Job Description
Water quality, including the regulation of major water companies, is a top priority for the Environment Agency. As an Environment Officer in the Land and Water team, you will play a crucial frontline role in protecting and enhancing the environment, helping to deliver a cleaner, healthier, and safer world for both people and wildlife.
Your work will span a wide range of environmental challenges — from regulating permitted and illegal activities to safeguarding rivers and waterways. As a regulator, you will be expected to take enforcement action where businesses or individuals fail to comply with the law, which may include preparing evidence and attending court. Incident response is also a key part of this role. You will take on an incident role and be ready to respond to environmental emergencies or support business continuity when needed. An incident role is an active way to support communities and prevent harm to the environment. Full training on incidents will be provided. Further information on incident response can be found within your candidate pack.
You will enter the role at EOA grade and follow a structured development programme to progress to EOB grade. This process is expected to take up to 18 months and is awarded upon demonstrating the required capabilities. In the initial months, some training will be residential, lasting 3 to 5 days at a time for at least 3 weeks in total. This will require travel and overnight stays to complete the training.
The team Land and Water Teams are on the frontline of impact. They walk fields, monitor abstraction, and support stakeholders meeting farming and water quality standards. They regulate discharges from all sectors, including Anglian Water, ensuring responsible water use. During pollution incidents, they lead swift coordinated responses, limiting environmental harm and restoring catchment health. Whether managing abstraction pressure during drought, improving bathing water quality, or holding polluters to account, they are safeguarding LNA’s most valuable asset: water.
Experience/skills Required
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including being tactful with customers.
* Self-motivation and the ability to prioritise workload and adapt to changeable circumstances.
* An ability to make timely and rational decisions based on relevant information and experience.
* A desire to help protect and improve the environment. A knowledge of environmental issues, especially those associated with the Water sector, would be beneficial but not essential.
* A desire and ability to learn
* Full UK drivers’ licence.
In addition to the above, the ideal candidates must have a positive attitude, be confident in engaging with staff and members of the public (over the phone and in person) and be comfortable working both on their own and within a team.
Additional Information
The successful candidate can be based at Lincoln, Kettering, Spalding or Peterborough. We support flexible working, so please include any preferences on your application. This role involves the need to travel (for inspections, incident response and to attend meetings), so a full driving licence is essential. All necessary training, equipment and support will be provided. Interviews will be held the week commencing 13/10/2025. If you have any questions, contact Laura.boath@environment-agency.gov.uk. Please note that your answers to the capability questions will be used to determine interview selection; we do not accept CVs.
Competencies
* Communicates Effectively
* Focuses on Customers and Partners
* Takes Decisions and Solves Problems
* Works in Teams
If applying from Civil Service: the Environment Agency is not part of HM Civil Service; you would not be a Crown Servant in the event of appointment and would not be eligible for continuous service. For applicants in local government or other listed bodies you may be eligible for continuous service for redundancy calculations. We are committed to diversity and inclusion and welcome flexible working, including job sharing. We also guarantee an interview to anyone with a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post. The Environment Agency is a Non-Departmental Public Body and uses Central Government frameworks for recruitment.
Seniority level: Entry level
Employment type: Full-time
Job function: Management and Manufacturing
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