Deputy Director for Environmental Markets & Regulation - 30904

Environment Agency; Derby; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Environment Agency is seeking a Deputy Director for Environmental Markets & Regulation to lead teams in implementing regulatory reforms. This role requires strong operational leadership, stakeholder management, and strategic thinking to navigate complex environments and drive impactful delivery. The successful candidate will contribute to national and international regulatory standards while fostering an inclusive workplace culture.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Job sharing opportunities

Guaranteed interviews for disabled applicants

Qualifications

• Proven operational leadership across large, diverse teams.
• Ability to influence senior leaders and secure commitment.
• Experience managing complex work programmes.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and management of operational teams.
• Collaborate with government and industry to ensure effective delivery.
• Participate in incident response and business continuity support.

Skills

Operational leadership

Stakeholder management

Communication

Change management

Strategic thinking

Education

Professional qualification in any discipline

Job description

Deputy Director for Environmental Markets & Regulation - 30904

The Environment Agency is committed to delivering a more circular and Net-Zero economy by reducing waste and carbon emissions through regulation of various market-based schemes. Due to an ambitious government programme of regulatory reforms, our teams are expanding to implement these new regimes. The Environmental Markets & Regulation (EM&R) team in Operations oversees the regulation of schemes including Producer Responsibility Waste markets, Carbon Markets, Hazardous Waste, Chemicals, Carriers, Brokers and Dealers, and International Waste Shipments. They also manage National Income Services.

We are seeking to recruit a permanent Deputy Director to support the delivery of both emerging and existing regulatory regimes driven by government reform and increasing environmental targets.

The role involves providing strategic leadership and management of our specialist operational teams, which deliver services with significant national and international impact. You will collaborate with government, industry, and partner regulators to ensure effective delivery, lead on operational regulatory standards, and offer expert technical guidance. Your excellent communication and problem-solving skills will be essential for building effective relationships, managing stakeholder expectations, and championing compliance activities.

You will lead with a focus on health, safety & wellbeing, continuous improvement, and diversity, equality & inclusion. Your strategic thinking will connect operational ways of working with team leadership, delegation, and negotiation skills.

As an inclusive leader, you will also contribute to the Agency's broader objectives through participation in the National Regulation & Monitoring (NRM) Leadership Team and the Operations Executive Group, fostering relationships across Operations and wider business units to ensure ongoing delivery and community impact.

The team

Environmental Markets & Regulation is part of the National Regulation & Monitoring (NRM) division within Operations. The team currently comprises five units responsible for regulating Producer Responsibility Waste markets, Climate markets, the National Income Service, and Hazardous Waste, Chemicals, Carriers, Brokers, and Dealers. With approximately 550 staff and plans for growth, we work closely with other Operations units, Environment & Business, Legal Services, and government agencies.

Experience and skills required

• Proven operational leadership across large, diverse, and geographically dispersed teams.
• Experience managing complex work programmes and implementing innovative ways of working.
• Ability to influence senior leaders and secure commitment across Boards, policy groups, Defra, DESNZ, industry, and regulatory bodies.
• Excellent communication skills for briefing both technical and non-technical audiences to foster collaboration.
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities, influence stakeholders, and deliver through others.
• Experience managing change and navigating high-profile political and regulatory environments.
• Ability to translate complex technical and data insights into clear, meaningful outcomes for stakeholders.

The role requires autonomy, translating policy into impactful delivery, and navigating complex environments to represent the organisation and build stakeholder trust. A professional qualification in any discipline is preferred.

Additional information

Responding to incidents is a core part of the role. You will be expected to participate in incident response and business continuity support, with training provided. Effective delegation and remote leadership skills are essential for managing teams nationwide. We value diversity and encourage flexible working arrangements, including job sharing. We are committed to an inclusive process, offering guaranteed interviews for disabled applicants meeting minimum criteria.

This role reports to Malcolm Lythgo, Director of Operations, National Regulation & Monitoring. A virtual briefing will be held on 28th May 2025, and interviews are scheduled for 28th & 29th July 2025.