National Infrastructure Team Fisheries Technical Specialist (freshwater fish) - 28550

Do you want to work for an organisation that values difference and includes everyone?
Then the Environment Agency is the organisation for you!
We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities for everyone. We welcome flexible working patterns for all our vacancies, including job share.
You’ll be part of a technical group of environmental specialists to review and advise on major infrastructure projects. You will be based in a national team.

Your work will have the aquatic environment at its heart, and you’ll work:

• with other technical infrastructure specialists to advice how important national development can work in an environmentally sustainable way
• To provide robust ecological advice on siting, construction and operational impact issues of the development to the freshwater fish
• To provide advice on data needs and evidence to support planning applications, and to validate the technical information produced
• To provide advice on any monitoring and environmental mitigation or planning conditions required.
• and effectively with people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures and encourage others to consider diversity issues in their work.
We are looking for an experienced freshwater/migratory fish specialist to provide technical advice and a regulatory steer on Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) to Local Planning Authorities and the Planning Inspectorate.

The posts will focus on

- salmon, trout, eel and freshwater fisheries and named fish species protected under Habitats Directive.
You’ll provide a high-quality service to Area and National level teams.

The Environment Agency is a Category 1 responder under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004. This vacancy also guarantees an incident response role to assist with management of any incident that requires a structured approach working together with partner agencies to protect the public and the environment.

Our new National Infrastructure team will complement and support existing Area based work on major infrastructure, allowing flexibility to face workload pressures as they evolve across the country. As part of an exciting new way of working, you will help lead and develop a strong, supportive, dynamic and agile team working environment. Location is flexible, working in both EA offices and at home, across England, with some travel / overnight stays needed.

You are a passionate and authoritative advocate for the environment.
You will have knowledge of:
• Ecology of salmon, trout, eel and freshwater fish
• How infrastructure developments may impact these environments, and mitigation or improvement may need to be considered.
• Environment agency environmental role.
• Marine planning and licensing
• You will have skills and experience in
• General fisheries ecological monitoring and assessment.
• Environmental Impact Assessments and development consents
• Data management and analysis.
• Report writing.

Experience of working on large planning applications would be highly desirable.

You will be:
• A team player with excellent interpersonal skills,
• capable of influencing planning decisions to ensure that the environment is protected and enhanced for the future.
• Well-organised, computer literate and able to respond to tight deadlines.
• Focused on delivering work to time and with a clear customer focus.

Everyone starting in a new role will be welcomed into the team and given all the training and support needed. As part of your comprehensive induction, you will be provided with all the equipment required for your role.

We offer an extensive range of employee benefits and the opportunity to progress your career with us via professional training routes such as apprenticeships and degree programmes.

You'll be based at an EA office which will be agreed with the successful candidates. However, we are adopting new ways of working which allows some flexibility to work from home.

For questions relating to this role, please contact Pete Dedes at panagiotis.dedes@environment-agency.gov.uk.

Sets and delivers high work standards, demonstrates the drive to meet targets. Prioritises and organises tasks and resources to ensure timely achievement of results. Please give an example of using this competency, with particular consideration of the nature of this role and the requirements of the post.

Listens and questions to understand and engage. Conveys information and ideas clearly, accurately, and persuasively through speech and writing. Please give an example of using this competency, with particular consideration of the nature of this role and the requirements of the post.

Finds and delivers optimal solutions by effectively analysing all the information, probing to develop alternatives and taking sound and timely decisions. Please give an example of using this competency, with particular consideration of the nature of this role and the requirements of the post.

Applies scientific knowledge specifically fish impact assessment to provide sound, science-based evidence to our internal and external customers. Please give an example of using this competency, with particular consideration of the nature of this role and the requirements of the post.