Engineer - Flood Risk Management

This role provides an opportunity for you to make Dorset a great place to live, work and visit. Working for us should be no exception.

We are a team dedicated to reducing flood risk from surface water, watercourse and groundwater sources of local flooding. You will be part of a knowledgeable team acting as Lead Local Flood Authority, who are passionate about using their expertise to find solutions to reduce flood risk.

We are committed to supporting your continual professional development whatever the stage of your career. The post presents an excellent opportunity to develop and expand your existing knowledge, skills and experience within a busy flood risk management environment.

We encourage hybrid and flexible working that supports a healthy work-life balance. The role envisages potential for significant home working.

What you can expect to be doing:

Our priorities include supporting delivery of sustainable flood risk development, investigating flood events, consenting / enforcement activities within watercourses and development of local flood risk management schemes.

Collaboration is essential. We are very much community focussed and have achieved good working relationships with vulnerable flood risk communities and other flood risk management authorities.

This position primarily involves responding to major planning consultations as Statutory Planning Consultee for the management of surface water. You will be undertaking the technical review of flood risk assessments, submitted in support of new development proposals and making recommendations to planning decision makers. This will involve negotiating and influencing solutions in line with policy, standards and best practice.

There will be opportunities to undertake other duties within the team depending on workload pressures. Of particular note is the exciting future proposed new role of Sustainable Drainage Systems Approving Body which is likely to be implemented in 2024. The successful candidate will be involved in helping set up this new statutory role. This will further raise the profile of the Sustainable Drainage Systems hierarchical approach for new development proposals.

About you:

You will ideally have recent experience of evaluating flood risk assessments and the design of surface water drainage systems in support of new development proposals. Consideration will also be given to applicants who have less experience, but a desire to develop in the flood risk management arena.

You will have enthusiasm and drive in working with developers, consultants, partner organisations and stakeholders in order to achieve sustainable development.

We are looking for a self-driven motivated person with a passion for supporting flood risk communities in a sustainable manner. Skills considered essential include communication, workload management and ability to assess drainage issues.

For more information or informal discussion regarding this role please contact Brian Richards 01305 225454

Dorset Council: A great place to work

We’re passionate about making Dorset a great place to live, work and visit. Working for us should be no exception.

At Dorset Council we:

• provide more than 450 services to over 300,000 residents
• have ambitious aspirations
• are excited about our future
• care about Dorset and all the people who live here
• know that all roles make a difference and that our employees are key to our success

You will:

• have access to a range of employee benefits
• be part of an organisation that supports each other to grow and succeed
• have access to range of training opportunities which will help with your personal development and career progression

We are challenging ourselves to become a more diverse and inclusive organisation. We recognise that recruitment and inclusion of individuals with diverse skills, perspectives and backgrounds will bring real strength to the council and our communities. We have a commitment to equality and welcome applications from everyone.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. We offer an interview to everyone who declares a disability and meets the essential criteria for the role.

We are keen to make our interviews accessible. Let us know on your job application if you have a disability and need any reasonable adjustments.

We also look for applicants who share our commitment to our behaviours. We will ask you to evidence when you have demonstrated them as part of the selection process.

If appointed, the personal information we collect from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. If any of these are detected, you could be refused certain services or employment. Your personal information will also be used to verify your identity. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas, and your data protection rights, can be found at https://www.cifas.org.uk/fpn.

This role is UK based and we will need to establish your Right to Work as part of the appointment process.