Hydrogeology Technical Specialist - Hertfordshire & North London

About us

Join the Environment Agency and help us protect our environment while preserving it for future generations. Hydrogeology is critical to supporting operational decisions, our environmental regulation and to further our understanding of the pressures placed on our water resources because of climate change. For this role the groundwater of the chalk aquifer plays a central role in drinking water supply as well as sustaining flow and supporting ecosystems dependent on the rare chalk streams.

This is a technical leadership role within the discipline of Hydrogeology and you will need to lead hydrogeological technical work projects or tasks as well as provide technical advice on hydrogeological and water resource activities in multi-disciplinary projects. Technical Specialists are a technically authoritative point of contact for internal and external customers. You’ll work in collaboration with colleagues in our hydrology, water resources planning, monitoring, hydroecology, and contaminated land teams, and will be proactive in solving problems and setting up networks to help you deliver.

The role will help to ensure that future water demands are met whilst protecting groundwater and rivers and will include:
- Working with licence holders, particularly water companies, to ensure licences are sustainable from our Chalk, and other aquifers.
- Pre license application consultation for groundwater abstraction including groundwater heating and cooling schemes.
- Updating resource strategy and identify water resource initiatives, using our state of the art groundwater models.
- Delivering our Water Framework Directive measures and Restoring Sustainable abstraction investigations.

Where you will work

The post is part of the Groundwater and Hydrology team in the Hertfordshire and North London Area. The team’s hydrogeologists and hydrologists provide technical expertise and support on of water resource management and regulations. They are responsible for providing technical and scientific expertise to internal teams, and to a wide range of external stakeholders, all to protect the quantity of groundwater.

Our Welwyn Garden City base location has a hybrid model allowing individuals to work either at home or at our office (a minimum number of days in the office per week will be agreed with your line manager and will be dependent on business needs and reviewed periodically).

What do I need?

• A strong?scientific background in and understanding of hydrogeology.?You will have a hydrogeological technical qualification (BSc, MSc) or have significant hydrogeological  experience in water resources. Ideally you will have groundwater model user skills.
• Ability to lead hydrogeological technical work projects and provide hydrogeological expertise in multi-disciplinary projects.
• You are enthusiastic to protect and promote groundwater. You will identify issues and solutions for a wide range of groundwater related activities.
• You will be able to communicate and present convincing verbal and written arguments to different audiences, both internally and externally, and have experience of being able to influence decision makers.
• Experience of training and/or coaching others.
• We would like you to join us if you are confident in making reasoned, technically challenging decisions that enable us manage water resources sustainably into the future.
• Membership of a professional body (such as The Geological Society, CIWEM, BHS) will be beneficial, but is not essential.

What you will get

• Annual salary £37,462
• Training and support for professional development
• Wellbeing programmes
• Career development and training
• Employee benefits
• Flexible hybrid working hours + the potential for 15 additional flexi credit days if credit hours have been accrued
• 25 days annual leave + 8 days Bank Holidays

Contact and Additional Information

At the Environment Agency, we go above and beyond when it comes to diversity—we seek out new perspectives, welcome different experiences and promote inclusivity both within our staff team as well as wider communities. We're on a mission to create lasting change for people's lives across every corner of society.

Responding to incidents is a central part of what we do. You will be required to have an incident role and make yourself available to respond to incidents, or provide business continuity support during an incident. This may attract an additional payment and full training and workplace adjustments will be available to support you with your incident role.

If you have any questions regarding the vacancy or application process, please contact the recruitment team at earecruitment@peoplescout.co.uk.

The information in the candidate pack is available and should be read in conjunction with the advert to understand key accountabilities and skills for success in this role.