Flood Risk Engineer

Southandvale; Abingdon; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Oxfordshire County Council is seeking a specialist flood and drainage engineer to investigate flooding incidents, advise on causes and preventative measures, and collaborate with partner authorities.

You will support long-term flood alleviation projects, develop tender docs, secure funding, and provide technical guidance to planners on drainage and SuDS-related conditions.

Qualifications

• HNC in Civil Engineering.
• 3+ years in land drainage or similar (consultancy).
• Knowledge of flooding causes and drainage system design.
• Experience with AutoCAD or equivalent drawing tool.
• Knowledge of Land Drainage Act 1991; Flood and Water Management Act 2010; CDM 2015 and NPPF.
• Good IT skills with Word and Excel.

Responsibilities

• Investigate flooding incidents and advise on causes and preventative measures for the Lead Local Flood Authority.
• Work with agencies on flooding and drainage matters, including Environment Agency and Thames Water.
• Carry out S19 flood investigations and prepare reports.
• Provide technical advice to planners for planning applications and appeals.
• Design flood alleviation schemes and manage their implementation and funding.

Education

HNC in Civil Engineering

Tools

AutoCAD

Surveying equipment

Job description

About The Role

Why join us

We believe in putting our people first – we work hard every day to make sure everyone can achieve a healthy and enjoyable work-life-balance. That is why we have a very flexible hours system.

We are seen as being customer focused, approachable and business-like. We are honest and open and are renowned for providing high quality cost-effective service.

About the role

Are you looking for an exciting and varied role where you will be working with a team of specialist engineers who are helping to improve the construction and natural environment, where you are supported in developing your experience and knowledge to further your career.

Essential criteria for the role

• HNC in Civil Engineering
• at least 3 years working in the field of land drainage or a similar role such as Consultancy
• sound knowledge of the causes of flooding and of foul and surface water drainage system design and operation
• experience with AutoCAD or equivalent drawing tool
• sound knowledge of the Land Drainage Act 1991; Flood and Water Management Act 2010; Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)
• sound knowledge of surveying practices
• ability to work alone and in a team environment
• good analytical and problem solving skills
• ability to research concepts and projects with minimal supervision
• good interpersonal skills
• good IT skills and experience of standard packages such as Word and Excel

Desirable criteria

• experience in a Local Government flooding and drainage related role
• an appreciation of hydraulic modelling
• experience of carrying out S19 flood investigations
• knowledge of the operation of private foul drainage systems and sewage treatment works
• experience of designing and writing works specifications for civil engineering projects and experience supervising contractors
• an understanding of the development control process within a Local Planning Authority
• a specialist qualification in hydrology or a related discipline
• be a member of relevant professional body e.g. Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM)
• a qualification in AutoCAD or equivalent drawing tool
• experience with surveying equipment

Key responsibilities for the role

Investigating instances of flooding and advising on causes and preventative measures, on behalf of the Lead Local Flood Authority Oxfordshire County Council in line with the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 and the Land Drainage Act 1991

• Working closely with other agencies and key partners on flooding and drainage matters, including Oxfordshire County Council’s flood risk management and highways departments, the Environment Agency, Thames Water and Emergency Planning teams.
• Carrying out S19 flood investigations of flooding and preparing reports.
• Giving advice, responding to queries and supporting community flood groups.
• Consenting and enforcement procedures for ordinary watercourses.
• Devising, designing and implementing long term solutions to flooding and land drainage issues in the form of flood alleviation projects.

Designing flood alleviation schemes and project managing their implementation

• Developing project specifications and assisting with the preparation of tender documentation and legal contracts.
• Investigating and securing capital funding for projects and where appropriate, acting as project manager.
• Related to this is a potential range of other engineering projects for the council such as the design of sewage treatment works, mobile home park concrete bases, surfacing and car park surfacing at Council owned property across both districts. Advising planning colleagues regarding flooding issues for new developments
• Reviewing planning applications regarding all sources of flood risk and surface water and foul drainage matters and providing technical advice, where relevant by raising objections or recommending planning conditions.
• Reviewing flood risk assessments, SuDS designs and foul water drainage design, and commenting on the discharge of related planning conditions.
• Working closely with applicants to ensure that all drainage details submitted for adoption are satisfactory and comply with agreed requirements.
• Providing technical advice to planners for appeals or enforcement purposes.

A full list of the duties this role provides, as well as the benefits we offer, can be found within the job description.

Please note that we do not hold a sponsor licence and are unable to support visa applications. To be considered for this role, you must already have the legal right to work in the UK. If you are unsure about your eligibility, please refer to the UK Government’s guidance before applying.

Thank you for taking the time to read our advert, we look forward to receiving your application.