Advisor - Water Quality Permitting Strategy - 31813

We are seeking an experienced advisor to join our Water Quality Permitting Strategy Team within the Environment & Business (E&B) department. This role is an opportunity to contribute to improving England’s water quality through regulation of water discharge activities.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support complex water quality permitting projects to meet legal and environmental standards.
• Develop and implement long-term strategic approaches to water regulation.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to align permitting with environmental challenges.
• Analyse water quality data to inform policy and permitting approaches.
• Drive innovation and continuous improvement in regulatory practices.
• Be flexible and creative, sometimes working in unfamiliar territory without established processes or guidance.

Team focus

• Developing permitting strategies to address complex water quality issues across industries.
• Creating and embedding evidence-based policies to improve regulatory outcomes.
• Collaborating with stakeholders to align permitting with environmental challenges.
• Streamlining processes and adopting digital tools to enhance efficiency.

Experience/skills Required

We’re looking for candidates with enthusiasm in supporting the development and delivery of programmes, initiatives, training and projects designed to improve regulation of the water industry and wider water sector.

• Technical expertise:
  • A degree (or equivalent) in environmental science, water management, or related field.
  • Strong knowledge of water quality legislation, policies and standards.
  • Experience in water quality permitting, wastewater discharge regulation or environmental permitting.

• Collaboration and communication:
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills to engage with diverse stakeholders.
  • Experience of working collaboratively and creatively to deliver innovation.
  • An ability to effectively communicate and engage people - to motivate them to act and to resolve conflicts and challenges, both internally and externally.
  • Commitment to promoting diversity and fostering an inclusive workplace.

• Project Management:
  • Proven ability to manage complex projects and deliver results within deadlines.
  • Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.

• Personal Effectiveness:
  • Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities.

Location and travel

You’ll have an EA Office base location; as a national role the working location is flexible / hybrid. Some travel and overnights may be required.

Equity, diversity and inclusion

We are committed to an inclusive workforce reflecting the communities we serve. We welcome flexible working patterns and have a Guaranteed Interview Policy to support applicants with disabilities.

Additional information

The Environment Agency is a Non-Departmental Public Body. We use central government frameworks for external recruitment. For more information, visit the Crown Commercial Service guidance. Interviews will be held via MS Teams within three weeks of the closing date. If you have questions, contact Ben Bradford (ben.bradford@environment-agency.gov.uk).