Overview

We are looking for a strong lawyer and leader for the role of Senior Managing Lawyer Environmental Regulation (Water). This role will lead and manage a team providing legal support covering environmental regulation and civil litigation in relation to water resources and water quality (and related areas). This includes advice on environmental law and regulation including any resulting appeals and civil court challenges, including judicial review and injunction applications. You will be a role model for the Environment Agency’s leadership behaviours. You will provide leadership on and will be responsible for your team providing timely, risk-based and high quality legal advice and litigation covering regulation, regulatory appeals and judicial reviews in the field of water and related regulation.

Responsibilities

• Lead, plan and monitor the strategic direction of the team’s contribution to support the delivery of business plans.
• Develop and maintain relationships at management level, providing an intermediate escalation point on legal issues for internal Executive Managers and Managers to anticipate and resolve issues, promoting effective partnership working.
• Own, manage and deliver agreed cross-cutting issues on behalf of Legal and Audit Services.
• Lead a team of Senior Lawyers working on environmental regulation and litigation relating primarily to water quality and resources regulation.
• Advise Area operational staff on site based regulation; support regulatory appeals and judicial reviews.

Role details

This role is full time or a job share that overall delivers full time cover. We are fully committed to having an inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. We welcome flexible working patterns for all our vacancies. Please include clearly any information regarding your preferred working arrangements on your application.

The role can be based at any of our main office locations (Bristol, Exeter, Birmingham, Peterborough, Warrington, Leeds, Reading). Some travel will be required. Interviews to take place in October 2025.

Contact: Estelle Palin estelle.palin@environment-agency.gov.uk

Experience/skills required

• Experience of managing and leading people
• Experience of handling complex technical issues
• Significant experience advising on one or more of the following: judicial review; regulation, civil penalties and appeals to PINs and/or the First and Upper Tribunal; public law
• Thorough and up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation or ability to get up to speed rapidly
• Confidence to assimilate a new area of environmental or other law quickly
• Ability to collaborate with other senior lawyers effectively on cross-cutting issues
• Ability to write detailed legal briefings for senior/government level and respond to parliamentary questions
• Ability to brief orally at director/board/government level
• Experience of working effectively at a national level and/or with government

Qualifications

You will be a qualified solicitor or barrister with a current right to practise in England.

Other information

We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce and welcome flexible working patterns, including job share. If applying from Civil Service, note Environment Agency is not part of HM Civil Service and may affect continuous service. We have a Guaranteed Interview Policy for disabled applicants meeting minimum criteria. We may use Central Government frameworks for recruitment.