Water Quality Innovative Permitting Planning Specialist

Water Quality Innovative Permitting Planning Specialist

Reference: 27657

Location: National

Grade: Staff Grade 5

Post Type: Fixed Term

Working Pattern: Full Time, Part Time, Part Time Term Time, Compressed Hours

Salary Minimum: £37,462 Pro-rata

We’re looking for a water quality planner to work in the Innovative Permitting team in Operations Catchment Services. You will be part of a newly formed team of water quality technical experts who are working as a nationally dispersed team. The team is working to assess and embed innovative nature-based solutions to improve the water environment across the country. These solutions may include catchment-based approaches, wetlands, and changes to permitting.

The knowledge and advice the team provide will shape stakeholder agendas to ensure that plans are in place for a high-quality water environment now and into the future. You will be working alongside the senior water quality planner and closely with colleagues across the business and within the water industry.

You must have sound knowledge of water quality planning, including modelling and regulation, and an understanding of the water industry and the price review. You will work with colleagues across the Environment Agency, to find solutions that protect and enhance water quality.

Responding to incidents is an important part of what we do in the Environment Agency. 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 we will provide full training and workplace adjustments if necessary.

The team

Operations Catchment Services (OCS) works to secure the greatest possible outcomes across key stakeholders influencing significant investment in the water environment. The Innovative Permitting team is part of the OCS Water Quality team. As a newly established team you will help shape its work and embed it in the wider team culture. We take a one business approach, working closely with colleagues across the whole organisation.

Experience/skills required

You will assess and model new approaches to regulation in response to emerging environmental, water quality and legislative challenges. You will be flexible and ready to contribute to solving these. This requires you to be comfortable working in unfamiliar territory collaborating with policy and guidance colleagues on new approaches.

You will be mathematically competent. You are experienced in general water quality modelling using models like SAGIS, Farmscoper or RQP. You will have a particular focus on wastewater discharge permitting. You will seek opportunities to promote nature-based solutions that improve water quality and obtain other wider benefits. You also bring knowledge of the price review and regulation processes to the role. We welcome applicants with experience of SIMCAT and SAGIS modelling.

Working in a dispersed team requires you to travel for national meetings with occasional overnight stays.

Contact and additional information

We are fully committed to having an inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve.

We welcome applications from candidates seeking flexible working patterns, including part time and job share.

More details about the role are in the attached Candidate Pack, along with an outline of the how the new team will be structured.

For more information on the work of the Environment Agency and what you can expect working for us, please explore our Environment Agency Careers site.

For more information please contact either Sue Hogarth, email sue.hogarth@environment-agency.gov.uk or call 07880294274 or Nick Diggle, email: nick.diggle@environment-agency.gov.uk or call 07789773046.

Interviews will be held after 9 October 2023 via MS Teams. 

Closing date: 20 September 2023, 23:55 hours.