Geomorphology
Geomorphologists work as part of the Area Fisheries, Biodiversity and Geomorphology teams to protect and improve the local environment. You will liaise closely with other Area teams dealing with water quality, water resources, water resource regulation, flood risk management, environmental planning, environmental protection, planning and more.
Climate Change Impact
Environment Agency Geomorphology scientists are the people who understand how natural physical processes shape land, rivers, estuaries and coasts. Our geomorphology vision is a resilient future where natural physical processes shape healthy, thriving catchments and coastlines, delivering lasting ecosystem benefits in a changing climate. So, geomorphology science is a critical part of how we mitigate and adapt to climate change. We advise on where to work, and what to do, in order to protect the environment we have, and to restore it, making it more resilient to climate extremes.
Why Be a Geomorphologist at the Environment Agency?
Apply the science! Do good things! Meet great people!
If you have geomorphology expertise and you want to make a lasting difference, these could be the roles for you. You can really help to improve and to protect the environment, making it better for nature and for people. The area teams are right at the cutting edge of environmental protection and improvement, with varied, rewarding and fast-paced workloads.
The Environment Agency is hard to beat when it comes to being a geomorphologist. As well as working in a team of diverse environmental professionals, you will also join what is probably the largest and most supportive community of geomorphologists anywhere in the country, with nearly 40 specialists and officers who love sharing their knowledge to help you develop. And the Environment Agency is a supportive, flexible employer with great benefits too.
About the roles
Whether as a geomorphology specialist or officer, your role will be to provide specialist advice on natural physical processes, inputting to practical projects such as river restoration, Natural Flood Management, Environmental Land Management, and the Flood and Coastal Risk Management Capital programme.
You will also help to protect the environment through regulation by advising on permits, planning applications, and operational work, including site visits with colleagues and the public.
These roles are as much about people as about nature: you’ll need to be good at communicating geomorphological science to others, be that to colleagues, non-specialists or the public, in order to guide decisions that improve the environment and manage flood risk in ways that work with nature.
We are looking for geomorphology technical specialists to be based in one of the following area teams:
– Yorkshire
– Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire
– East Midlands
– East Anglia
– Solent and South Downs
– Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
We are also looking for a geomorphology officer to be based in the Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire team.
Geomorphology specialists are technical leaders, dealing with the more complex work, and able to get things done, managing priorities, and supporting strategic decisions in a fast-paced, agile environment. You will also coach and mentor other team members to increase their geomorphological knowledge.
Geomorphology officers provide broad technical advice on projects, planning and delivering work to meet deadlines while working closely with the area technical specialist on more complex situations.
Testimonials
‘Within my role, I am not just part of an Area team… I am part of a whole community of enthusiastic geomorphologists across the country. We share so much knowledge of our ever-changing dynamic river systems, so we are all constantly learning together. I’m often out visiting (or wading through!) rivers, inputting into a wide range of river projects. Our advice is always valued, and I really think we make a difference to restore healthy, functioning, water environments. Come and join the geomorphology revolution!’
Kate, Geomorphology Technical Specialist, Herts and North London Area
‘I am the Geomorphology Technical Specialist covering Wessex (Principally Somerset and Dorset), and I am also part of the country-wide group of area and national based Geomorphologists. My interest in Geomorphology started in my 2nd year at university where I took several Geomorphology based modules, at which time, I became really interested in better understanding how landscapes have evolved into what we see today. Outside of work, I am frequently out walking and cycling, and I love being able to use my Geomorphic knowledge to explain the landscape around me. In work time, you can often find me out visiting sites and splashing around in rivers (this is one of the main reasons I moved into geomorphology!). It feels good to be part of a wider EA geomorphology community, where if I don’t know the answer, help is never far away!’
Ollie, Geomorphology Technical Specialist, Wessex Area
