Number of jobs available: 1
Region: South East
City/Town: Farnham , Home Working , Oxford , Reading , Wallingford
Building/Site: Kings Meadow House, Red Kite House, Osney Yard, Goldcrest House
Grade: Staff Grade 5
Post Type: Permanent
Working Pattern: Full Time
Role Type: Operational Delivery
Salary Minimum: £37,462
Job description
Are you looking for an opportunity to help protect and enhance our water environment?
Do you enjoy working with environmental information and data?
We’re looking for a motivated individual with excellent communication, planning and data manipulation skills to help identify and deliver our catchment planning activities in the Thames area.
As the Catchment Planning Specialist, you’ll use evidence and data to inform and influence integrated working and investment in environmental improvement projects. You’ll provide evidence and advice to working groups, local projects, internal teams and external customers. You’ll lead information delivery to senior managers & provide solutions to complex issues.
You’ll secure delivery of actions by planning work in an integrated & coordinated way, providing timely, technical input to plans, reports & other communications. You’ll also influence ways of working for internal delivery teams to support integrated outcomes. This will involve building & maintaining sound, influential relationships with both internal & external customers / partners.
We support membership of an appropriate professional institute, e.g. CIWEM and encourage ongoing learning and development.
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 is made up of environment planning specialists and officers who focus on water quality, water resources and river basin planning activities. Working with operational teams and national colleagues, the team collates, analyses and shares data to produce environmental evidence that informs and drives our area priorities.
Thames is an exciting area to work in – we have chalk rivers, multiple nationally significant infrastructure sites, and diverse communities to serve.
Experience/skills required
We are seeking candidates who:
• have a good understanding of current environmental issues affecting the South East
• have an interest in using environmental data and evidence to help plan and deliver multifunctional environmental benefits
• have good research/analysis skills and the ability to make proportionate, evidence-based decisions
• have proven communication, influencing and networking skills, inspiring collaboration and information sharing
• are able to coach/mentor others, improving resilience within the team
• are able to work under own initiative and as part of a multidisciplinary team
• experience in catchment/river basin planning, mapping software and the Water Framework Directive will be an advantage
The Environment Agency: 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 are looking for someone who will live and breathe this ethos, helping us achieve our goal.
Contact and additional information
The role can be based in our Wallingford, Reading, Farnham and Oxford offices, but through a flexible hybrid model that allows people the choice to work at offices or home to suit the needs of both individuals and the business.
For further information please contact Sarah Dix by email; sarah.dix@environment-agency.gov.uk
We are fully committed to having an inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. We welcome flexible working patterns for all our vacancies.
You can also download the candidate pack for more information.
Job description attachment 1
Job Profile – 25720.docx – 57KB
Converted File Job Profile – 25720.docx.pdf – 62KB Candidate pack
Candidate Pack – 25720.docx – 1867KB
Converted File Candidate Pack – 25720.docx.pdf – 513KB
Closing Date: 05/03/2023, 23:55 hours
Level of security checks required: Basic Check
Competence 1: Strategic Environment Planning
Description
PLEASE NOTE: Your answer will be used for interview selection – please draw out your skills and experience in your response.
Description: Understand current and future environmental pressures. Describe objectives and standards to protect the future sustainable use of the environment.
Explain where you’ve provided evidence to support improved environmental outcomes in a project, policy or development setting.
• Explain the situation
• Describe the skills that you used to analyse the situation
• What problems did you have to overcome
• What technical or legislative knowledge did you use in this situation
• What was the outcome.
We encourage you to refer to our “EA capability dictionary” which can be viewed by searching online using any web browser. You may find it helpful to research the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) approach when formulating your response.
Competence 2: Influences and Persuades Others
Description
PLEASE NOTE: Your answer will be used for interview selection – please draw out your skills and experience in your response.
Description: Presenting a case in a convincing and attractive way that will win people over, encouraging them to follow plans willingly; often succeeding where logic and reason alone would fail.
Describe a time when you have successfully influenced key players to deliver to agreed deadlines, in the face of considerable challenge.
· What was the situation?
· How did you influence/gain buy-in to deliver?
· What was the final outcome?
· What did you learn from this experience?
We encourage you to refer to our “EA capability dictionary” which can be viewed by searching online using any web browser. You may find it helpful to research the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) approach when formulating your response.
Competence 3: Communicates Effectively
Description
PLEASE NOTE: Your answer will be used for interview selection – please draw out your skills and experience in your response.
Description: Listens and questions to understand and engage. Conveys information and ideas clearly, accurately and persuasively through speech and writing.
Give an example of when you have used data and information to support your communications.
• What were you communicating and who was your audience?
• How did you decide what to include or omit?
• What feedback did you receive from the audience/recipients?
• What did you learn from this?
We encourage you to refer to our “EA capability dictionary” which can be viewed by searching online using any web browser. You may find it helpful to research the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) approach when formulating your response.
Competence 4: Data and Information Management
Description
PLEASE NOTE: Your answer will be used for interview selection – please draw out your skills and experience in your response.
Description: Collects, analyses, interprets, records, manages, develops and shares data, material or information appropriately for a variety of purposes.
Give an example of when you have been responsible for producing data and information for reporting purposes.
• How did you collect/compile the data/information?
• What was your role?
• What was it used for?
• How did you ensure the accuracy of the data?
• How did you share the information?
We encourage you to refer to our “EA capability dictionary” which can be viewed by searching online using any web browser. You may find it helpful to research the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) approach when formulating your response.
Competence 5: Takes Decisions and Solves Problems
Description
Description
PLEASE NOTE: Your answer will be used for interview selection – please draw out your skills and experience in your response.
Description: Finds and delivers optimal solutions by effectively analysing all the information, probing to develop alternatives and taking sound and timely decisions.
Tell us about a time when you have had to co-ordinate information from a variety of sources in order to solve a difficult technical problem.
• What was your approach to collating this information?
• How did you analyse/sort it?
• How did it assist you in solving the problem?
• How did you deliver your response?
We encourage you to refer to our “EA capability dictionary” which can be viewed by searching online using any web browser. You may find it helpful to research the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) approach when formulating your response.
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.
