Operations Advisor

Defra is the Lead Government Department in England for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) recovery, and responsible for the provision of remediation capability in the UK, for CBRN incidents which overwhelm local arrangements. The CBRN Recovery team is multidisciplinary, comprising Policy, Science and Operations colleagues. This role sits in the Operations team, which focuses on developing and maintaining Defra’s ability to deliver operational capabilities in the event of a CBRN incident.

Defra is the department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people’s day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink. This broad remit and the complexity of Defra’s interests means that planning for and responding to major emergencies is a key part of our work.

The Flood, Water and CBRN Emergencies team is a fast paced and high-profile team at the heart of Defra’s contingency planning, working closely with resilience teams across government, scientists and engineers, operational leads, communications colleagues, Private Offices and Ministers.

• We prepare for the recovery following the release of Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) materials into the open or built environment, and the recovery from nuclear accidents.
• We plan for and respond to natural hazards such as flooding.
• We lead on risk management and planning for threats to water supply and lead on incidents working closely with the water sector and other sector leads across government.
• We also coordinate Defra’s interests in other incidents, working across the Defra Group to understand risks and provide ministers with advice, consistent and timely information during an emergency.