Environmental Permitting Lead – Water Quality

South East Water UK; Snodland; Hybrid; GBP 41,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stakeholder pension

Annual leave 5 weeks + holidays

Flexible annual leave

Volunteer days

Cycle to work

Health cash plan

Life assurance

Wellbeing benefits

Job summary

South East Water is seeking a technical professional to lead environmental permit assessments and ensure compliant water discharge activities across Water Treatment Works, bridging operations and regulators. Based in Water Resources, the role involves field visits, collaboration with Assets and Operations, and developing innovative treatment solutions to cut reliance on external consultants.

You will guide WRMP planning on nitrates and PFAS, coach junior staff, and negotiate with the Environment

Qualifications

• Degree in a relevant science or engineering subject.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to identify solutions and validate technical information provided by other teams.
• Ability to amend communication style depending on your audience.
• Strong interpersonal and influencing skills.
• The ability to negotiate effectively with both internal stakeholders and external regulators, such as the Environment Agency.
• A natural ability to coach and mentor team members, supporting their technical development and career progression.
• A strong understanding of how various water treatment solutions work.
• Operational knowledge and experience of the water industry's regulatory framework, environmental legislation and policies.
• Experience in quantifying the consequences of long-term water quality challenges, such as Nitrates and PFAS, particularly regarding their impact on strategic planning (WRMP).
• Proven experience in a field-based or mobile role, with a focus on visiting and inspecting discharge activities at Water Treatment Works (WTWs).
• Proven experience in applying for environmental permits.
• Water industry experience desirable.
• It is necessary for you to have the legal right to work in the UK when you begin employment with South East Water.
• Additionally, as part of the employment offer, you will need to pass background, identity, and employment referencing checks.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of the technical assessments required for environmental permit applications, ensuring that the underlying science and engineering of water discharge activities are robust and compliant.
• Conduct regular site visits and inspections at WTWs to gain an in-depth, real-time understanding of discharge performance and ensure treatment solutions work effectively in practice.
• Provide technical expertise and quantification of risks regarding long-term water quality challenges (e.g., PFAS, Nitrates) to inform the WRMP strategic planning process.
• Offer expert advice to Assets, Engineering, and Operational teams to validate information provided by other departments and propose alternative treatment solutions where necessary.
• Coach and mentor junior team members to raise collective technical capability, specifically focusing on the technical data and analysis required to progress environmental permit applications.
• Act as the primary interface with operational colleagues to ensure regulatory discharge requirements are practical and understood at the site level.
• Lead technical negotiations with the Environment Agency and other external stakeholders on complex applications or compliance challenges to achieve operationally feasible outcomes.
• Review all technical documentation associated with permit submissions against Environmental Permitting Regulations to ensure absolute quality and regulatory compliance.
• Oversee the transition of permit administration to supporting staff, while retaining accountability for the technical integrity of every application.
• Manage technical input for escalated regulatory investigations or enforcement actions to mitigate reputational damage and restore compliance quickly.
• Develop new ways of working for the permitting function that drive efficiency and improve the company's overall environmental performance.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Interpersonal skills

Negotiation

Coaching/mentoring

Water treatment knowledge

Regulatory understanding

Stakeholder communication

Education

Degree in science or engineering

Job description

South East Water is seeking a technical professional to lead environmental permit assessments and ensure compliant water discharge activities across Water Treatment Works, bridging operations and regulators. Based in Water Resources, the role involves field visits, collaboration with Assets and Operations, and developing innovative treatment solutions to cut reliance on external consultants.

You will guide WRMP planning on nitrates and PFAS, coach junior staff, and negotiate with the Environment