Environment & Business Senior Advisor, Air Quality - 31816

We are committed to an inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. The Environment Agency seeks a driven, proactive Senior Advisor to join the National Air Quality Team. You will lead key streams of ongoing air quality work and manage a programme of Air Quality Projects, providing advice and guidance on air quality issues internally and externally.

The role will include, but is not limited to the following responsibilities:

• Leading the development of Environmental Assessment Levels for key atmospheric pollutants in support of Net Zero delivery.
• Providing strategic input to bridging planning and permitting issues, including input on air quality and amenity issues in development plans; supporting the Environment Agency’s approach to responding to planning application consultations; and shaping our role as Air Quality Partners.
• Overseeing and guiding the capture and use of emissions data and evidence to underpin decisions and regulate more effectively, particularly the use of our Pollution Inventory data.
• Providing mentoring and development support to junior Air Quality team members.
• Contributing to all areas of the Environment Agency Air Quality work and responding to internal and external technical queries on air quality issues.
• Undertaking site visits to high-profile industrial sites to support emission reduction measures.
• Supporting Defra as required in the development of new or updated air quality policy, e.g., input to the Gothenburg Protocol.

Team context: You’ll join our Air Quality team within Monitoring and Assessment. We provide technical leadership on pollution issues for our regulated industry. The team is dispersed and works with colleagues across the country. We are part of Regulatory Resilience, in the Chief Regulator Group within Environment and Business (E&B), promoting an inclusive culture where everyone feels valued.

Experience/skills required (capability-based): demonstrate your ability to work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures and actively encourage consideration of diversity in work.

Minimum qualifications and knowledge

• 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
• Environment Agency’s role in the planning regime

Delivery capabilities

• Ability to work with a wide range of internal and external customers
• Ability to deliver technical information in accessible language
• Ability to prepare, run and respond to technical consultations
• Ability to influence outcomes through effective relationships
• Project management to time and budget

Development opportunities: A full range of development and training opportunities will be provided. The role is flexible/hybrid with an EA Office base location; some travel and overnights may be required.

For further information, contact lucia.susani@environment-agency.gov.uk. Applications are blind assessed based on competency questions. Interviews via MS Teams within two weeks of the closing date. Contract length: up to 6 months with possible extension.