Flood Risk Officer
Starting Salary: £31,537 progressing to £34,434 per annum (pro rata for part time)
Contract Type: Permanent – Full Time
About the team
This is an exciting opportunity to begin a career in flood risk and sustainable water management. You will be joining a dedicated and growing Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA), working to ensure flood risk is managed throughout Hertfordshire.
The LLFA supports Local Planning Authorities in Hertfordshire through the provision of timely, high-quality advice on planning proposals as a statutory consultee. As Flood Risk Officer you will provide expert consultation advice on the flood risk, engineering and sustainable drainage aspects of planning applications, fulfilling the Council’s statutory responsibilities as set out in the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, notably in its role as a statutory consultee in the planning system and responsible authority for ordinary watercourses.
The team is part of the wider Landscape, Ecology, Archaeology, Design and Sustainability (LEADS) multidisciplinary environmental service. We help protect communities from flooding, support sustainable development, and contribute to the county’s climate and Net Zero ambitions.
We work across Hertfordshire, advising Local Planning Authorities, developers, residents and landowners to ensure new development is sustainable and does not increase flood risk.
About the role
As Flood Risk Officer in the SuDS and Watercourses Team, you will contribute to reducing flood risk within Hertfordshire and the Council meeting its statutory responsibilities under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, primarily in its role as a statutory consultee in the planning system. This focuses on the provision of statutory consultation advice to Local Planning Authorities.
You will also actively input into flood risk management within the county through the regulation, inspection and enforcement of over 1200km of ordinary watercourses under the Land Drainage Act 1991, including regular site visits and liaising with stakeholders such as residents, landowners and elected members.
The main areas of responsibility are
- To provide high quality, timely, professional flood risk advice to Local Planning Authorities and developers in response to planning consultations, planning proposals, pre-application requests and other relevant building or land use and land management change. Advice and information must conform to relevant local and national legislation, professional standards and guidance
- To ensure proposals with a high flood risk/drainage impact and/or which have a high social or political impact are identified and prioritised
- To support colleagues in the flood risk discipline and in Local Planning Authorities to To maintain and strengthen existing working relationships with Local Planning Authorities and assist in raising the prominence of sustainable drainage in the Hertfordshire placemaking and design agenda
- To input into monitoring reports prepared for local authorities and external bodies and ensure that all relevant casework information is recorded to the required standard
- To undertake consenting and regulatory responsibilities for ordinary watercourses under powers granted by the Land Drainage Act 1991
- To assist with operational tasks such as managing inboxes, databases and GIS processing
- To assist in the development of the LEADS service and to highlight opportunities to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the advice provided
About you
Essential
- Recognised degree level qualification (or equivalent) in a related discipline (Engineering, Flood Risk Management, Geography, Geology, Environmental Science) or have appropriate work experience in a relevant discipline
- An understanding of the sources of flooding and flood risk processes; the role of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) in managing water quantity and quality; and methods for mitigating flood risk
- A basic understanding of relevant national policy and legislation covering flood risk/sustainable drainage and spatial planning
- The ability to communicate well with a variety of audiences verbally and in writing e.g. formal reports, formal letters, articles for social media and websites as well as being willing to give formal presentations and informal talks. You will be able to share your passion for flood risk and sustainable drainage in an engaging way with a variety of audiences
- Sound time management skills and the ability to work within set timeframes. You will be able to work under pressure whilst managing and prioritising your own workload
- Ability and willingness to work independently and as part of a team, you will be able to work as part of teams from multiple organisations focused on projects as well as colleagues from your own discipline and the wider LEADS and Flood Risk Management teams
- Personal enthusiasm and drive to help raise understanding of the benefits and importance of the sustainable drainage and flood risk management and see them reflected in today’s placemaking and planning
- You will be able to tackle problems in a methodical manner using your own initiative but also able to work positively within a team to carry out tasks and implement change, both within HCC and with external partnership bodies
- You will understand and be committed to demonstrating HCC’s values
- The ability to travel to and undertake site visits
Desirable
- Experience of working in a similar role/within the flood risk discipline
- Post-graduate degree or qualification
- Understanding of local government processes
- Membership with a relevant industry body, such as CIWEM or Institute of Civil Engineers
- An understanding of the roles of other environmental stakeholders (e.g. the Environment Agency, Water and Sewerage Companies)
- Working knowledge in the use of GIS and database packages
To hear more about this opportunity please contact David Uncle on 01992 555839 for an informal discussion about the role.
Closing date: 1 April 2026.
