Director People & Assurance - 29505

The Environment Agency values difference. That's why we are fully committed to being an inclusive employer. 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

As Director People and Assurance, you will be confident and committed to inclusively leading the development and execution of our people strategy. You'll influence and challenge at the most senior level, adopting problem solving to deliver innovative solutions to business challenges.

You will lead a high performing team, delivering people solutions to the organisation, whilst being a visible leader in the EA and the Defra HR community.

You'll lead on compliance across the organisation through development of products such as the code of conduct.

You will deliver through others, challenge performance ensuring the business have confidence in the people offer, recognising the function as professionals in their field.

You will:

• Deliver the People Strategy, developing and implementing people solutions in collaboration with Defra HR.


• Be a highly effective communicator and influencer, inspiring confidence and trust. Engaging positively, communicating complex issues powerfully, resolving ambiguities authoritatively to drive the right outcomes.


• Understand the key disciplines of the People function, with high levels of personal resilience and able to adapt to changing situations.


• Have a well-developed environmental radar.


• Thrive on working with a close-knit team, committed to delivering results at pace, whilst being authentic, creating a culture of transparency and trust


• Create an inclusive environment where pride, passion and diversity are valued, with equality of opportunity for all.


Responding to incidents is central to what we do. You'll be required to have an incident role and make yourself available to respond to incidents or provide business continuity support during an incident. Full training is available

The team

You will report to the Executive Director of STA, and form part of a welcoming and committed team of senior leaders. You will be a member of our broader community of executive managers, and our national Director's forum.

You'll manage senior leaders and a diverse workforce across the UK, strong management and inclusive leadership skills are must-haves. Your own team will include Deputy Directors and a small executive office.

Experience/skills Required


• Professional Leadership and Influence - Lead the organisation, working collectively and collaboratively with the Senior Leadership teams, influencing and shaping the direction of EA


• HR skills to deliver the People Strategy - Develop and execute people strategies that underpin successful delivery of the overall business strategy


• Cultural leadership - Shape the culture to reflect EA's values and mission, fostering an inclusive work environment where diversity is valued and equality of opportunity for all.


• Health and Safety - Directly accountable for leading a team managing Health and Safety across the whole of the organisation


• Assurance- Manages the team which ensures compliance against EA processes across the organisation. This team is also responsible for managing and embedding a new risk framework across the EA, counter fraud & compliance and whistleblowing processes.


• Trade Union - Directly responsible for managing the relationship between EA and the Trade Unions., 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.


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.

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.