Environmental Planning

**Environmental Planning: Water Quality Officer**

**Salary: £33,000**

**Staff Grade: 4**

**Locations: Ipswich**

**Permanent / Full Time**

**About Us**

The Environment Agency has a broad and varied remit to protect and enhance the environment, with a goal to create a cleaner, safer and healthier environment for people and wildlife. Water is at the heart of all we do, drinking, washing, recreation, industry and health, our environment and economy depends on this precious resource. Clean and available water is essential and as water becomes an increasingly scarce resource, we need to do more to ensure we protect it.

Water companies must invest billions of pounds over the next five years to protect the environment from pollution. This scale of investment has not been seen for more than a generation. We need your knowledge and experience to help us advise water companies on their plans and hold them to account for their protection of the water environment. Come be a part of the teams that ensure our environment is protected now and for future generations.

**What’s in it for you**:
You’ll benefit from a culture that embraces difference and is inclusive where you’ll feel supported and trusted to do the right thing. We’ll invest in you and allow you to grow and shape your career. What’s more, you’ll have access to our great benefits package including:

- A salary up to £33,000.
- A generous pension scheme of up to 19%.
- Overtime opportunities through standby and incident pay.
- 25 days holiday + 8 bank holidays for full-time employees.
- Two additional days for paid environmental outcomes giving you the opportunity to take part in community activities.
- Great career opportunities.
- Maternity, paternity, and adoption leave scheme.
- Options for hybrid, flexible and / or part-time working.

**Your role**:
We are looking for Water Quality Planning Officers who will support local water quality improvement through working with our water quality planning priorities. You will be part of a team of local Area Water quality planners and join an existing network of dedicated water quality planners who sit in teams across the country.

**What will you do**:
Water Quality Planning Officers in our Integrated Environment Planning Teams drive improvements in local rivers, lakes and coastal waters.

You will provide technical support on a range of water quality workstreams and support the team in its planning of projects to improve water quality.

The workstreams may include:

- Delivery of the Water Industry National Environment Programme on the Price Review process with the water company.
- Responding to requests for information from the public, MPs and others.
- Planning of Protected Areas improvements, including bathing waters, shellfish waters and drinking waters.
- Within the Environment Agency, you will work with National colleagues, who provide guidance, and technical support. You will also work with other local Area Teams with specialist knowledge in different aspects of the local environment, and environmental regulations.

We are seeking a positive and motivated self-starter, with a willingness to learn and the ability to work alongside others. Your support will be key to delivering a wealth of positive environment outcomes across each area.

**What you’ll need**:
**Essential**
- Degree / Equivalent qualification in a relevant environmental discipline - for example, but not limited to - Chemistry, Biology, Geography, Engineering, GeoScience, Ecology, Environmental science, Sustainability, Data science and analytics; OR relevant professional experience working in the environmental sector.

**Desirable**
- Ability to analyse technical information
- Good organisational skills/discipline and the ability to plan, track, deliver and evaluate work, meeting relevant standards and timescales
- The ability to work collaboratively with others and influence workstreams to ensure water quality outcomes are secured
- Confidence to manage competing workloads and deliver tasks to deadlines
- Ability to effectively work in a dispersed team

**Additional Information**

Please note that a reserve list will be held for up to 12 months, and you may be offered other roles in other locations including temporary roles, which may be similarly aligned to this role.

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

This role must be undertaken from within the UK and does NOT qualify for sponsorship.To seek professional advice please visit the UK Government website regarding visas and immigration for obtaining the right to work in the UK.

**Interview Dates**: w/c 13th and 20th October 2025

**Job Types**: Full-time, Permanen