Title

Depot Supervisor – 33416

City/Town

Oxford

Region

London, South East

Vacancies

1

Salary Minimum

£34,320

Post Type

Permanent

Job ID

33416

Closing date

24 Feb 2026

Published date

02 Feb 2026

Grade

Staff Grade 4

Role type

Operational Delivery

Post type

Full Time, Compressed Hours

Security check

Basic Check

Job description

The Environment Agency are fully committed to having an inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. We don't just talk about diversity; we seek it, embrace it, and live it, for the benefit of our staff, our communities, and our environment. 

We are looking for a self-motivated, highly organised person to manage our Osney Yard depot with wet dock, including running of the wood working fabrication workshop. 

This role involves liaising and coordinating with external inspectors and Team Leaders in booking and attending site visits, assisting the Inspection Engineers to carry out LOLER, PUWER  and other examinations on plant and assets for legal compliance, as well as allocating actions and updating the EA’s asset register when actions have been completed. 

This role also includes the requirement to produce risk management paperwork, ensuring the health, safety and well-being of all elements of the depot, including the carpentry workshop, and the people who work within it. 

This is a hands-on role. The successful applicant will be expected to operate machinery within the depot including forklifts, grounds maintenance equipment and small power tools. The applicant will also be expected to carry out additional depot-based duties as required. Examples of these can be discussed at interview. 

The Flood and Coastal Risk Management Operations teams, based out of our Oxford depot, are responsible for operating and maintaining the flood risk management and navigation assets (e.g., reservoirs, flood banks, gates/sluices, locks, and weirs) in the Upper Thames area catchment. The field teams work flexibly within the Thames Area, supporting the work of other field teams where required. 

This team work Full Time Monday – Friday or part of a 9 day Fortnight- further information will be shared at interview stage. 

The Team:

Field Teams work to protect people, property, and the environment by maintaining and operating our flood and coastal risk management assets and responding to incidents. 

As the Depot Supervisor you will support our field teams at the base location, ensuring correctly maintained plant and equipment are ready to be utilised, with pre-inspection, audited use, and defects raised to keep in good working order.  

Experience/Skills Required:

Passionate about the environment, you will have the skills and knowledge necessary to manage a busy area depot. Ideally, you will also have operational flood risk management or construction/maintenance management experience and be up-to-date with current health and safety and construction legislation.  

 

Through experience to date, in your capability-based answers please demonstrate the following:

  • Strong leadership, interpersonal and communication skills, able to act as a role model with a can-do approach   
  • Ability to resource, prioritise and deliver a work programme, delegating tasks and tracking performance effectively 
  • Good understanding of Health & Safety legislation and practices with experience of managing equipment to assure compliance with legal requirements  
  • You must be able to take initiative, be flexible, solve problems and making decisions 
  • Experience in monitoring and improving performance 
  • Able to operate computer programmes effectively with good IT skills 
  • A full UK Manual driving licence is essential
Contact and Additional Information:

Incident Response is central to our mission. Everyone who joins us undertakes training and may support incident response, which could attract additional payments. 

Your base location will be Osney Yard depot. 

Please read the Candidate / Additional Information Pack for information. Any queries, contact [email protected]. 
 
Applications are “blind” assessed using your answers to the competency questions. 
 
If you consent to being held on a reserve list, we’ll hold your details for 6 months and may offer you an alternative post. 

Competence 1:
Health and Safety Management
Competence 1 Description:
Description: Making sure that risks to your colleagues and visitors are controlled safely and effectively.

More information on how to answer competency questions can be found in the candidate pack.

Question: As the Depot Supervisor your role is key to ensuring that the risks to your colleagues and visitors are controlled safely and effectively.

Please tell us about your approach to health, safety and the environment for on-site working. How have you helped ensure that people work safely, whilst also considering the environmental impacts of the work?
Competence 2:
Communicates Effectively
Competence 2 Description:
Description: Listens and questions to understand and engage. Conveys information and ideas clearly, accurately and persuasively through speech and writing.

More information on how to answer competency questions can be found in the candidate pack.

Question: As the depot supervisor you will regularly interact with contractors and visitors, as well as team members and other colleagues, so you will need to be able to communicate confidently and professionally.

Please tell us how your personal approach ensures you provide clear and effective communication to others, and provide an example of how you have previously dealt with a difficult situation to ensure a positive outcome?
Competence 3:
Takes Decisions and Solves Problems
Competence 3 Description:
Description: Finds and delivers optimal solutions by effectively analysing all the information, probing to develop alternatives and taking sound and timely decisions.

More information on how to answer competency questions can be found in the candidate pack.

Question: Please describe a time when you solved a problem by carefully looking at all the information, exploring different options, and making a well‑judged decision quickly?

If you are applying from the Civil Service please note that the Environment Agency is not a part of HM Civil Service and you would not be a Crown Servant in the event of being appointed. Therefore, you will not be eligible for continuous service. For applicants who currently work in local government or other bodies listed in the Redundancy Payments (Continuity of Employment in Local Government etc) (Modification) Order 1999, you may be eligible for continuous service for the purpose of calculating any future redundancy payment. If you are unsure of your status then you should contact your own HR Team.

We are fully committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. We welcome flexible working patterns for all our vacancies, including job share, so please include clearly any information regarding your preferred working arrangements on your application.

We also have a Guaranteed Interview Policy to support those with a disability who are seeking employment. We have committed to guaranteeing an interview to anyone with a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

The Environment Agency, as a Non-Departmental Public Body, is committed to providing value for money and utilises Central Government frameworks and contracts for all external recruitment needs. For this reason, we are unable to engage with the market directly through post, email or phone calls . Should you wish to become a support supplier on one of these frameworks or contracts please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/become-a-crown-commercial-service-supplier/becoming-a-supplier-through-the-crown-commercial-service-what-you-need-to-know for more information.

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Although the Environment Agency is a non-departmental public body sponsored by Defra, we subscribe to and align with the candidate guidance on the use of artificial intelligence found on the Civil Service Careers website. Please review for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.