Deputy Director Risk Assessment

Environment Agency; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

A government agency for flood and environmental management in the UK is seeking a Deputy Director for Flood Risk Assessment to provide strategic leadership in flood and coastal erosion risk modelling. The ideal candidate will have a strong experience in managing multidisciplinary teams and substantial knowledge in flood risk mapping. Responsibilities include overseeing strategic initiatives and improving flood risk assessment capabilities while maintaining national stakeholder relationships. Flexibility in location with some travel to London is required.

Qualifications

• Proven track record of leading transformational change within large organizations.
• Significant experience in technical team leadership.
• Exceptional relationship-building skills at executive levels.
• Experience in managing major programs of work.
• Experience sponsoring major programmes at SRO level.
• Understanding of flood risk mapping and modelling.
• Professional membership desirable.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for flood risk modelling and mapping.
• Oversee prioritization of modelling and mapping activities.
• Lead the development of national flood risk assessment capabilities.
• Build relationships with national stakeholders.
• Lead development of national flood risk assessment capability.
• Manage relationships with national stakeholders.
• Incident response role and potential additional payment.

Skills

Leadership of transformational change

Multidisciplinary team management

Exceptional communication skills

Partnership building

Project sponsorship

Understanding of flood risk mapping

Data-driven decision making

Professional membership

Education

Professional membership in a water/flood/environmental organization

Job description

This is a unique opportunity to shape how England understands and manages flood risk. As Deputy Director for Flood Risk Assessment, you will provide strategic leadership and technical authority for flood and coastal erosion risk modelling and mapping across the Environment Agency.

You will set the national direction for flood risk modelling and mapping, ensuring the evidence underpinning flood risk management, spatial planning and national investment decisions is robust, consistent and trusted. In doing so, you will fulfil the newly created Head of Flood Risk Modelling and Mapping role, providing clear leadership for this critical capability across the organisation.

You will oversee the prioritisation of modelling and mapping activity across national and local operational programmes, ensuring resources are directed to where they deliver greatest value, supporting priorities such as flood defence investment, land use planning and climate resilience. Working closely with delivery teams, you will commission and assure modelling activity, improving consistency, reducing duplication and securing value for money from suppliers and technical frameworks.

You will lead the development and enhancement of national flood risk assessment capability, including oversight of major programmes that improve modelling approaches, data quality and analytical tools. This includes the continuous improvement of the Environment Agency’s world-leading National Flood Risk Assessment.

As a Deputy Director, you will build and maintain strong relationships with key national stakeholders including government departments, developers, infrastructure providers and the insurance sector. You will also advise on organisational capability and future skills, ensuring the Environment Agency continues to develop the expertise needed to deliver high-quality flood risk modelling and mapping.

Responding to incidents is central to our work. You will have an incident role and make yourself available to respond to incidents or provide business continuity support. This may attract an additional payment, with full training and alternative working arrangements available.

The Team

The Deputy Director for Flood Risk Assessment leads and manages a department of around 40 FTEs made up of subject matter and technical experts on flood and coastal erosion modelling, mapping and risk assessment. This Deputy Director has five Grade 7 manager direct reports. The department is responsible for major programmes of work on mapping and modelling improvements.

You will report to the Director of Flood Risk Strategy and Adaptation.

Experience/Skills Required

• A proven track record of leading transformational change within large and complex organisations.
• Significant experience leading multidisciplinary technical teams, creating the conditions for teams to deliver strategic business outcomes.
• Exceptional communication, influencing and relationship-building skills, with credibility to operate confidently at executive and board level.
• Demonstrable ability to engage and build strong partnerships across government and other national stakeholders.
• Extensive experience sponsoring, directing and assuring major programmes and portfolios of work, operating at senior responsible owner (SRO), or equivalent level.
• An understanding of flood risk mapping and modelling, including the strategic use of data, evidence and modelling to inform policy, investment and operational decision-making.
• Professional membership of a water/flood/environmental organisation is desirable.

Contact and Additional Information

For a discussion about the role, please contact Julie Foley, Director of Strategy and Adaptation [e-mail]

The location for this role is flexible but some national travel required to meet business needs especially to London.

Eligibility Note

If you are applying from the Civil Service please note that the Environment Agency is not a part of HM Civil Service and you would not be a Crown Servant in the event of being appointed. Therefore, you will not be eligible for continuous service. For applicants who 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 the purpose of calculating any future redundancy payment. If you are unsure of your status then you should contact your own HR Team.

For further information please contact: Julie Foley

Diversity and Inclusion

We are fully committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. We welcome flexible working patterns for all our vacancies, including job share, so please include clearly any information regarding your preferred working arrangements on your application.