Evaluation Advisor - 31801

The Environment Agency 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.

You’ll be based in the Evaluation team's regulation and enforcement arm, working on how the Environment Agency delivers regulatory and enforcement interventions to protect and improve the environment. You’ll help deliver evaluations by:

• Joining and analysing complex, often imperfect datasets

• Applying appropriate analytical methods to draw meaningful insights

• Interpreting evidence and developing practical recommendations

• Engaging with internal teams and external partners

• Communicating findings clearly through reports and presentations

You’ll be working on applied evaluation, delivering insight against existing frameworks, rather than designing theory-heavy approaches from scratch.

We’re looking for someone who is:

• Technically confident, with practical experience of data analysis

• Independent-minded, able to progress work with light-touch guidance

• Collaborative, with a willingness to check in regularly and share thinking

• Pragmatic, able to handle imperfect data, mixed methods, and real-world complexity

• Curious and interested in how evidence can drive environmental outcomes

Some knowledge of the water environment or water industry would be helpful, but not essential.

We’re a small, mixed-discipline team supporting evaluation across the Environment Agency. Our insights improve the effectiveness of regulation, incident response, climate resilience, and more.

We support each other, share knowledge openly, and take pride in producing analysis that has real-world impact.

You’ll also be expected to undertake an incident management role alongside your day job. We’ll help you find something appropriate to your skills and circumstances.

You’ll need:

• A relevant degree or equivalent experience

• Experience applying analytical skills in a professional or postgraduate setting

• Familiarity with one of the following, Excel, Power BI, R or SSPS.

• A basic understanding of evaluation principles (see Magenta Book)

• Strong written and verbal communication skills – confident presenting analysis to non-analysts

Desirable:

• Experience working with Environment Agency, government or environmental datasets

• Awareness of water industry or water policy context

• Experience communicating evidence to non-specialist audiences

Development
You’ll be supported to develop in-role, with opportunities to grow your technical, strategic and engagement skills. This is a great opportunity to apply your skills in a high-impact, delivery-focused setting.

You’ll have an EA Office base location, as a national role the working location is flexible/hybrid. As a dispersed team, we predominantly use virtual platforms to communicate.

We’re committed to having an inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve, so welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds. Part-time and job share applications also welcome.

Your answers to the capability-based questions will be used for interview selection. We recommend reading the supporting information in the advert’s candidate pack before answering.

Interviews will be conducted via MS Teams in early October 2026. Further information will be provided in advance of interviews. We’ll hold a reserve list for 6 months - you may be offered an alternative post.

For any queries, please contact Matthew.hess@environment-agency.gov.uk or Jon.greaves@environment-agency.gov.uk

If a large number of applications are received, an initial sift using this lead capability may be conducted. Successful candidates will then proceed to a full sift or directly to assessment/interview.

Our team builds Evaluations to answer stakeholder questions about “what works?”. Please tell us about a time when you have applied a science-based/analytical approach to develop sound evidence, in order to answer a stakeholder’s questions and/or inform their decision making.

- How did you approach the task?
- What did you take into consideration?
- What was the result?

Understanding and communicating technical information is essential to building system knowledge and landing Evaluation evidence with stakeholders. Please provide an example of your ability to understand and convey information and ideas clearly, accurately and persuasively through speech and writing.

- How did you approach the task?
- What did you take into consideration?
- What was the result?

Timely delivery of products is essential to ensuring Evaluation evidence is useful to stakeholders. Please tell us about a time when you have needed to set and deliver high work standards, meeting targets and ensuring timely achievement of results.