Reservoir Regulation Leader

Environment Agency; Uttoxeter; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Environment Agency is seeking an experienced leader to head the Reservoir Regulation team, overseeing regulation across England to ensure public safety under the Reservoirs Act. You will drive change, lead a dispersed team of professionals, and work with Defra on reform initiatives to modernise the reservoir safety framework.

The role requires strategic thinking, regulatory and civil engineering or legal background, and strong stakeholder influence at senior levels across government, industry

Qualifications

• Expertise - Significant experience in Regulation, Civil Engineering, Law or similar and relevant subject to Reservoir Regulation.
• Strategic leadership — Proven experience setting and translating strategic intent into confident, high‑quality operational delivery.
• High‑performance culture — A track record of driving high performance, modelling personal accountability, and fostering psychological safety where people feel empowered and supported.
• Innovative thinking - Ability to generate creative ideas, challenge assumptions, and deliver value through new approaches
• Confident decision‑making — Skilled at making proportionate, risk‑based decisions under pressure and at pace while removing barriers to delivery.
• Influential collaboration - Able to build consensus and influence senior internal and external stakeholders to secure the best outcomes for the environment and the business.

Responsibilities

• Lead proactive stakeholder management in a way that builds trust, fosters strong relationships & creates opportunities for collaboration
• Lead the setting of strategic priorities aligned to broader EA Regulatory strategy and motivate your team to operationally deliver in an efficient manner.
• Lead, develop and embed a culture of effective continuous improvement, to optimise and support the changing needs of our business, our environment, and our stakeholders.
• Lead a culture of psychological safety that empowers confident decision making & enables innovation to thrive.
• Manage complex, fast paced, multi-agency operational risks that ensures public safety is upheld to the highest standard
• The Environment Agency is currently working with Defra to reform and modernise the Reservoirs Act 1975 to secure public safety both now and for future generations. You and your team will be pivotal in providing senior user input for the team delivering the Reservoir Safety Reform Programme.
• Strategic leadership — Proven experience setting and translating strategic intent into confident, high‑quality operational delivery.
• High‑performance culture — A track record of driving high performance, modelling personal accountability, and fostering psychological safety where people feel empowered and supported.
• Innovative thinking - Ability to generate creative ideas, challenge assumptions, and deliver value through new approaches
• Confident decision‑making — Skilled at making proportionate, risk‑based decisions under pressure and at pace while removing barriers to delivery.
• Influential collaboration - Able to build consensus and influence senior internal and external stakeholders to secure the best outcomes for the environment and the business.

Skills

Regulation

Civil Engineering

Law

Strategic leadership

High-performance culture

Influence and persuasion

Job description

Environment Agency is seeking an experienced leader to head the Reservoir Regulation team, overseeing regulation across England to ensure public safety under the Reservoirs Act. You will drive change, lead a dispersed team of professionals, and work with Defra on reform initiatives to modernise the reservoir safety framework.

The role requires strategic thinking, regulatory and civil engineering or legal background, and strong stakeholder influence at senior levels across government, industry