Overview

We are seeking an Intelligence Research Officer to join the National Environmental Crime Unit NECU in a dynamic part of the business. The Environment Agency’s ambition is to be an intelligence-led organisation and this role involves managing intelligence professionally to ensure threat, risk and harm are appropriately assessed and managed. Environmental crime is a strategic priority, attracting high profile attention from the public, media, national and international stakeholders. This role provides an opportunity to support investigations and help prioritise and drive forward interventions to remove unlawful operators from the waste regimes.

You will help deliver our response by pro-actively developing and accessing intelligence from a range of sources to inform decision making and provide actionable intelligence products for our customers. We welcome flexible working patterns including job share; please include any information regarding preferred working arrangements on your application.

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 full training, with alternative working arrangements available to support you with your incident role.

Location is flexible with a mixture of home and office working; travel to our Birmingham and Sheffield offices may be required on occasions. Interviews will be conducted via Microsoft Teams and are expected to be in September 2025.

Team and purpose

NECU supports the Environment Agency’s enforcement community across 14 geographical areas and national services, tackling around 40,000 suspected and alleged offences each year. You will be part of our Intelligence & Partnerships department, working with intelligence professionals and providing intelligence products and assessments to support colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Proactively develop and access intelligence from a range of sources to inform decision making and provide actionable intelligence products for customers.

• Collect and evaluate data and information from a wide variety of sources to produce or inform intelligence products; prepare and deliver research summaries; interrogate IT systems and databases.

• Respond to incidents as required; support business continuity during incidents; participate in incident roles as needed (may attract additional payment and training).

Experience/skills Required

You’ll need to collect and evaluate data and information from a wide variety of sources to produce or inform intelligence products, as well as preparing and delivering research summaries. You must have experience of interrogating IT systems and databases. An enthusiasm and curiosity for finding information is essential.

• Good communication skills with the ability to listen to others and transmit information effectively
• Ability to represent the Environment Agency professionally with a variety of partners
• Ability to use own initiative and identify when a change in approach is needed
• Skills in using standard IT packages; ability to retrieve information effectively and accurately
• Good team working skills and an inclusive approach
• Ability to flex between tasks and juggle various administrative activities to support colleagues and customers

Other information

Note that security vetting checks (SC and NPPV3) will be required. We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce and welcome applications from under-represented groups. We offer flexible working patterns and a guaranteed interview policy to support those with a disability. For Civil Service status notes, see guidance in the original posting. We are unable to engage with the market directly via post, email or phone calls for recruitment purposes.

For an informal discussion please contact vacancy managers at the Environment Agency: pete.booth@environment-agency.gov.uk or sam.morrison@environment-agency.gov.uk