Flood Risk Officer

West Northamptonshire Council; Northampton; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

West Northamptonshire Council is seeking a Flood Risk Officer to join the Flood and Water Team and provide specialist advice on surface water drainage and flood risk within planning processes.

You will assess drainage proposals for developments, promote SuDS, regulate activities affecting watercourses and support local standards and strategies. A degree in civil engineering or environmental science and strong analytical skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of hydrology, hydraulics and drainage principles.
• Experience in flood risk management or drainage design is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Assess drainage proposals for new developments.
• Promote the use of SuDS (sustainable drainage systems).
• Regulate activities affecting ordinary watercourses and review applications for sustainability and compliance.
• Provide technical guidance to ensure works are sustainable and do not adversely impact water flow.

Job description

About the role

This is an exciting opportunity to join West Northamptonshire Council's Flood and Water Team and play a key role in managing flood risk and promoting sustainable development across the area.

As a Flood Risk Officer, you will provide specialist technical advice on surface water drainage and flood risk matters, helping the Council fulfil its responsibilities as the Lead Local Flood Authority and statutory consultee within the planning process

What will you be doing?

Working closely with developers, planning authorities, landowners and key stakeholders, you will assess drainage proposals for new developments, promote the use of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS), and help ensure that growth is delivered in a way that minimises flood risk and protects communities. You will also regulate activities affecting ordinary watercourses, reviewing applications and providing technical guidance to ensure works are sustainable, compliant and do not adversely impact water flow.

The role offers the opportunity to contribute to strategic flood risk management across West Northamptonshire, supporting the development of local standards, planning policies and flood risk strategies. Working within a collaborative and supportive team, you will help shape resilient places, protect local environments and support the delivery of sustainable growth across the county

About you

We're looking for a knowledgeable and motivated professional with experience in flood risk management, drainage design or a related environmental or engineering discipline. You will have a good understanding of hydrology, hydraulics and drainage principles, together with strong analytical and problem-solving skills and the ability to communicate complex technical information to a wide range of audiences.

You will ideally have experience assessing surface water drainage proposals and an awareness of planning and development processes, together with knowledge of relevant legislation including the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, Land Drainage Act 1991 and planning policy relating to sustainable drainage. A degree in a relevant subject such as civil engineering, environmental science or a related discipline, or equivalent industry experience, is essential.

Our benefits

You can also see our full list of employee benefits on our careers site here: Why you should work for us | West Northamptonshire Council.

About us

At West Northants Council, it's about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like-minded people.

Our vision is 'to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive'. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services.

We are committed to ensuring diversity, equality, equity, and inclusion is woven into the fabric of WNC and everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and maximize their full potential. We are a disability confident employer, a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, and a Care Leaver Covenant partner.

The following film was created by us to communicate our intentions - watch WNC colleagues explain what DEI means to us.

If you need additional support or reasonable adjustments during the application process, including needing the job description in another format or language, please email [e-mail] for support.

Please note

We reserve the right to close the advert early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications, so we recommend applying as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

West Northants Council, where careers thrive.