29743 - Catchment Planning Technical Specialist

In Wessex we want to create a diverse workplace where people are respected, valued and listened to. We're all different, and by embracing Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) we can become an equal opportunity employer where jointly we all grow and learn together.

Are you passionate about rivers, lakes and coastal waters? Do you have an interest in part of the drive to improve our water environment?

This role is critical to developing and maintaining our evidence base and plans to improve our water environment in Wessex.

In this role you'll have the opportunity to use your environmental knowledge and data management skills to work across disciplines to facilitate and drive integrated environmental improvements.

Using data and information from a variety of sources, you'll contribute to a better understanding of the environment in the Wessex Area. Working with others, you will identify the pressures and prioritise the actions needed to address them. Using creativity and innovation, you will translate that information into compelling evidence that informs decisions and actions by technical and non-technical audiences.

You'll provide guidance for how we will deliver and develop opportunities to improve the water environment by ensuring our evidence base held in our catchment management data system is current and accurate, so we are able report and share data collated under Water Framework Directive regulations.

The role includes :
-Assessment and reporting of the quality of designated waters including; Bathing waters, Shellfish water's and Drinking Water Protected Area's.
-Collation of monitoring data, modelling, and other evidence on nutrient challenges in key catchments to enable integrated actions to address nutrient challenges

For more information about working for the Environment Agency and what we do visit our careers page environmentagencycareers.co.uk

The team
You'll be part of a fantastic team of environment planners focusing on water quality and river basin planning, working alongside the IEP water resources team.

Working with area operational teams and national colleagues, we commission, analyse and share data, and produce the environmental plans that inform and drive Wessex Area priorities and investment.

Our friendly team of advisors are at the heart of environmental decision making, facilitating integrated actions to solve complex problems.

Essential: You will have a degree in an environmental subject and ideally either experience in water quality or river basin planning.

You will have:
-proven communication, influencing and networking skills
-experience of translating internal guidance and instructions into local delivery
-experience of using evidence to explore problems and propose effective and innovative solutions
-good organisational skills and ability to plan, track, deliver and evaluate work
-be self-motivated, able to prioritise and deliver a busy workload to defined deadlines
-be able to bring people together and inspire collaboration and information sharing
-be able to coach and mentor others to improve resilience within the environment planning community
-experience of gathering, maintaining data/information and experience of using GIS, data visualisation tools
-diplomatic, sensitive and demonstrate political awareness when dealing with customers, stakeholders, and communities

Knowledge of the impact and mitigation of excessive nutrients in surface waters would be advantageous.