Environmental Monitoring Officer - Pan-Area Chalk Streams - 26497

We are enhancing our efforts to restore chalk streams and this is an exciting opportunity to contribute to an innovative national programme focussed on achieving sustainable abstraction and healthy rivers across chalk catchments. Fundamental to this will be extending the monitoring and assessment of the impacts of water abstraction.

You will work as part of a virtual pan area team to undertake environmental monitoring and assessment across chalk catchments. Most monitoring sites will form part of the national Water Resources Permitting and Planning Network. It will focus on headwater sites including those which periodically dry, and also river reaches experiencing elevated flows from existing groundwater support schemes. This work will boost our understanding of the ecological impacts of abstraction and provide an underlying evidence base at both local and national scale.

You will support chalk stream environmental monitoring and assessment by:

• Liaising with other teams and external partners
• Supporting investigations into impacts of environmental pollution incidents.
• Undertaking macro-invertebrate (mixed-taxon level) identification of chalk stream samples (based at the Brampton laboratory)
• Undertaking data management/analysis and interpretation across all freshwater monitoring disciplines
• Undertaking macrophyte and River Habitat Surveys and supporting fish surveys

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 support you with your incident role.

The role will be based in our Brampton Office, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE28 4NE with travelling to field locations for which transport will be provided.

The post is full-time but we support flexible working patterns, including job share.

For more info on working with us see https://environmentagencycareers.co.uk/

The team

The posts will be based and managed in the Area Analysis & Reporting (A&R) teams. Each A&R team collects specialist ecological evidence and provides analysis and interpretation of this evidence to inform decisions on effective environmental outcomes.

The pan area virtual team will consist of a Senior Environmental Monitoring Officer and 3 Environmental Monitoring Officers geographically dispersed across chalk areas. This team will work closely with colleagues in national teams.

Experience/skills Required

You will be:

• Experienced in analysing, interpreting and reporting river ecology monitoring data, specifically with respect to anthropogenic pressures
• Qualified to at least degree level (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline (e.g. ecology or environmental sciences/biology), with relevant practical experience specialised in freshwater ecology
• Experienced in freshwater ecological surveys and laboratory work
• Able to analyse macroinvertebrate samples to mixed taxonomic level, and / or undertake lowland river macrophyte surveys and River Habitat Surveys (accreditation desirable)
• An enthusiastic and self-motivated person with a genuine passion for the environment

You will have good communication and influencing skills, adaptable, self-motivating and able to take decisions to manage workload to tight deadlines

The post-holder will be required to undertake fieldwork and must hold a full driving licence and be a confident swimmer.

Contact and additional information

In East Anglia we want to create a diverse workplace where individuals 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 we grow and learn together.

It is our ambition to champion diversity through building a workforce as diverse as the communities we serve.

We offer a fantastic benefits package including flexible working, 25 days annual leave, and an award-winning Pension Fund. See the candidate pack for more details.

If invited to interview, these will consist of competency questions and you will also need to complete a laboratory based ID assessment.

To find out more please do contact Mark Ginns on 07879 432583 or email: [email protected]

Closing Date:

30/05/2023, 23:55 hours

Level of security checks required

Basic Check

Competence 1

Scientific Knowledge

Description

Please detail your ecological experience and your ability to identify freshwater taxa (e.g. macro-invertebrates, plants, algae, fish), complete ecological survey work and experience of data analysis, report writing and presentation of data. Please demonstrate any knowledge you hold regarding chalk streams.

Please note we do not assess CVs. Answers to these competency questions will be used for interview selection so ensure you draw out your skills and experience in your responses. You have up to 250 words so please do use them to tell us what we need to know about you. See Candidate pack for more details and a link to our capability dictionary.

Competence 2

Works in Teams

Description

Give an example of when you have worked as part of a team to deliver a challenging piece of work. What was your role and personal contribution?

Competence 3

Data and Information Management

Description

Please provide a detailed example of a time when you have had to interpret a large amount of freshwater ecological data to draw conclusions to produce a report

Competence 4

Achieves Results

Description

Describe an example of when you have delivered a piece of work in a timely manner, explaining the risks involved, communication methods used and people you interacted with.

Role specific license requirements

A full UK driving licence is essential.

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.
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.
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.