearly present technical information
• strong interpersonal skills in managing collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• ability to work effectively with people from a variety of backgrounds, and actively encourage others to consider diversity issues
• experience in change management, project proposal and business case development, and benefits realisation (desirable but not essential)
• technical understanding of estuarine and coastal environment and the natural capital approach (desirable but not essential)

You need to be educated to degree level or have relevant professional experience. You’ll have a range of development opportunities and training will be provided as required.

We’re committed to having an inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve, so we encourage applications from people with diverse backgrounds.

For more information about working for us and how to apply please read the Candidate Pack and Additional Information Pack.

The role will be desk-based with occasional face to face meetings. If you have any queries or want to discuss the role or working arrangements, please contact nina.reader@environment-agency.gov.uk.

Applications will be “blind” assessed using your answers to the competency questions so use these to demonstrate your skills and experience.

Interviews will be held using MS Teams during May 2024.

If you consent to be recruited onto a reserve list, we’ll hold your details for 6 months and may offer you an alternative post.

Please use a contract management example for at least one of the competency responses.

Tell us about a project or programme of work that you managed involving delivery through others. What systems, processes and tools do you use to help you plan and deliver the project or programme successfully?

Please use a contract management example for at least one of the competency responses.

Giving a specific example, please describe how you have delivered a project or piece of work in the face of considerable challenges or obstacles.

Please use a contract management example for at least one of the competency responses.

How do you ensure the projects you are involved in are delivered on time, within budget, and to the necessary standards and benefits? Give an example of when you have had to do this.

Please use a contract management example for at least one of the competency responses.

Describe a situation where you have balanced the needs of a variety of stakeholders to reach a successful outcome on one of your projects. How did you manage the relationships throughout?