Overview
We are seeking an Intelligence Research Officer to join the National Environmental Crime Unit NECU in a dynamic part of the business. The Environment Agency’s ambition is to be an intelligence-led organisation, so having the ability to manage intelligence professionally and in line with current guidance is essential to ensuring threat, risk and harm is appropriately assessed and managed. Environmental crime is a strategic priority, attracting high profile attention from the public, media, national and international stakeholders. This role provides an exciting opportunity to support investigations and help prioritise and drive forward interventions to remove unlawful operators from the waste regimes.
You will help deliver our response by pro-actively developing and accessing intelligence from a range of sources to inform decision making and provide actionable intelligence products for our customers. We are fully committed to having an inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. We welcome flexible working patterns for our vacancies, including job share; please clearly include any information regarding your preferred working arrangements on your application. 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.
Any future recruitment will be taken from the reserve list.
The Environment and Team
NECU supports the Environment Agency’s enforcement community which is spread across 14 geographical areas and a number of national services – tackling around 40,000 suspected and alleged offences each year. We help to protect and improve the environment by regulating industry, ensuring compliance, and eliminating illegal activities including Organised Crime Groups. You will be part of our Intelligence & Partnerships department, working with intelligence professionals, providing intelligence products and assessments to support colleagues.
Responsibilities
Responsibilities: collect and evaluate data and information from a wide variety of sources to produce or inform intelligence products; prepare and deliver research summaries; interrogate IT systems and databases; and develop information to inform decision making and provide actionable intelligence products for customers.
Experience and Skills
Experience/skills Required You’ll need to collect and evaluate data and information from a wide variety of sources to produce or inform intelligence products as well as preparing and delivering research summaries; you must have experience of interrogating IT systems and databases. An enthusiasm and curiosity for finding information is essential.
* Good communication skills with the ability to listen to others and transmit information effectively
* Ability to represent the Environment Agency professionally with a variety of partners
* Ability to use own initiative and identify when a change in approach is needed
* Skills in using standard IT packages. An ability to retrieve information effectively and accurately
* Good team working skills and a supportive approach that is inclusive to everyone you work with
* An ability to flex between tasks and juggle various administrative activities to support your colleagues and customers
Competencies
Competence 1: Achieves Results
Describe a time when you undertook work requiring you to alternate between several activities in a short space of time and how you delivered everything asked of you.
Competence 2: Data and Information Management
Describe a time when you gathered detailed information from various sources to inform a decision and how you approached it.
Competence 3: Builds and Sustains Relationships
Describe a time when you established rapport with an important customer or partner and how you developed the relationship.
Note: If applying from the Civil Service, Environment Agency is not part of HM Civil Service and you would not be a Crown Servant in the event of appointment. You may be eligible for continuous service for redundancy purposes if applicable; contact your HR team with questions.
We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce and welcome flexible working patterns for all vacancies, including job share. We also guarantee an interview to applicants with a disability whose application meets minimum criteria.
The Environment Agency, as a Non-Departmental Public Body, uses Central Government frameworks and contracts for external recruitment. We are unable to engage with the market directly through post, email or phone calls. For supplier information, visit the Crown Commercial Service guidance at gov.uk.
Location and Recruitment Details
Location is flexible with a mix of home and office working; travel to Birmingham and Sheffield offices may be required on occasion. Interviews via Microsoft Teams are expected in September 2025.
Contact and additional information: please note security vetting checks (SC and NPPV3) will be required. For an informal discussion please contact vacancy managers at the Environment Agency: pete.booth@environment-agency.gov.uk or sam.morrison@environment-agency.gov.uk
#J-18808-Ljbffr