Job Description
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 alternative working arrangements will be available to support you with your incident role.
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.
Groundwater contributes to nearly half of public water supply across the West Midlands and is vital for maintaining the health of rivers and wetlands and essential for industrial and agricultural water supply.
We are looking for the right person to join us to be part of a team that works to deliver effective management and protection of groundwater resources.
You will use your working knowledge and judgement to make operational and regulatory decisions and provide risk‑based advice. Customers include internal teams, water companies, industry, developers and local authorities.
You will work with the Team Leader, Technical Specialists and team members to ensure effective work delivery, prioritising and innovating to improve ways of working.
Key Responsibilities
* contribute to projects relating to sustainable abstraction; ensuring delivery of groundwater improvements through water company plans;
* contribute to work to protect and monitor groundwater in the area; and provide advice on risk relating to pollution incidents
* influence planning consultations where there is potential impact on groundwater
* undertake analysis of complex hydrogeological problems
* get involved in all aspects of water resource/water quality work
* get involved in land contamination work
The Team
You’ll join our West Midlands GWCL Team. The team consists of Hydrogeologists and Contaminated Land experts working across 3 offices in the West Midlands. We provide technical expertise on groundwater quality and resource issues including no deterioration of groundwater, the Water Industry National Environment Programme and water resource management plans, internal drought plans and determining water resources licences. We monitor Contaminated Land Remediation projects and provide advice on waste, water quality and water resources permitting.
Essential Qualifications and Experience
* Degree in geoscience, hydrogeology, geochemistry, land quality or a relevant scientific subject.
* Experience or working knowledge of groundwater quality, groundwater resources and contaminated land.
* A good communicator with time management/data management/interpersonal skills, who can present verbal/written arguments to a range of audiences, and ability to simplify technical detail.
* Ability to produce and interpret data to develop evidence and solve technical issues and successfully communicate outcomes with your team.
Desirable
* Able to work well as part of a team but also independently.
* Post graduate qualification in hydrogeology is beneficial but not essential.
* Experience in hydrogeology such as site permitting, pollutions, chemistry knowledge groundwater risk assessments will be an advantage.
You’ll have a range of development opportunities and appropriate training will be provided.
Full UK driving licence.
Contact and Additional Information
Applications are “blind” assessed using your answers to the competency questions.
Interviews – within two weeks of the closing date.
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.
To find more information, please read the Candidate / Additional Information Pack or contact gemma.hayward@environment-agency.gov.uk or lisa.shepherd@environment-agency.gov.uk.
Competencies
Competence 1 – Achieves Results
In your capability-based answers please demonstrate:
* Ability to work effectively with people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures and actively encourage others to consider diversity issues in their work.
* 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: Can you describe a time where you have worked on a challenging project or piece of work? Please describe the challenges, solutions and how you monitored progress. What did you learn from this?
Competence 2 – Communicates Effectively
In your capability-based answers please demonstrate:
* Ability to work effectively with people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures and actively encourage others to consider diversity issues in their work.
* Listens and questions to understand and engage. Conveys information and ideas clearly, accurately and persuasively through speech and writing.
Question: It is important that as groundwater and contaminated land team we communicate effectively with our colleagues and customers to achieve positive environmental outcomes. Can you tell me about a time when you have had to communicate effectively with a large or important group of customers or stakeholders? What was the message and how did you approach it?
Competence 3 – Scientific Knowledge
In your capability-based answers please demonstrate:
* Ability to work effectively with people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures and actively encourage others to consider diversity issues in their work.
* Applies scientific knowledge (various disciplines, depending on team role) to provide sound, science-based evidence to our internal and external customers.
Question: Describe a time when you had to solve a hydrogeological/contaminated land or similar groundwater technical problem. What was the situation? How did you assess the technical information and what was the outcome?
Role specific license requirements
Full UK Driving Licence.
Additional Information
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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