Environmental Officer

Attractive benefits package

• Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme (Norfolk Pension Fund)
• Private Medical Scheme
• Generous Leave Entitlement (24 – 29 days + Bank Holidays + Christmas Eve + New Year’s Eve)
• Car Allowance of £255 per month
• Modern Office + Free Parking
• Flexible Working Practices

About Us (WMA)

The Water Management Alliance (WMA) is a group of like-minded Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs) who share vision,
values and standards and have chosen to jointly administer their affairs in order to reduce costs, strengthen
their own organisations and increase influence at both regional and national level. An overview of the WMA can be
found on our homepage.

Internal Drainage Boards (“IDBs”) are local public authorities that manage flood risk and land drainage within
areas of special drainage need in England. IDBs undertake a vast range of vital work to reduce flood risk and
manage water in a way that meets the local needs of residents, businesses and agriculture in accordance with their
environmental duties whilst enhancing the ecological wellbeing of their districts.

The Environment Team within the Water Management Alliance works alongside the Operational and Technical (Catchment) Services meet the team’s key purpose of providing ecological advice to ensure that the Board’s core functions, such as project development/delivery, watercourse maintenance and third party regulation, do not cause environmental harm while seeking to enhance biodiversity where possible. Furthermore, the team ensures compliance with legislation and monitors and evaluates environmental commitments via the ISO 14001 Quality Management System.

The role focuses mainly on the proactive engagement with project managers, prior to and during delivery of small to medium size watercourse improvement projects (ranging from culvert replacements, to watercourse restorations and Natural Flood Management / NFM schemes), ensuring these projects prevent environmental harm, minimise ecological disturbance and enhance biodiversity wherever possible.

The role also involves supporting other environmental team members to assist them in ensuring standard IDB operations, such as routine watercourse maintenance or water level management activities prevent environmental harm and deliver IDB BAP actions to enhance IDB biodiversity objectives wherever possible.

Role Description:

The post holder will provide environmental advice to facilitate the delivery of small-mid sized capital schemes or partnership projects such as watercourse and/ or habitat restoration schemes, NFM, culvert replacements or other schemes undertaken on behalf of other flood risk management authorities. The post holder will also advise operational teams to ensure standard IDB operations such as routine watercourse maintenance do not cause environmental harm, and furthermore will enhance biodiversity wherever possible.

Daily tasks include the following:

• Undertaking a variety of ecological surveys and assessments including but not limited to habitat / species surveys, Environmental Impact Assessments, Water Framework Directive Assessments and Habitat Regulations Assessments.
• Writing, critically assessing, reviewing or presenting a variety of reports quickly, clearly and concisely for a variety of stakeholders.
• Attending sites to ensure compliance with the environmental procedures established in the Standard Maintenance Operations Policy (such as scoping and auditing of work) and to undertake specific surveys, such as species / ecological surveys, as required.
• Assisting with tasks and projects identified within each IDB’s Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP).
• Ensuring Health and Safety is paramount at all times and that Health and Safety objectives are promoted and achieved.
• Interpretation of relevant legislation to understand IDB obligations with regard to the environment, including application for licences or assents on behalf of the IDBs.
• Consultation with internal stakeholders (engineers, technical support teams and operations teams) and analysis of existing data sources.
• Liaison and negotiation with other external authorities such as the Environment Agency, Natural England, NGOs and local interest groups, aiming to build positive working relationships with a range of external stakeholders.
• Providing advice to the Sustainable Development Team and Compliance Team to ensure the IDB’s environmental obligations are met when regulating third party works.
• Responding to enquiries from the general public, attending meetings and undertaking routine correspondence.
• Investigating and reporting on environmental non-compliance.
• Maintaining an ecological records system and report findings to the Local Biodiversity Records Centre.
• Application and adherence of all WMA policies.
• Ensuring and monitoring compliance with the ISO 14001:2015 environmental quality standard across the WMA.
• Keeping knowledge current, by way of continuous professional development.
• Maintaining filing and administrative systems, as required.
• Willingness to travel and stay overnight on occasion, dependent on which Board requires service at the time.
• Deputising for other team members when required to do so.
• Any other duties that may reasonably be required.

Person Specification:

Qualification:

Essential-

• A relevant degree in an ecological or environmental subject OR significant relevant industry experience.
• Membership with a professional accreditation body, most likely CIEEM and eligible for Associate Membership with CIEEM (ACIEEM).

Desirable- 

• Licence holder for 1 or more protected species (eg, Bat, GCN, Watervole etc.)
• A CSCS card for site and construction work.
• Associate membership with a professional accreditation body, most likely CIEEM.

Experience:

Essential- 

• A minimum of two years relevant work experience working in an ecological role.
• Experience of undertaking Protected Species Surveys (Water voles, reptiles, bats, badgers).
• Experience of producing Habitats Regulation Assessments and Water Framework Directive Assessments.
• Experience working under protected species licences, notably Water Vole and Badger licences.

Desirable-

• Experience of being Ecological Clerk of Works (ECOW)
• Experience working with land drainage engineering techniques and water management.

Skills / Knowledge:

Essential-

• A full and valid driving licence.
• A knowledge of a wide range of environmental legislation.
• The ability to interpret and apply technical information (e.g. technical plans for proposed projects).
• Ability to prioritise effectively and organise workloads to meet deadlines
• Ability to analyse, interpret and communicate complex material, as well as having a methodical approach to work, demonstrating an attention to detail as well as accuracy in record keeping.
• Ability to competently use computer software such as Microsoft packages.
• Well-developed written and spoken communication skills (including letter writing, presentation skills and interpersonal communication).
• Ability to work well with others at all levels both internally and externally.
• Ability to work independently
• Be resilient and persuasive, with the ability to deal with challenges and questions confidently.
• Creative problem solving skills with an ability to identify areas for development and improvement.

Desirable- 

• An understanding of GIS software.
• Understanding of ISO 14001: 2015 and ISO 9001:2015.

Other Job Information:

• You must be physically fit to walk around watercourse and drainage catchments often in inclement weather conditions. Such areas are potentially difficult to access, dirty, remote and/or subject to dense vegetation.
• On occasion the post holder will be expected to work outside of ‘normal’ office hours to represent the Water Management Alliance and its member Boards at public meetings, events and committees.
• All work performed/duties undertaken must be carried out in accordance with relevant Water Management Alliance, Board and Departmental policies and procedures, within legislation, and with regard to the needs of our customers.
• Work within the public and Flood and Water Management sectors can involve dealing with new and emerging legislation. As such further duties or refinements of current workload may alter the remit of this role to meet the impact of new work areas in the organisation and/or relevant member Board’s. This highlights the importance of the post holder in being an effective advocate for this service area and having a good insight into the wider remits of the organisation.
• You will be required to actively consider the impact of your working arrangements on the organisation’s carbon footprint. Post holders should regularly review the necessity of printing hard copies of electronic documents and seek alternatives to work related travel where it is not essential and work objectives can be met by other means such as video conferencing.

For more information about the role or the WMA, please visit our website
www.wlma.org.uk
or contact Caroline Laburn
on 01553 819600
or caroline.laburn@wlma.org.uk.

To apply, please send your CV and a brief covering letter to caroline.laburn@wlma.org.uk.