Permitting Officers (Grade 3)

Permitting Officers
Permanent, Full Time, Part Time/Job Share/Term Time
Staff Grade: 3

About Us:

Join our dedicated team within the Permitting Service as we work to determine the necessary
environmental permits for activities that have the potential to pollute the air, water, or
land, increase flood risk, or impact land drainage.

What will you do:

As a flood risk activity permitting officer, you will play a vital role in protecting the
environment and supporting the work of the Environment Agency (EA). You will be responsible for
assessing applications for a range of flood risk activities across the country, from minor
construction in and around rivers, to nationally significant flood management projects. By
following EA processes and regulatory obligations, you will conduct technical assessments to
ensure the environment and local communities are safeguarded.

Why choose us:

1. Impactful Work: By joining the Environment Agency (EA), you become part of a collective
   effort to protect and improve the environment in England. Our work addresses national-level
   issues, ranging from industry regulation to flood defences, land contamination, water quality,
   fisheries, and conservation. As a flood risk activity permitting officer, you will play a
   crucial role in safeguarding the environment by assessing applications for a wide range of
   flood risk activities. Your work directly contributes to creating a more sustainable and safer
   environment by supporting growth and enabling people to go about their business.
2. Team Environment: The EA’s diverse scope of work necessitates a multi-skilled workforce.
   Working with us means being part of a team that promotes sustainable growth, tackles climate
   change, and secures a better future for everyone. As a permitting officer, you will collaborate
   with professionals from various disciplines and engage with permit applicants, ranging from
   multinational companies to individual householders. This collaboration and interaction allow
   for a rich and diverse working environment, fostering personal and professional growth.
3. Varied and Impactful Responsibilities: As a flood risk activity permitting officer, you
   will experience highly varied and challenging work that is essential to protection of people,
   wildlife and the natural environment. You will assess applications for environmental permits,
   ensuring compliance with EA processes and regulatory obligations. You will manage a caseload of
   permit applications for a range of flood risk activities and make informed decisions that
   directly impact flood risk and environmental management. This role offers continuous learning
   opportunities and the chance to deepen your expertise in environmental permitting.
4. Creating a Safer Environment: The work of permitting officers at the EA plays a key role in
   creating a more sustainable and safer environment. By assessing applications for environmental
   permits, you actively contribute to the protection of local communities and natural resources.
   Additionally, you will develop relationships with a wide range of partners and support vital
   functions, such as flooding and environmental response. This holistic approach ensures that our
   work extends beyond permitting, enabling comprehensive environmental management.
5. Incident Response: 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 will be given, alternative working arrangements will be available
   to support you with your incident role. there are a range of incident roles available to
   support varied working patterns and in line with our flexible working policy.”

What do you need:

1. Effectively manage your own time and workload, meeting performance targets for both
   yourself and your team.
2. Demonstrate the ability to make informed and timely decisions, providing justifiable
   reasoning behind your choices.
3. Possess excellent communication skills and the ability to build strong relationships with
   customers.
4. Exhibit proficiency in IT skills, including experience with data management, information
   processing, and tools such as Word, Excel, and job-specific digital platforms.
5. Demonstrate expertise in data/information management, including the ability to gather and
   manipulate data, analyse it, and tailor it to different audiences.
6. Be capable of handling difficult conversations with customers by balancing the needs of the
   customer and the environment and displaying confidence in making risk-based decisions.
7. While prior experience in environment permitting is not mandatory, having some experience
   or interest in the environment and regulation is preferred. What we value most is a passion for
   the environment and a strong desire to protect it by regulating harmful activities.
8. GCSE English Grade A-C or equivalent

What’s in it for you?

You’ll benefit from a culture that embraces difference and includes everyone, where you’ll feel
supported and trusted to do the right thing. We’ll invest in you and allow you to grow and
shape your career.

What’s more, you’ll have access to our great benefits package including:

1. A competitive salary of £28,607 pro rata.
2. 25 days holiday + 8 bank holidays
3. Company pension scheme
4. Great career opportunities
5. Maternity, paternity, and adoption leave scheme
6. A range of flexible working options, plus many more!

All locations offer hybrid working with a minimum of 20% office based
working, full training will be given. These training sessions will be conducted in
your base location.

As an organisation we strive to reflect the communities we serve, to achieve this we welcome
applications from all backgrounds regardless of race, sexual orientation, and religion. We also
welcome applications for part-time hours. 

If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you. Click apply and start your application
today!

Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of the UK’s biggest environmental organisation. Join us,
and together, let’s tackle the challenges of a changing climate, support growth and build a
more sustainable future. Apply now and embark on a rewarding and fulfilling career journey with
the Environment Agency.

Please be advised this role does not currently meet the eligibility criteria
for Visa sponsorship.

Closing date for applications Monday 24th March
2025.

Interviews will be taking place week commencing
7th April 2025.