Groundwater and Contaminated Land Officer; Hydrogeology

Job Description

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 alternative working arrangements will be available to support you with your incident role.

The Environment Agency are fully committed to having an inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. 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.

Groundwater contributes to nearly half of public water supply across the West Midlands and is vital for maintaining the health of rivers and wetlands and essential for industrial and agricultural water supply.

We are looking for the right person to join us to be part of a team that works to deliver effective management and protection of groundwater resources.

You will use your working knowledge and judgement to make operational and regulatory decisions and provide risk‑based advice. Customers include internal teams, water companies, industry, developers and local authorities.

You will work with the Team Leader, Technical Specialists and team members to ensure effective work delivery, prioritising and innovating to improve ways of working.

• contribute to projects relating to sustainable abstraction; ensuring delivery of groundwater improvements through water company plans;
• contribute to work to protect and monitor groundwater in the area; and provide advice on risk relating to pollution incidents
• influence planning consultations where there is potential impact on groundwater
• undertake analysis of complex hydrogeological problems
• get involved in all aspects of water resource/water quality work
• get involved in land contamination work

You’ll join our West Midlands GWCL Team. The team consists of Hydrogeologists and Contaminated Land experts working across 3 offices in the West Midlands. We provide technical expertise on groundwater quality and resource issues including no deterioration of groundwater, the Water Industry National Environment Programme and water resource management plans, internal drought plans and determining water resources licences. We monitor Contaminated Land Remediation projects and provide advice on waste, water quality and water resources permitting.

• Degree in geoscience, hydrogeology, geochemistry, land quality or a relevant scientific subject.
• Experience or working knowledge of groundwater quality, groundwater resources and contaminated land.
• A good communicator with time management/data management/interpersonal skills, who can present verbal/written arguments to a range of audiences, and ability to simplify technical detail.
• Ability to produce and interpret data to develop evidence and solve technical issues and successfully communicate outcomes with your team.

• Able to work well as part of a team but also independently.
• Post graduate qualification in hydrogeology is beneficial but not essential.
• Experience in hydrogeology such as site permitting, pollutions, chemistry knowledge groundwater risk assessments will be an advantage.

You’ll have a range of development opportunities and appropriate training will be provided.

Full UK driving licence.

Applications are “blind” assessed using your answers to the competency questions.

Interviews – within two weeks of the closing date.

If you consent to being held on a reserve list, we’ll hold your details for 6 months and may offer you an alternative post.

To find more information, please read the Candidate / Additional Information Pack or contact gemma.haywa or lisa.shephe

In your capability-based answers please demonstrate:

• Ability to work effectively with people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures and actively encourage others to consider diversity issues in their work.
• Sets and delivers high work standards, demonstrates the drive to meet targets.
• Prioritises and organises tasks and…