Job Description
This is a unique opportunity to shape how England understands and manages flood risk. As Deputy Director for Flood Risk Assessment, you will provide strategic leadership and technical authority for flood and coastal erosion risk modelling and mapping across the Environment Agency.
You will set the national direction for flood risk modelling and mapping, ensuring the evidence underpinning flood risk management, spatial planning and national investment decisions is robust, consistent and trusted. In doing so, you will fulfil the newly created Head of Flood Risk Modelling and Mapping role, providing clear leadership for this critical capability across the organisation.
You will oversee the prioritisation of modelling and mapping activity across national and local operational programmes, ensuring resources are directed to where they deliver greatest value, supporting priorities such as flood defence investment, land use planning and climate resilience. Working closely with delivery teams, you will commission and assure modelling activity, improving consistency, reducing duplication and securing value for money from suppliers and technical frameworks.
You will lead the development and enhancement of national flood risk assessment capability, including oversight of major programmes that improve modelling approaches, data quality and analytical tools. This includes the continuous improvement of the Environment Agency’s world‑leading National Flood Risk Assessment.
As a Deputy Director, you will build and maintain strong relationships with key national stakeholders including government departments, developers, infrastructure providers and the insurance sector. You will also advise on organisational capability and future skills, ensuring the Environment Agency continues to develop the expertise needed to deliver high‑quality flood risk modelling and mapping.
Responding to incidents is central to our work. You will have an incident role and make yourself available to respond to incidents or provide business continuity support. This may attract an additional payment, with full training and alternative working arrangements available.
The team
The Deputy Director for Flood Risk Assessment leads and manages a department of around 40 FTEs made up of subject matter and technical experts on flood and coastal erosion modelling, mapping and risk assessment. This Deputy Director has five Grade 7 manager direct reports. The department is responsible for major programmes of work on mapping and modelling improvements.
You will report to the Director of Flood Risk Strategy and Adaptation.
Essential Criteria
* A proven track record of leading transformational change within large and complex organisations.
* Significant experience leading multidisciplinary technical teams, creating the conditions for teams to deliver strategic business outcomes.
* Exceptional communication, influencing and relationship‑building skills, with credibility to operate confidently at executive and board level.
* Demonstrable ability to engage and build strong partnerships across government and other national stakeholders.
* Extensive experience sponsoring, directing and assuring major programmes and portfolios of work, operating at senior responsible owner (SRO), or equivalent level.
* An understanding of flood risk mapping and modelling, including the strategic use of data, evidence and modelling to inform policy, investment and operational decision‑making.
Desirable Criteria
* Professional membership of a water/flood/environmental organisation.
Contact and additional information
For a discussion about the role, please contact Julie Foley, Director of Strategy and Adaptation (julie.foley@environment‑agency.gov.uk).
The location for this role is flexible but some national travel is required to meet business needs, especially to London.
Confirm travel expectations for the role: Some national travel required to meet business needs especially to London.
For further information please contact: Julie Foley.
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.
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Although the Environment Agency is a non‑departmental public body sponsored by Defra, we subscribe to and align with the candidate guidance on the use of artificial intelligence found on the Civil Service Careers website. Please review for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
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