Senior Water Resources Planner - 36278

Environment Agency; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

The Environment Agency in the United Kingdom is seeking a Water Resources Planning Officer to join our Water Resources Planning team. You will lead assessments of statutory plans for water companies and work with internal and external stakeholders to ensure compliance and quality of advice.

This role requires strong communication, data interpretation, and the ability to influence decisions, with an incident response element and potential additional payments for incident work.

Qualifications

• Worked within Water Resources or a relevant field.
• Experience and understanding of water resources planning such as WRMPs and drought plans.
• Familiar with the challenges facing water companies regarding water resources.
• Good communication skills for reporting and briefings to diverse audiences.
• Influencing and persuading abilities.
• Experience with large data sets and data interpretation.
• Membership of a professional body (e.g., CIWEM) desirable but not essential.

Responsibilities

• Lead on a water company’s Statutory Water Resources Management Plans.
• Assess plans for regulatory compliance and identify improvements.
• Provide timely assessments and respond to queries from colleagues and the company.
• Collaborate with stakeholders across EA and DEFRA to inform policy and decisions.

Skills

Water Resources

Data analysis

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Influencing

Problem solving

Stakeholder management

Job description

Job Description

The Environment Agency are fully committed to having an inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. We don't just talk about diversity; we seek it, embrace it, and live it, for the benefit of our staff, our communities, and our environment.

Job Description

The Environment Agency are fully committed to having an inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. We don't just talk about diversity; we seek it, embrace it, and live it, for the benefit of our staff, our communities, and our environment.

The Environment Agency regulates the Water Resources Planning completed by water companies.

In Operations Catchment Services we help this happen. We provide a professional water resources regulatory planning service to water companies, assessing resources management & drought plans. Working alongside water companies, accounts & area teams, internal and external stakeholders. Our work helps to inform the publication of water company statutory plans.

We provide advice on water resources statutory planning. We assess water company; new and existing statutory plans, longer-term strategic resource options & regular review to provide advice to Defra on water company compliance and deliver against their statutory plans.

As a Water Resources Planning officer, you will lead on a water company. You will provide timely assessment of their Statutory Water Resources Management Plans, addressing questions from colleagues and the company, in achieving a publishable plan. In the Water Resources team, our primary focus is water resources planning at company level, where we assess whether their plans attain the regulatory requirements and help identify potential solutions.

As a team we share and develop our skills and establish great relationships with our customers to ensure they receive the service they need and understand our expert advice.

Responding to incidents is a central part of what we do. You will be required to have an incident role and make yourself available to respond to incidents or provide business continuity support during an incident. This may attract an additional payment and full training, and alternative working arrangements will be available to help you deliver your incident role.

The team

You’ll join our Water Resources Planning team which has oversight of the statutory water resources plans of water companies.

We assess Water Resources Management Plans & Water Company Drought Plans, supporting policy development for the provision of water. We achieve this by working closely with water companies, national stakeholders, and EA departments ensuring that statutory plans meet key legislation, understanding where to target and prioritise action and provide water resources direction for the business.

Experience/skills Required

• Worked within Water Resources or a relevant field.
• Experience and understanding of key aspects of water resources planning such as water resources management plans, water company drought plans.
• Familiar with the challenges facing water companies with respect to Water Resources.
• Good communication skills as you’ll be working with a variety of internal and external customers and will need to be able to explain and describe sometimes complex technical issues and solutions verbally and in writing through reports, guidance and briefings suitable for the audience.
• Influencing & Persuading skills.
• Good interpersonal skills.
• Experience of working with large data sets and able to interpret the data.
• Experience of solving problems & decision-making through independent and collaborative working.
• Belonging to or working towards a professional body (I.e. CIWEN) would be desirable but not essential.

Contact and additional information

You’ll have an incident management objective in your development plan. We’ll support you to find an incident role to suit your needs and circumstances. Appropriate training will be given.

You’ll have an EA Office base location.

We use smart tools to stay connected and reduce travel; some travel and overnights may be required.

Contact Ian Robinson, [e-mail] or Sam Bunce, [e-mail]

Competence 1

Achieves Results

Sets and delivers high work standards, demonstrates the drive to meet targets.

Prioritises and organises tasks and resources to ensure timely achievement of results

Question: Tell us about a time when you delivered a result under challenging circumstances.

When answering please draw upon an experience which is related to water resources planning or a comparable relevant experience.

Competence 2

Takes Decisions and Solves Problems

Finds and delivers optimal solutions by effectively analysing all the information, probing to develop alternatives and taking sound and timely decisions.

Question: Please describe a time when you have made a decision, based on complex information and how did you arrive at that decision?

When answering please draw upon an experience which is related to water resources planning or a comparable relevant experience.

Competence 3

Communicates Effectively

Listens and questions to understand and engage. Conveys information and ideas clearly, accurately and persuasively through speech and writing.

Question: Please describe a time when being an effective communicator has enabled you to communicate important and vital information to a technical audience to achieve a stated outcome or result?

When answering please draw upon an experience which is related to water resources planning or a comparable relevant experience.

Competence 4

Influences and Persuades Others

Presenting a case in a convincing and attractive way that will win people over, encouraging them to follow plans willingly; often succeeding where logic and reason alone would fail.

Question: Please describe a time when you had to influence an external stakeholder and how you won them over to your point of view.

When answering please draw upon an experience which is related to water resources planning or a comparable relevant experience.

We are fully committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. We welcome flexible working patterns for all our vacancies, including job share, so please include clearly any information regarding your preferred working arrangements on your application.

We also have a Guaranteed Interview Policy to support those with a disability who are seeking employment. We have committed to guaranteeing an interview to anyone with a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

If you are applying from the Civil Service please note that the Environment Agency is not a part of HM Civil Service and you would not be a Crown Servant in the event of being appointed. Therefore, you will not be eligible for continuous service. For applicants who currently work in local government or other bodies listed in the Redundancy Payments (Continuity of Employment in Local Government etc) (Modification) Order 1999, you may be eligible for continuous service for the purpose of calculating any future redundancy payment. If you are unsure of your status then you should contact your own HR Team.

The Environment Agency, as a Non-Departmental Public Body, is committed to providing value for money and utilises Central Government frameworks and contracts for all external recruitment needs. For this reason, we are unable to engage with the market directly through post, email or phone calls. Should you wish to become a support supplier on one of these frameworks or contracts please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/become-a-crown-commercial-service-supplier/becoming-a-supplier-through-the-crown-commercial-service-what-you-need-to-know for more information.

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Although the Environment Agency is a non-departmental public body sponsored by Defra, we subscribe to and align with the candidate guidance on the use of artificial intelligence found on the Civil Service Careers website. Please review for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.