Environment Agency

Senior Lawyer - Environmental Law, Flood, Planning and Regulatio

Salary: £52,929 + Market Forces Factor allowance of £5,250 pa

Location: Birmingham, Bristol, Exeter, Leeds, Peterborough, Reading, Warrington

Working Pattern: Full Time, Part Time

Post Type: Permanent

Reference: 30227

At the Environment Agency we aspire for inclusivity to thrive in our workforce. We embrace equal opportunities and flexible work arrangements, ensuring everyone can contribute and succeed.

Legal Services is recruiting to a number of Senior Lawyer roles working on environmental law, flood risk, planning and environmental regulation. This is an opportunity to work at the cutting edge of environmental law and regulation, doing work that is challenging, rewarding, interesting and fast paced.

We provide advice and litigation services to help the Environment Agency to protect and improve the environment, create better places for people and wildlife and support sustainable development, within the rule of law. Our work includes:

-Legal advice on policy and legislative development;

-Legal advice on interpretation of current laws, Environment Agency decision-making and legal risk management;

-Legal advice on regulatory notices and compliance by operators;

-Legal advice in relation to the delivery of our flood risk management operations and projects, including advice relating to compulsory purchase, planning and powers of entry;

-Civil litigation including Judicial Review;

-Civil appeals including PINS, First Tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal;

-Training colleagues on application of relevant law.

We are recruiting to roles covering:

-Waste law and regulation

-Radioactive substances and nuclear regulation

-Climate Change trading and regulation

-Flood risk and planning law.

You will handle complex legal issues and be able to demonstrate a thorough working knowledge of relevant regulatory and public law principles. You will use your organisational skills, good legal judgement and appreciation of legal risk to handle a demanding workload with a high degree of autonomy and have a proven track record of delivering high quality work on time.

You will provide high quality legal advice to colleagues in client teams on legislative, policy or operational regulatory issues, working closely with colleagues, stakeholders and government departments.

The team

These roles are in the Environment Agency’s in-house legal service, within our National, Environmental Regulation and FCRM and Planning teams.

Our vision is to be an outstanding legal service, committed to the highest standards of customer service and professionalism, where clients trust and respect our high quality, risk-based legal advice and judgement; a fantastic place to work, where our staff reflect our diverse society, feel valued and trusted and are able fulfil their potential.

Experience/skills required

Fully qualified lawyer (solicitor, barrister or legal executive) entitled to practice in England with at least 3 years’ post qualification experience.

Strong analytical skills, an appreciation of legal risk, ability to see legal issues in their wider context and pick up new areas of law quickly.

Able to communicate effectively, be flexible and have experience of influencing and persuading at all levels which will include advising senior management sometimes up to Chief Executive level.

Good knowledge and experience advising on complex issues in one or more of the following, and/or interest in developing your expertise in these areas:

-Environmental Permitting, waste, radioactive substances, climate change or chemicals regulation

-Flood risk and planning law

-Regulatory policy, public law, legislative process, drafting

-Regulation and civil enforcement.

In some roles you will, after induction, have the opportunity to undertake advocacy defending statutory appeals before the First Tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal.

Contact and additional information

It is important to us that our workforce is representative of the diverse communities we serve, and we welcome candidates with a diverse range of experiences and backgrounds.

These posts can be based in Bristol, Birmingham, Exeter, Warrington, Reading, Leeds or Peterborough. We offer the option to combine home working with attendance at the contractual office base, subject to meeting business needs. Travel is occasionally required.

We welcome applications from candidates seeking full time or flexible working patterns including part-time or job-share. Please highlight preferred flexible working arrangements in your application.

For further information contact LASrecruitment@environment-agency.gov.uk

Closing date: 9 February 2025, 23:55 hours.