At the Environment Agency we aspire for inclusivity to thrive in our workforce. We embrace equal opportunities and flexible work arrangements, ensuring everyone can contribute and succeed.
The Biodiversity and Geomorphology team are looking for an enthusiastic Biodiversity Officer to provide advice, guidance, and technical support within the Hertfordshire and North London area.
This is an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated individual, with proven technical and inter-personal skills, to be part of a friendly and hardworking team. You'll be responsible for covering a wide geographical area, providing high quality biodiversity technical advice.
You will provide input into a range of projects. You will help identify, design, and deliver a programme of mitigation and restoration activities in surface waters to deliver measurable environmental outcomes. Your work with operational staff will ensure we prevent or minimise ecological impacts from our own activities and those we regulate.
You will proactively engage staff throughout the EA, communicating with colleagues internally and externally to successfully build trusted networks. We seek to develop and influence partnerships and organisations to help meet the objectives of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and 25 Year Environment Plan.
You will keep up to date on changing legislation and best practice in order to inform internal priorities and direction. We aim to shape the job in a way that builds on your strengths and interests and reflects the developing needs of the business.
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.
The team
The team has a vast amount of expertise, and you’ll be offered mentoring and development opportunities. We cover a diverse range of environments including both urban and rural catchments.
The team plays a pivotal role in supporting the organisation to achieve biodiversity and ecological objectives. We screen and advise on internal plans/projects for potential biodiversity and geomorphology impacts, ensuring compliance with legislation. We deliver multiple benefits through river basin management and flood risk management.
Experience/skills required
You’ll be qualified to degree standard (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline and have the ability and knowledge to:
• Provide guidance to ensure compliance with Environment Agency policy and current legislation.
• Apply influencing skills and knowledge of stakeholder engagement techniques to work with both internal and external teams and partners.
• Provide knowledge of wetland and river conservation and legislation relating to wildlife and designated sites, and an understanding of policies relating to biodiversity.
• Achieve outcomes in line with the objectives of the Water Framework Directive.
• Be a passionate and confident biodiversity champion, understanding it’s importance and being able to communicate this to others.
• Be open to innovative ways of working, especially new opportunities to work with nature.
This role will require the applicant to have a full UK driving licence.