Desirable Criteria
- Professional membership of a water/flood/environmental organisation is desirable.
Job Description
This is a unique opportunity to shape how England understands and manages flood risk. As Deputy Director for Flood Risk Assessment, you will provide strategic leadership and technical authority for flood and coastal erosion risk modelling and mapping across the Environment Agency.
You will set the national direction for flood risk modelling and mapping, ensuring the evidence underpinning flood risk management, spatial planning and national investment decisions is robust, consistent and trusted. In doing so, you will fulfil the newly created Head of Flood Risk Modelling and Mapping role, providing clear leadership for this critical capability across the organisation.
You will oversee the prioritisation of modelling and mapping activity across national and local operational programmes, ensuring resources are directed to where they deliver greatest value, supporting priorities such as flood defence investment, land use planning and climate resilience. Working closely with delivery teams, you will commission and assure modelling activity, improving consistency, reducing duplication and securing value for money from suppliers and technical frameworks.
You will lead the development and enhancement of national flood risk assessment capability, including oversight of major programmes that improve modelling approaches, data quality and analytical tools. This includes the continuous improvement of the Environment Agency’s world-leading National Flood Risk Assessment.
As a Deputy Director, you will build and maintain strong relationships with key national stakeholders including government departments, developers, infrastructure providers and the insurance sector. You will also advise on organisational capability and future skills, ensuring the Environment Agency continues to develop the expertise needed to deliver high-quality flood risk modelling and mapping.
Responding to incidents is central to our work. You will have an incident role and make yourself available to respond to incidents or provide business continuity support. This may attract an additional payment, with full training and alternative working arrangements available.
The team
The Deputy Director for Flood Risk Assessment leads and manages a department of around 40 FTEs made up of subject matter and technical experts on flood and coastal erosion modelling, mapping and risk assessment. This Deputy Director has five Grade 7 manager direct reports. The department is responsible for major programmes of work on mapping and modelling improvements.
You will report to the Director of Flood Risk Strategy and Adaptation.
Experience/skills Required