Overview
The National Operations Manager (NOM) is a newly created, high-profile leadership role within the Environment Agency (EA). They will lead our National Operations Centre (NOC) and the nationwide incident response staff as they anticipate, assess, mitigate and respond to varied and complex incidents and risks, carrying out our statutory duties under the Civil Contingency Act 2004, adhering to Cabinet Office best practice.
Responsibilities
* Command, control and communications of our multi-disciplined incident response and the effective deployment of our mobile response assets. Translate strategic and tactical priorities into clear outcome-focused objectives and provide briefings for senior leaders, including Government and partners, to fulfil our public and environmental protective duties.
* Gather intelligence and develop situational awareness to provide a deep understanding of threat, capability, strategy and political nuance. Direct investigative work, information analysis and intelligence development, and oversee the production of intelligence products, technical papers and risk assessments tailored for audiences (Executive Directors, partner organisations, Government/Ministers).
* Support the Executive Director of Operations with management of operational risk, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of technical and political issues and cross-government coordination. Be a single point of contact at high security classification levels and be suitably vetted to represent the EA at COBR meetings.
* Support the evolution of the National Operations Centre capabilities and embedding them in the business. Responsible for delivering senior Incident Management & Resilience portfolios of work as directed.
The Team
You’ll be part of a team of six NOMs, reporting to an accountable Deputy Director within the Incident Management & Resilience Directorate alongside 400 colleagues.
Our Purpose
* Plan for changing risk: Make the biggest impact by being ready for the greatest risks
* Collaborate to inspire action through partnership: People take action to reduce the impact of incidents
* Respond to the climate emergency: Deal effectively with frequent and complex incidents.
Experience/Skills Required
Essential Criteria
* Experience of incident management, leading/improving a fast-paced operational delivery service, managing competing priorities and high user expectations within resource constraints.
* Analytical skills to evaluate data from various sources and identify benefits/risks to make well-considered judgments and decisions.
* Ability to communicate and influence effectively at all levels, translating strategic and tactical priorities into clear outcome-focused objectives, and shaping team culture and expectations.
* Represent the function in internal/external forums, including meetings, committees and panels.
* Practiced in inclusive leadership, actively modelling values to drive a high-performing culture with good governance, assurance, risk management, productivity and positive people outcomes.
* Experience of delivering successful change and continuous improvement, working collaboratively with stakeholders and building strong relationships.
Desirable Criteria
* Experience operating in confidential environments and handling sensitive intelligence.
Contact and Additional Information
Flexible hours are available through blended home/office working. Travel is required with occasional overnight stays, and attendance at our Bristol office. Shift working is required, including earlies/lates/weekends/on-call.
How to Apply
Please provide the following:
* An anonymised CV containing your job history and key achievements – maximum 3 pages.
* A Personal Statement concisely explaining your motivation for applying for this role and evidence how you meet the Essential Criteria and competencies: Leads People/ Takes Decisions & Solves Problems/ Influences & Persuades Others/ Focuses on Efficiencies/ Innovation & Quality – maximum 2 pages.
We will hold a briefing call on 15/09/2025. Interviews are in person in Bristol week commencing 13/10/2025.
Role specific license requirements
* Recognised professional tactical or strategic incident management command trained, such as JESIP Multi-Agency gold incident command management (MAGIC) or equivalent
Role specific professional membership requirements
* Membership of a relevant professional institution, such as UK Resilience Academy, Emergency Planning College, CIWEM, ICE, Royal Geographical Society, etc.
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.
Seniority level
* Mid-Senior level
Employment type
* Full-time
Job function
* Management and Manufacturing
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