Local recruitment: Hydrology Technical Specialist (Cumbria & Lancashire)

Environment Agency

Penrith, UK 🇬🇧

Preston, UK 🇬🇧

Warrington, UK 🇬🇧

Number of jobs available: 1
Region: North West
City/Town: Penrith , Preston , Warrington
Building/Site: Various
Grade: Staff Grade 5
Post Type: Permanent
Working Pattern: Full Time, Part Time
Role Type: Operational Delivery
Salary Minimum: £37,462

Job description

Our Area hydrologists monitor, analyse, assess, forecast and report on the water environment covering a diverse range of rivers, canals and wetlands. We work on today’s hydrological challenges, whilst making sure we are preparing and adapting to the future challenges of Climate Change.

This is a technical leadership role within the discipline of Hydrology. The role ensures the Agency adopts best practice techniques in a consistent way so that the organisation makes the very best use of the available evidence to make sound cost-efficient operational and strategic decisions. Technical Specialists are a technically authoritative point of contact for internal and external customers.

You will help the team to manage important hydrological data sets, operate and maintain hydrological models, drought analysis and flow naturalisation, support abstraction licensing, and help to improve our hydrometric network.
The role also works across multiple Areas to build consistency in approach as well as widen the access to their specialised skills and extensive experience. It also contributes at a national level to the strategic development of the hydrology service.

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

The Team provides technical expertise and advice on water resource management and regulation across the Area is it based in. This includes important issues such as no deterioration of water courses under the Water Framework Directive, Catchment Abstraction Management Strategies, the Water Industry National Environment Programme, water company water resource management plans, drought plans and restoring sustainable abstractions and determining water resources licences.

Experience/skills required

You’ll have a degree in geography or environmental sciences and ideally an MSc in a related subject to hydrology.
You’ll have a good understanding and experience of hydrology concepts, including low flow hydrology, and can demonstrate skills in data interpretation and visualisation to inform decision making and problem solving. You’ll also be a confident communicator and be able to convey information and ideas clearly.

You will be a member of the British Hydrological Society and be working towards membership of a professional body such as CIWEM.

The role requires a detailed understanding of a wide range of hydrological techniques, relevant business practices and procedures to enable delivery of an effective Water Resources Hydrology Service. An understanding of how WR Hydrology links to related disciplines is desirable, eg: high flow hydrology, fluvial ecology, geomorphology and the hydraulics of open channels or in-river structures.

Contact and additional information

You’ll be expected to travel occasionally, attend meetings with Area staff and go on site visits to understand and explain hydrological issues in the field.

You’ll develop and maintain strong links with internal and external customers involved in collaborative projects.

Your ability to work in a team will help you to make a significant contribution to developing our understanding of the Area’s hydrology.

Other relevant expertise such as people/project management is desirable.

You can also download the candidate pack for more information. For any queries, please contact eatalent@environment-agency.gov.uk

Interviews due to commence March 2023.

Job description attachment 1  

Job Profile – 25126.docx – 58KB 
Converted File Job Profile – 25126.docx.pdf – 64KB 

Job description attachment 2  

Candidate Pack – 25126.docx – 1866KB 
Converted File Candidate Pack – 25126.docx.pdf – 512KB 

Closing Date:  27/02/2023, 23:55 hours

Level of security checks required:  Basic Check

Competence 1: Scientific Knowledge
Description
Description
Applies scientific knowledge (hydrology) to provide sound, science-based evidence to our internal and external customers.

The interview will be a conversation where you have come prepared to demonstrate your experience and ability against the competencies highlighted in the application. Please use examples in your answers and link how you will use your experience in these competences within the role going forwards. You will also need to explain why you want the role. You may be asked questions through your talk.

The Environment Agency has a deserved reputation for making transparent evidence-based decisions in carrying out its duties. It is very important that a technical discipline like hydrology uses best practise scientific approaches. How do you keep your technical skills up to date and how have you used them to develop or enhance a specific scientific technique you use?

Competence 2: Takes Decisions and Solves Problems
Description
Finds and delivers optimal solutions by effectively analysing all the information, probing to develop alternatives and taking sound and timely decisions.

In this role you will be required to take decisions and solve problems as a matter of course – sometimes related to processes we use and sometimes in relation to technical data.

Tell us about how you have taken information from a variety of sources in order to solve a difficult technical problem successfully

• What was the problem?
• What information did you have to analyse and what was your approach to this?
• Where did you go for the information required?
• How did you sort and analyse the information?
• What were the main challenges and how did you overcome these?
• What was the outcome?
• What did you learn and is there anything you would do differently if in a similar position in the future?

Competence 3: Achieves Results
Description
Description: Sets and delivers high work standards, demonstrates the drive to meet targets.
Prioritises and organises tasks and resources to ensure timely achievement of results

Can you describe a time where you have worked with others on a challenging project or piece of work and explain what the challenges were?

How did you respond to the difficulties?

Who were you working with? Did everyone deliver? If not why?

What standards did you achieve?

How did you monitor progress?

Competence 4: Communicates Effectively
Description
Listens and questions to understand and engage. Conveys information and ideas clearly, accurately and persuasively through speech and writing.

How do you check the appropriateness of your communication?

Please give an example of a time when you have had to tailor your communication style to a specific individual/situation:

How did you realise this was necessary?

What was your approach?

How did you monitor the situation?

What was the outcome?

What did you learn and is there anything you would do differently if in a similar position in the future?

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.


POSITION TYPE

ORGANIZATION TYPE

EXPERIENCE-LEVEL

You ad could be here!