Number of jobs available: 1
Region: South East
City/Town: Welwyn Garden City
Building/Site: Alchemy, Bessemer Road, AL7 1HE
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 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
The Environment Agency are fully committed to having an inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. We welcome flexible working patterns for all our vacancies, including job share.
Everyone starting in a new role will be welcomed into the team and given all the training and support needed. As part of your comprehensive induction, you will be provided with all the equipment required for your role.
We offer an extensive range of employee benefits and the opportunity to progress your career with us via professional training routes such as apprenticeships and degree programmes.
For questions relating to this role, please contact eatalent@environment-agency.gov.uk
Interviews are due to be held in March 2023.
Job description attachment 1
Job Profile – 25176.docx – 58KB
Converted File Job Profile – 25176.docx.pdf – 64KB Candidate pack
Candidate Pack – 25176.docx – 1867KB
Converted File Candidate Pack – 25176.docx.pdf – 513KB
Closing Date: 27/02/2023, 23:55 hours
Level of security checks required: Basic Check
Competence 1: Scientific Knowledge
Description
Applies scientific knowledge to provide sound, science-based evidence to our internal and external customers.
Please describe what you consider to be the main challenges in protecting our Chalk rivers. What are the likely environmental consequences of not managing Chalk rivers in an environmentally sustainable way.
In your answer, please highlight any relevant legislation that is available to help the Environment Agency manage and regulate water resources.
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
You use your experience and analysis to identify potential problems, effective solutions and arrive at sound decisions. You ask appropriate questions to explore the root causes of problems, and seek out the best available information before making decisions. You are comfortable confronting difficult situations head-on, especially where major decisions have to be made quickly. You are capable of synthesising multiple lines of evidence, and complex or incomplete information to make robust decisions within limited timescales.
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.
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?
- How do you check the appropriateness of your communication?
- 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.
