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.

The EA is uniquely placed to support the government’s growth mission while ensuring the environment is protected and enhanced. 

We need influential and enthusiastic Senior Policy Advisors to join a new team to bring forward high profile growth sites while ensuring environmental protections. This includes supporting the Lead Environmental Regulator programme and intensive interventions on difficult sites, where a range of expertise from across the organisation is required to resolve complex problems. 

You will lead relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, directing effort across the organisation to support sustainable growth, innovation, and improved ways of working. 

You will drive cultural and behavioural change, ensuring our work supports the government’s growth mission while fulfilling our responsibility to protect and enhance the environment. 

Key responsibilities include: 

• taking the lead on developing understanding of site-specific issues, and working at pace with internal and external partners to find new and innovative solutions.
• working with external organisations such as government departments, local authorities, water companies, and the private sector on specific sites, and building those relationships to develop the pipeline of work and strategic interventions.
• providing leadership and assurance for high-profile projects including leadership of the Lead Environmental Regulator programme, ensuring effective advice, risk management, and alignment with organisational strategy.
• using data, evidence, and risk information to guide decisions to understand where interventions would have the greatest value. 

You'll join the Planning and Place team, which is part of the Nature and Place Directorate. We're committed to delivering sustainable growth while protecting and enhancing the environment. 

We are a welcoming, inclusive, supportive team, based across the full breadth of the country. We work collaboratively across our planning teams, and with operational colleagues across the country to deliver our planning service. 

Essential skills include:  

• a genuine interest in solving problems and finding new ways of working. Being energised by working at pace and in bringing the right people together to manage a difficult situation.
• an understanding of planning and permitting regimes and environmental regulation to help enable growth. 
• experience in partnership development, stakeholder management, and building internal and external relationships at a project or programme scale at pace. 
• experience of leading or supporting complex programmes, projects, or operational improvements in a regulatory, operational, or development environment. 
• comfortable working with data and confident challenging assumptions and communicate complex information appropriately across all business levels. 
• you will be able to work comfortably in a collaborative and inclusive way to propose and find new ways of delivering. 

 These roles will be available as both permanent and 12-24 month secondments

You’ll have an inclusive incident management objective in your development plan. We’ll help you find a role to suit your needs. Appropriate training will be given.

You will have an EA Office base location, as a national role the working location is flexible / hybrid.

We use smart tools to stay connected and reduce travel some travel and overnights may be required.

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.

Interviews will be held via MS Teams within four weeks of the closing date.

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.