Environmental Planning - Water Quality Officers (North East)

About Us

The Environment Agency has a broad and varied remit to protect and enhance the environment, with a goal to create a cleaner, safer and healthier environment for people and wildlife. Water is at the heart of all we do, drinking, washing, recreation, industry and health, our environment and economy depends on this precious resource. Clean and available water is essential and as water becomes an increasingly scarce resource, we need to do more to ensure we protect it.

Water companies must invest billions of pounds over the next five years to protect the environment from pollution. This scale of investment has not been seen for more than a generation. We need your knowledge and experience to help us advise water companies on their plans and hold them to account for their protection of the water environment. Come be a part of the teams that ensure our environment is protected now and for future generations.

Your role:

We are looking for Water Quality Planning Officers who will support local water quality improvement through working with our water quality planning priorities. You will be part of a team of local Area Water quality planners and join an existing network of dedicated water quality planners who sit in teams across the country.

What will you do:

Water Quality Planning Officers in our Integrated Environment Planning Teams drive improvements in local rivers, lakes and coastal waters.

You will provide technical support on a range of water quality workstreams and support the team in its planning of projects to improve water quality.

The workstreams may include:

• Delivery of the Water Industry National Environment Programme on the Price Review process with the water company.
• Environment Agency activities, such as permitting of discharges and planning applications.
• Responding to requests for information from the public, MPs and others.
• Planning of Protected Areas improvements, including bathing waters, shellfish waters and drinking waters.
• Within the Environment Agency, you will work with National colleagues, who provide guidance, and technical support. You will also work with other local Area Teams with specialist knowledge in different aspects of the local environment, and environmental regulations.

We are seeking a positive and motivated self-starter, with a willingness to learn and the ability to work alongside others. Your support will be key to delivering a wealth of positive environment outcomes across each area.

What you’ll need:

Essential

• Degree in a relevant environmental discipline – for example, but not limited to – Chemistry, Biology, Geography, Engineering, GeoScience, Ecology, Environmental science, Sustainability, Data science and analytics.

Desirable

• Ability to analyse technical information.
• Good organisational skills/discipline and the ability to plan, track, deliver and evaluate work, meeting relevant standards and timescales.
• The ability to work collaboratively with others and influence workstreams to ensure water quality outcomes are secured.
• Confidence to manage competing workloads and deliver tasks to deadlines.
• Ability to effectively work in a dispersed team.

What’s in it for you:

You’ll benefit from a culture that embraces difference and is inclusive where you’ll feel supported and trusted to do the right thing. We’ll invest in you and allow you to grow and shape your career. What’s more, you’ll have access to our great benefits package including:

• A salary up to £33,000.
• A generous pension scheme.
• Overtime opportunities through standby and incident pay.
• 25 days holiday + 8 bank holidays for full-time employees.
• Two additional days for paid environmental outcomes giving you the opportunity to take part in community activities.
• Great career opportunities.
• Maternity, paternity, and adoption leave scheme.
• Options for flexible and / or part-time working may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Please note that a reserve list will be held, and you may be offered other roles in other locations including temporary roles, which may be similarly aligned to this role.

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. Full training and alternative working arrangements will be available to support you with your incident role. This may attract an additional payment.

As an organisation, we strive to reflect the communities we serve, to achieve this we welcome applications from all backgrounds regardless of race, sexual orientation, and religion.

To learn more about these roles from those already in them, gain insight into the recruitment process, and have the chance to ask your questions, join us for our candidate call on:

• Wednesday 18th June at 15:00

This will be held on Microsoft Teams and is open to all applicants. For more details and to register for the session, please click on the apply button. You do not need to have submitted an application to join the call.

This role must be undertaken from within the UK and does NOT qualify for sponsorship. Visit www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-immigration, to seek professional advice regarding options for obtaining the right to work in the UK.

Don't miss this opportunity to be part of the UK's biggest environmental organisation. Join us, and together, let's tackle the challenges of a changing climate and build a more sustainable future. Apply now and embark on a rewarding and fulfilling career journey with the Environment Agency.

Closing date for applications: Monday 23rd June 2025.
Interview Dates: w/c 14th and 21st July 2025.