Overview

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.

Everyone starting in a new role will be welcomed into the team and given all of the training and support needed. As part of your comprehensive induction, you will be provided with all the equipment required for your role.

We are looking for an experienced investigator to join our National Investigations Team as a Senior Environmental Crime Officer. We are seeking an enthusiastic, self motivated individual with a strong investigative background, good communication skills and a sound working knowledge of all aspects of running a major investigation.

Role and Team

You will work alongside our Senior Investigation Managers and our Major Incident Room in leading investigations into the most serious and complex of environmental crimes. You will use your knowledge and experience to help drive these cases forward by coordinating and overseeing all aspects of the investigations, from identifying lines of enquiry, reviewing intelligence, raising and allocating actions, coordinating evidence gathering and interviews, through to casefile preparation and, ultimately, successful prosecution.

Our investigations can be complex and varied in nature, often involving Organised Crime Groups, illegal waste exports and large scale fraud. This role provides an exciting opportunity for anyone with relevant investigative experience to take their skills and knowledge into the arena of serious environmental crime.

The team sits within the National Environmental Crime Unit, part of our National Regulation and Monitoring Team. The National Investigations Team are a nationally dispersed team of Investigators working to bring the most serious and significant environmental offenders to justice. Your skills and experience will help lead, coordinate and progress our investigations, along with working to develop the team as a whole. Please see our Additional Information Pack for further details.

Responsibilities

• Lead investigations into the most serious and complex environmental crimes.
• Coordinate and oversee all aspects of investigations, including identifying lines of enquiry, reviewing intelligence, raising and allocating actions, and coordinating evidence gathering and interviews.
• Prepare casefiles and contribute to successful prosecutions.
• Collaborate with Partnership Organisations and lead, drive and develop investigative teams and complex investigations.

Experience and Skills

• High level of attention to detail, hard working and self motivated with a strong investigative background.
• In depth knowledge of investigative legislation such as PACE and CPIA.
• Excellent verbal and written skills and basic IT competency (Microsoft Word, Excel and Teams).
• Knowledge of environmental crime, leading on serious criminal investigations and the workings of a Major Incident Room is desirable.
• Experience in building and developing investigation teams and driving complex investigations.
• Successful completion of both SC and NPPV2 Vetting processes is required within a 6 month probationary period.
• Full driving licence required.

Role specifics

• Hybrid working role, with flexible work from home and an Environment Agency Office.
• Frequent travel for meetings and operational duties.
• Responding to incidents is a central part of the role; you may be required to take incident roles and provide business continuity support during incidents.
• Additional payment and full training/workplace adjustments available to support your incident role.
• Contact: elspeth.allum@environment-agency.gov.uk for further information.

Competencies

• Achieves Results: Provide examples of leading on a complex or protracted criminal investigation and how you managed and coordinated it to deliver a successful outcome.
• Takes Decisions and Solves Problems: Provide examples of leading an investigation requiring difficult decisions and alternative solutions to unforeseen problems, challenges faced, and how addressed.
• Focuses on Efficiency, Innovation and Quality: Provide examples of implementing new techniques or ways of working that improved efficiency across your team or organisation, including drivers and benefits.

Qualifications and Licences

• Full Driving Licence.

Notes: If applying from the Civil Service, Environment Agency is not part of HM Civil Service and you would not be a Crown Servant; therefore, you would not be eligible for continuous service. If you currently work in local government or other bodies listed in the Redundancy Payments (Continuity of Employment in Local Government etc) (Modification) Order 1999, you may be eligible for continuous service for redundancy calculations. If unsure, contact your HR Team. We welcome flexible working patterns and offer a Guaranteed Interview Policy to support those with a disability. The Environment Agency is a Non-Departmental Public Body and uses Central Government frameworks/contracts for recruitment; direct market engagement is not used. For supplier opportunities, visit the Crown Commercial Service guidance on becoming a supplier.