Job Description
The Environment Agency are fully committed to having an inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. 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.
Come and join our national Water Resources Sustainable Abstraction Team, where we work across the country to ensure water supplies are sustainable and well managed, now and in the future. If you enjoy working with a diverse range of people, handling, analysing, and manipulating data, you have some knowledge and understanding of water resources licensing, and want to help drive changes which will improve our habitats and ecosystems, then this is the role for you!
The role will involve working within a dispersed team to deliver different aspects of water resources work, offering you the chance to develop your knowledge, technical skills and data handling. You will have the opportunity to help deliver the following:
- Programmes to change unsustainable abstraction licences to improve the ecological status of our waterbodies.
- Environmental destination. This is our long-term ambition for water resources and mechanism for meeting our future needs, it looks across all water users with a focus on water companies.
- Evolving, maintaining, and using exciting new data platforms and programmes including Power BI.
You will receive training and support from technical specialists and be buddied up with a member of the team who will help you settle in. You will have access to a host of formal training opportunities through our training and development portal.
The team
Our national Sustainable Abstraction Team is part of the Water Resources department of Operations Catchment Services. We promote a positive, inclusive, and supportive culture where everyone feels valued.
We work with local area staff, as well as national experts and policy makers, using evidence, expertise, engagement, and innovation to enhance and support delivery.
We’re a dispersed team and predominantly use MS teams for correspondence, with occasional face to face workshops and meetings.
Experience/skills Required
Experience/skills required:
- Excellent communication skills
- Aptitude for data handling, analysis and interpretation
- Works well with others, networking and engaging with stakeholders
- Excellent organisational and interpersonal skills; a team player
- Positive can-do, enthusiastic attitude
- Ability to pick up new tasks quickly and respond positively to change
Desirable:
- Experience/knowledge of water resources abstraction licences and permitting
- Experience in analysing, interpreting and reporting environmental data
- Experience of using Microsoft Office 365
- Experience of working with data processing tools such as: Excel, Power BI, Geographic Information Systems
Contact and additional information
You’ll have an inclusive incident management objective in your development plan. We’ll help you find a role and training to suit your needs.
You’ll have an EA Office base location. The location is flexible / hybrid and can be fulfilled via remote working. Occasional travel and overnights to Environment Agency sites and external meetings will be required.
Applications close on 15th January 2025. Applications are assessed using your answers to the competency questions. Interviews will be held via MS Teams within two weeks of the closing date.
Please read the Candidate / Additional Information Pack for information. Any queries, contact tamsin.sutton@environment-agency.gov.uk.
If you consent to being held on a reserve list, we’ll hold your details for 6 months and may offer you an alternative post.
Competence 1
Data and Information Management
Description
More information on how to answer competency questions can be found in the candidate pack. If a large number of applications are received, an initial sift using this lead capability may be conducted. Successful candidates will then proceed to a full sift or directly to assessment/interview. Feedback is generally not available at sift stage
Description: Collects, analyses, interprets, records, manages, develops and shares data, material or information appropriately for a variety of purposes.
Question: In this role you will need to work across the team to help analyse data and report progress on our key objectives. Please give an example of when you have had to analyse and interpret data or evidence and present it to various audiences.
- What was the situation?
- What data or evidence did you work with and why?
- How did you ensure the quality of the data/evidence?
- How did you present it?
- What feedback did you receive?
Competence 2
Achieves Results
Description
More information on how to answer competency questions can be found in the candidate pack.
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
Question: In this role you will be responsible for delivering your work against timescales and to a high standard, working at times on your own initiative. Please give an example of a time where you used your skills and experience to effectively deliver an outcome.
- How did you set goals, track and measure the outcome?
- How did you respond to any setbacks and challenges?
- What was the outcome and what did you learn?
Competence 3
Communicates Effectively
Description
More information on how to answer competency questions can be found in the candidate pack.
Description: Listens and questions to understand and engage. Conveys information and ideas clearly, accurately, and persuasively through speech and writing.
Question: In this role you will communicate regularly and clearly with others to deliver a message or outcome. Please give an example of a time where you have used your communication skills effectively in either a work, voluntary or academic setting to convey a message, result or outcome.
- Who was the audience?
- What did you have to do?
- How did you gauge whether your approach was effective?
- What was the message, result or outcome?
- What did you learn from it?
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.
