The Flood Liaison Officer will play an exciting pivotal role in engaging with communities, building community flood resilience, liaising with Risk Management Authorities and other key stakeholders, and raising awareness of the sources of flood risk. This new role is situated in the Strategic Flood Management Team within the wider Flood Risk Management Team.
About us
The Flood Risk Management Team (managed by the Climate Change Programme and Partnership Manager) manage flood risk in Buckinghamshire Council’s role as the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA). The Team is comprised of the Strategic Flood Management Team, the Sustainable Drainage Team, Project Groundwater, and the Capital Flood Programme; with officers that are enthusiastic and passionate about managing local flood risk.
The Flood Risk Management Team deliver the statutory duties of the LLFA under the Flood and Water Management Act (2010) and Land Drainage Act (1991), development and delivery of a number of flood management and research projects, and guiding the flood management approach on large infrastructure projects.
The Strategic Flood Management Team, which this role is situated within, is responsible for the non-planning statutory role of the LLFA (Flood Investigations, Land Drainage Consents and Enforcement, and responding to enquiries).
We have recently updated our Local Flood Risk Management Strategy, which includes a number of exciting actions, including building the resilience of our communities to flood risk and climate change through planning and delivering flood resilience engagement and supporting community flood action groups.
About the role
Climate change is increasing the likelihood and extent of flooding; and communities in Buckinghamshire have experienced multiple flood events since the winter of 2000.
Pursuant to achieving the objectives of the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy, the Flood Liaison Officer will primarily: work on initiatives to increase stakeholders’ understanding of the sources of flood risk, and plan and deliver flood resilience engagement with local communities; effectively respond to requests for information and support regarding flood matters, and improve team communications; and liaise with organisations to collate information and help drive progress regarding flood risk mitigation activity and responses to flood events.
Key Accountabilities
- The main responsibilities and duties of the Flood Liaison Officer are to:
- Deliver initiatives which increase stakeholders’ understanding of the sources of flood risk.
- Plan, manage and deliver/or contribute to projects and programmes that build community flood resilience in Buckinghamshire. This may include:
- Leading on engagement with at-risk communities to support existing Flood Action Groups or the establishment of new Flood Action Groups
- Helping communities design and develop flood plans
- Supporting communities in building trust and effective relationships with the Council and partner Risk Management Authorities
- Develop and maintain strong working relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders (including the public, Parish and Town Councils, elected members of the Council, Highways, the Environment Agency, the Council’s Resilience Team, Water Companies, and neighbouring Lead Local Flood Authorities)
- Support the Strategic Flood Management Team’s involvement in the council’s response to potential and actual flood events.
- Provide accurate authoritative advice regarding flood matters.
- Improve Council communications on flooding, including contributing to the development and delivery of communications plans.
- Work with Risk Management Authorities and other stakeholders to collate information and help drive progress regarding flood risk mitigation activity and responses to flood events.
About you
You will have relevant experience of communications and stakeholder engagement, and worked in the flood risk management field or a related professional field. As such you will have authoritative knowledge of relevant systems, legislation, policies, and funding in relation to flood risk management (including working knowledge of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 and the Land Drainage Act 1991, and the roles and responsibilities of different risk management authorities) and excellent interpersonal skills. Project, contract, financial, and funding management experience is desirable.
For additional details, please see the attached job summary, but do pay close attention to the above information from this advert for the key requirements.
Other information
For additional information or an informal conversation about this role or the team’s work, please contact Andrew Waugh (andrew.waugh@buckinghamshire.gov.uk; 01296 382621).
This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:
- All unspent cautions and/or unspent convictions
For further information on how long it takes for cautions and convictions cautions to become spent, please refer to our guide on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (updated 2023) | Nacro
We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.
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