Number of jobs available: 1
Region: National
City/Town: All
Building/Site: All
Grade: Staff Grade 5
Post Type: Permanent
Working Pattern: Full Time
Role Type: Environment & Sustainability
Salary Minimum: £37,462
Job description
It’s a fantastic time to work for the Environment Agency as we the tackle the climate and nature emergency. As part of the Operations Catchment Services (OCS) Water Resources Team, you will be at the heart of ensuring OCS and water companies have robust and resilient drought plans to safeguard water supplies are maintained and the environment protected.
You will provide technical and operational coordination on drought planning, preparation, and response for OCSWR nationally within the drought portfolio, influencing and providing advice and expertise into OCSWR and Area response to droughts, delivering training and supporting the development of water company statutory plans and regional plans.
In addition, you will:
• Shape national approaches to water resources drought planning – providing advice and technical support to across the country.
• Providing support to key incident roles helping us meet the demands of improving our incident preparedness.
• Support national operations input during drought, ensuring water companies follow their plans.
• Act as a drought specialist to deliver drought management, planning, preparedness, and response.
• Guide and advise others on technical issues, ensuring decisions are made on sound technical grounds
• Participate and lead projects to deliver learning from recent drought and planning for water company drought plans.
The team
The role will sit within the National OCS Water Resources Team, providing WR drought resilience planning alongside providing support and guidance on our statutory water resource and drought planning activity, expertise at water company and Area scale to maintain environmental performance within OCS and to the wider business. You will work closely with the WR planning teams, Area, and E&B teams to maximise our OCS water resources planning and response to drought.
Experience/skills required
Your excellent interpersonal and technical skills will be complimented by your ability to achieve results, solve problems, and communicate technical issues in a clear and concise manner to a range of audiences.
Through your experience you will be able to demonstrate the following:
• Good interpersonal skills, communication, and presentation skills.
• Self-motivated and able to work on your own initiative or as part of a dispersed team.
• Ability to influence and persuade key stakeholders such as water companies.
• Knowledge of drought requirements within statutory water resources planning.
• Excellent communication skills and experience of building relationships.
• Ability to work across OCS, E&B and Area teams for a joined up and nationally consistent approach.
• Good judgement, problem solving and decision-making skills.
• Good planning & organisational skills, with the ability to handle multiple priorities and deliver to tight timescales.
Contact and additional information
This is a permanent role. For further information contact the team leader Ian Robinson iana.robinson@environment-agency.gov.uk or drought lead Vicky Antram vicky.antram@environment-agency.gov.uk.
Interviews will be held remotely from Wednesday 22nd – Friday 31st March.
Job description attachment 1
Job Profile – 25845.pdf – 177KB
Candidate pack
Candidate Pack – 25845.docx – 1867KB
Converted File Candidate Pack – 25845.docx.pdf – 512KB
Closing Date: 12/03/2023, 23:55 hours
Level of security checks required: Basic Check
Competence 1: Achieves Results
Description
Please note we do not assess CVs. Answers to these competency questions will be used for interview selection so ensure you draw out your skills and experience in your responses.
Definition: Sets and delivers high work standards, demonstrates the drive to meet targets. Prioritises and organises tasks and resources to ensure timely achievement of results.
Question: Give an example of when you have planned and delivered a challenging piece of work to a deadline, where delivery relied on others’ input as much as your own and what you did to achieve this?
Competence 2: Communicates Effectively
Description
Please note we do not assess CVs. Answers to these competency questions will be used for interview selection so ensure you draw out your skills and experience in your responses.
Definition: Listens and questions to understand and engage. Conveys information and ideas clearly, accurately, and persuasively through speech and writing.
Question: Describe a time where you have communicated important and vital information to a technical audience to achieve a stated outcome or result?
Competence 3: Data and Information Management
Description
Please note we do not assess CVs. Answers to these competency questions will be used for interview selection so ensure you draw out your skills and experience in your responses.
Definition: Collects, analyses, interprets, records, manages, develops and shares data, material or information appropriately for a variety of purposes.
Question: Give an example of how you manage data and report it and how you keep it up to date?
Competence 4: Takes Decisions and Solves Problems
Description
Please note we do not assess CVs. Answers to these competency questions will be used for interview selection so ensure you draw out your skills and experience in your responses.
Definition: Finds and delivers optimal solutions by effectively analysing all the information, probing to develop alternatives, and taking sound and timely decisions.
Question: Describe a situation when you successfully resolved a technical issue and the steps you took to achieve 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.
