Reservoir Regulation & Safety Leader

Environment Agency; Shrewsbury; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Environment Agency is seeking an experienced leader to head the Reservoir Regulation team, driving regulatory excellence across England to ensure public safety under the Reservoirs Act 1975. The role requires strategic oversight, senior stakeholder influence and a track record of delivering change in regulation, flood risk management, civil engineering and/or legal domains.

You will lead a national team of 20+ professionals, collaborate with Defra on reform initiatives, and foster a

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

Innovative thinking

Confident decision-making

Influential collaboration

Job description

Environment Agency is seeking an experienced leader to head the Reservoir Regulation team, driving regulatory excellence across England to ensure public safety under the Reservoirs Act 1975. The role requires strategic oversight, senior stakeholder influence and a track record of delivering change in regulation, flood risk management, civil engineering and/or legal domains.

You will lead a national team of 20+ professionals, collaborate with Defra on reform initiatives, and foster a