E&B Advisor - Resources from Waste - 29860

Job Description

The Environment Agency (EA) 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.

This assignment offers a unique opportunity to use your skills in waste management or environmental science to achieve direct, measurable environmental outcomes. Our team supports the development of the Circular Economy and helps implement the Government’s Resource and Waste Strategy and we are looking to recruit an Advisor to contribute to this work.

The role will be based in our Definition of Waste (DoW) Service. The DoW Service’s primary function is to provide support to industry, operating a service for external companies to apply for an opinion directly from the EA on the waste status of materials. As advisor you will:

• Lead on the assessment of definition of waste submissions from industry – using your skills to critically assess proposals and identify issues related to environmental impact.
• Provide advice and support to EA staff on definition of waste issues – becoming a trusted expert internally for this area of work.
• Supporting high level work for new or emerging technologies – working with our Senior Advisor in exploring new possibilities with industry.
  
  
  

The role involves regular problem solving and requires a pro-active approach to work and the ability to critically assess information. Whilst a good understanding of waste regulation, including definition of waste, will be a benefit in this role, the following are key to success in the position:

• The drive to look for different or ‘not immediately obvious’ solutions.
• The ability to make decisions on limited information.
• Being able to see the bigger picture and cut through the details.
  
  
  

The team

The Resources from Waste Team sits within Waste Regulation in the EA’s Environment and Business Directorate. We are a dispersed team providing a commercial service to external customers, as well as technical support to internal colleagues and policy input to Defra on all aspects of Definition of Waste. We are a small but experienced team and can technically develop your specific skills in definition of waste.

Experience/skills Required

You will ideally have:

• A good understanding of waste regulation, including definition of waste,
• The ability to read, analyse and interpret technical documentation. You will be comfortable in decision making and will present back your own ideas, based on evidence and interpretation, to make recommendations to colleagues,
• Great customer engagement skills,
• A proactive approach to your work, and
• To be able to work as part of a dispersed team and show you can use your initiative to work independently and manage your time effectively.
  
  
  

Contact and additional information

We would recommend that you contact: Mike A Smith - Resources from Waste Team Leader on 07702 719353 [email protected].

We're interested in candidates from a wide range of backgrounds and welcome flexible working patterns for all our vacancies, including job share.

Application sifting is based on your answers to the capabilities. Make sure you make use of the 250-word limit in your answer. Use the Situation, Task, Action, Result (STAR) approach when framing your answers.

Occasional travel and overnight stays will be required. The post is temporary, but we hope to make it permanent subject to an approved business case and further standard recruitment

Length of contract

up to 18 months

Competence 1

Achieves Results

Description

In this role you will need to set and deliver high work standards and demonstrate a drive to meet targets. You will also need to prioritise and organise tasks to ensure timely achievement of results. Please give us an example that illustrates this approach to your work. It should include how you:

• Effectively planned your work
• Have been tenacious and persevered when others might have given up and by doing so achieved the desired results,
• Anticipated forth-coming issues and adjusted your actions as necessary,
• Have been willing to put in extra effort to meet urgent deadlines when required, and
• Have been resilient and performed well under pressure and responded positively to setbacks and developed alternative actions.
  
  
  

Competence 2

Takes Decisions and Solves Problems

Description

In this role you will need to be able to work with submissions from customers and analyse data and information in a timely manner, sometimes making decisions on incomplete information. Please give an example of where you have faced a similar task and how you went about solving it. Your example should include indicators such as:

• Used previous experience and careful analysis to identify potential problems, effect solutions and arrive at sound decisions.
• Identified and asked appropriate questions to explore and detect root causes of problems or sources and quality of evidence.
• Applied sound techniques to analyse problems, generate options and select best course of action.
• Sought out and considered the best available information before making decisions.
• Confronted head-on difficult situations where major decisions had to be made quickly.
• Made sound decisions based on complex or incomplete information and/or within limited timescales.
• Escalated issues when they were beyond your own limitations and/or have consequences further than your own responsibilities.
  
  
  

Competence 3

Uses Initiative

Description

As an Advisor you will need to be proactive and use your initiative when dealing with customer submissions or internal and external queries. Please give an example of where you have dealt with a piece of work which may have been either outside of your immediate work area and/or where the answer wasn't immediately obvious. You answer should include things like where you have:

• Taken action over and above what is required (within own level of authority) to ensure that a task is performed efficiently and effectively.
• Proactively looked for better ways of doing things.
• Sought opportunities to make a greater contribution to the team.
• Reacted positively and quickly to new opportunities,
• Readily responded to situations that require urgent action and/or when referral to others is not a viable option.
• Were willing to take sensible risks when necessary to achieve objectives.
  
  
  

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.