Drainage Misconnection Project Officer

BRENT COUNCIL; Greater London; On-site; GBP 48,000 - 51,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working options

Local Government Pension Scheme

27 days annual leave

Eye test support

Cycle to Work

Job summary

Brent Council is seeking a skilled officer to identify and rectify drainage misconnections, helping improve local water quality in partnership with the Mayor's Office and Greater London Authority.

You will inspect, test, and coordinate enforcement actions, liaising with property owners, contractors, and partners to deliver timely improvements and evidence-based responses across Brent and London.

Qualifications

• Degree in Environmental Health or equivalent experience in environmental health enforcement.
• Solid understanding of drainage-related legislation and building regulations.
• Ability to manage complex cases and deliver across teams.
• Strong communication with stakeholders and partners.

Responsibilities

• Identify misconnections and cross connections through inspections and tests.
• Coordinate with owners, agents, and contractors to rectify issues using enforcement powers when needed.
• Maintain detailed records of findings and improvements.
• Support London's Clean and Healthy Waterways Plan with monitoring for Brent and London-wide issues.
• Collaborate with Thames Water and community groups to improve waterway quality.

Skills

Environmental Health degree

Legislation knowledge

Stakeholder engagement

Project management

Education

Environmental Health degree

Job description

Salary range: £48,003 - £51,138 per annum inclusive of London weighting

Contract: Fixed term 24 months

Hours of work: 36 hours per week

Location: Civic Centre and other locations from time to time

Exciting opportunity working with the London Mayor's office supporting actions to clean London's waterways.

Brent is one of the most diverse boroughs in the country, with communities, ideas and experiences from across the world helping to shape who we are. Working here means joining a council that is focused on fairness, open to new thinking and committed to improving life for local people.

Our values shape how we work and what people can expect from us. We collaborate proactively, lead inclusively, embrace change, are bold and curious, and celebrate and share our success. For people who care about public service and want their work to matter, Brent offers the chance to make a meaningful difference.

About the role

A rare opportunity to specialise in the identification, investigation, and rectification of drainage misconnections and how they impact the quality of local watercourses.

The postholder will become one of London's leading local authority experts in drainage misconnections working collaboratively with a range of partners to support the Mayor of London's Clean and Healthy Waterways Plan.

Working alongside the Greater London Authority, the postholder will undertake investigations of misconnected drainage using a range of interventions and legal powers where necessary, to ensure actions are taken to resolve issues and reduce pollution. In addition, the role will establish and coordinate a London Misconnections Enforcement & Support Hub, to support better coordination and understanding to help respond to drainage misconnection issues within other priority boroughs.

The post will be responsible for various reporting, awareness‑raising, producing London‑wide guidance, providing evidence to advocate for market, policy and legislative change and such other steps to influence, long term improvements in misconnected drains and local water quality.

In this role, you will:

• Conduct inspections and tests to identify misconnections and cross connections in residential properties.
• Liaise with property owners or occupiers, managing agents, and contractors to ensure timely rectification and compliance using enforcement powers were necessary.
• Maintain detailed records to evidence your findings and any improvements made.
• Support the the Mayor of London's Clean and Healthy Waterways Plan with monitoring of the issues in Brent and across London.
• Work with Thames Water, local campaign groups and other key stakeholders to improve the quality of local waterways.
• Develop and deliver targeted engagement strategies to raise awareness of misconnections.

About you

We are looking for someone who:

• Holds a degree (or equivalent) in Environmental Health or a related discipline or who has experience of environmental health enforcement, ideally related to drainage.
• Has a strong understanding of relevant legislation, building regulations and environmental health works relating to drainage.
• Offers a proven ability to manage complex caseloads and deliver projects across organisational boundaries.
• Provides excellent communication skills, with experience of stakeholder engagement and partnership working.

Why join us?

We know people do their best work when they feel valued, supported and able to grow. At Brent, you will benefit from:

• 27 days' annual leave, rising with length of service, plus bank holidays
• Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions
• Hybrid and flexible working options available for most roles
• Supportive family-friendly policies, including carers' leave, paternity leave and compassionate leave for eligible employees
• Health and wellbeing support, including eye test support and a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
• Financial wellbeing support, including education sessions, childcare deposit loans and season ticket loans
• Travel support, including affordable parking nearby, a Cycle to Work scheme and onsite facilities
• Learning and development opportunities to support your career
• Access to My Brent Rewards with exclusive discounts on shopping, travel, leisure and entertainment

Brent Council values the diversity of its community and aims to have a workforce that reflects the people we serve. We welcome applications from all sections of the community and encourage applicants to complete the diversity survey section of the application.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone is treated with dignity, respect and fairness. We expect all employees to demonstrate a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and to promote inclusive, non-discriminatory practices in their work. This commitment forms part of our recruitment process, and candidates may be assessed on their understanding of and ability to contribute to an inclusive working environment.

Further details on how your information will be used by Brent and Cifas, and your data protection rights can be found here.

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role. This includes people with hidden disabilities, long-term health conditions, diagnoses and mental health conditions. We also guarantee an interview to care-experienced applicants who meet the essential criteria. Information shared for this purpose will be treated fairly and used only to confirm eligibility under these schemes.

If you need reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, please contact [e-mail].

Brent has a positive approach to flexible working.

View the job description here