Overview

Environment & Business Senior Advisor, Air Quality - 31816

Location: Exeter, England, United Kingdom (flexible / hybrid).

Length of contract: Up to 6 months with possible extension. Some travel and overnights may be required. This is a national role within the Environment Agency’s Monitoring and Assessment team, part of Regulatory Resilience, Environment and Business.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of Environmental Assessment Levels for key atmospheric pollutants, in support of Net Zero delivery.
• Provide strategic input to bridging planning and permitting issues, including input on air quality and amenity in development plans; support EA’s approach to planning application consultations; shape our role as Air Quality Partners.
• Oversee and guide capture and use of emissions data and evidence to underpin decisions and regulate more effectively (notably the Pollution Inventory data).
• Provide mentoring and development support to junior Air Quality team members.
• Contribute to all areas of the Environment Agency Air Quality work; respond to internal and external technical queries on air quality issues.
• Undertake site visits to high-profile industrial sites to support emission reduction measures.
• Support Defra in developing new or updated air quality policy (e.g., input to the Gothenburg Protocol).

Team and Context

You will join the Air Quality team within Monitoring and Assessment. The team provides technical leadership on pollution issues for our regulated industry. The team is dispersed and collaborates with colleagues across the country. The role sits in Regulatory Resilience, in the Chief Regulator Group within Environment and Business, promoting an inclusive culture and using evidence, expertise, engagement, and innovation to enhance delivery, influence policy and legislation, and secure resources.

Experience and Skills Required

In capability-based answers, demonstrate:

• Ability to work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures, and actively encourage diversity considerations in work.

Baseline requirements (good understanding of the following):

• UK and international air quality legislation
• Air Quality standards, targets and legislation
• Regulation of industrial installations and the use of Environmental Assessment Levels in setting permit limits
• The Environment Agency’s role in the planning regime

To deliver effectively, you should be able to:

• Work with a wide range of internal and external customers
• Deliver technical information in accessible language
• Prepare, run and respond to technical consultations
• Influence outcomes through effective relationships with colleagues and customers
• Project manage to time and budget

Additional Information

We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce and welcome flexible working patterns, including job sharing. A Guaranteed Interview Policy supports applicants with disabilities. We provide an inclusive development plan; appropriate training will be given.

Applications are blind assessed based on competency questions. Interviews via MS Teams within two weeks of the closing date.

Competencies (examples of what to answer)

Competence 1: Scientific Knowledge – Apply science-based evidence of air quality and atmospheric pollutants to internal and external customers.

Competence 2: Shapes organisational approach & delivery – Translate policy into cost-effective operational activity delivering outcomes for people and the environment.

Competence 3: Legislative Knowledge – Apply statutory environmental and technical requirements to protect the Environment Agency and the environment.

Other

Environment Agency is not part of HM Civil Service. For applicants currently in local government, continuous service may apply per the Redundancy Payments arrangements. Please review the candidate pack for more details.

Job Locations and Status

• Exeter, Exeter (several listings across months are shown in the source; this refined version presents current role details only).