City/Town
Various
Region
National
Vacancies
1
Salary Minimum
£54,940 Pro-rata
Post Type
Fixed Term
Job ID
33705
Closing date
26 Apr 2026
Published date
06 Apr 2026
Grade
Staff Grade 6
Role type
Environment & Sustainability
Security check
Basic Check
Job description
The Environment Agency is seeking a Senior Advisor to lead the development, coordination, and improvement of processes that collate catchment evidence underpinning the water body Programmes of Measures (PoMs). As the competent authority for River Basin Management Plans, the EA must deliver PoMs supported by robust, transparent evidence—an area under increased scrutiny.
You will champion approaches for collating, storing, and presenting evidence, helping Areas adopt a consistent, proven method that several teams are eager to implement but have been unable to due to limited resources.
Your leadership will help ensure the EA can deliver a coherent, high‑quality evidence base to support transparent decision‑making. Without this post, Areas risk being unable to justify decisions on measures, leaving the EA exposed to reputational damage and further legal challenge.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the development, governance, and improvement of catchment evidence packs that underpin selection of measures within PoMs.
- Provide technical direction to Areas and help embed consistent methods for evidence use and presentation nationwide.
- Support PoMs statutory duties, including contributing evidence for stakeholder engagement in 2026 and formal consultation in 2027.
- Address capacity shortfalls and ensure evidence quality is robust enough to withstand increasing legal and public scrutiny.
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.