Catchment Strategy Lead

Summary

Do you have a proven track record in developing and implementing impactful environmental strategies?

Are you looking for a role where your innovative ideas will directly impact drinking water quality and wider environmental benefits?

As Catchment Strategy Lead you will be responsible for developing and implementing South East Water’s Catchment Strategy with a particular focus on adding value to the company’s Water Industry National Environment Programme.

This role will seek to initiate, set up and maintain key partnerships working across South East Water’s catchment areas and track and monitor the added benefits of working in partnership.

You will develop catchment strategies, identify goals and collaborate with a range of partners and stakeholders, monitoring progress and success.

As part of the role, you will develop innovative solutions and trials with partners to deliver measurable outcomes to help protect our drinking water sources and achieve wider environmental benefits.

You will support and develop future Water Resource Management Plans (WRMPs) and help drive the development of future Water Industry National Environment Plans (WINEP).

Main responsibilities:

• Developing and delivering catchment strategy plans for South East Water
• Responsible for monitoring and measuring the success of partnership working across South East Water’s WINEP and wider environmental initiatives. This would include tracking the benefit of partnership working that other catchment advisors are delivering.
• Establishing, building and maintaining relationships with key partners to deliver outcomes for the WINEP and wider catchments, motivating/supporting individuals in the catchment team with partnerships in their areas.
• Identify opportunities for new partnership working within the agricultural supply-chain for food production - including supermarkets and small businesses - to influence sustainable farming practices in relation to clean and plentiful water in South East Water catchment areas.
• Work alongside the Non Household (NHH) team, to identify opportunities for water savings on agricultural businesses and work with the wider catchment team to promote working practices.
• Identify partnership opportunities for innovative trials within South East Waters catchments. Set up, monitor and deliver these innovative trails documenting the wider benefits and case studies to inform future working practices and PR29 WINEP.
• Support with engaging and contributing to catchment partnerships meetings and liaising with stakeholder partners.
• Write and coordinate technical reports, communication documents to a high standard to meet robust internal and regulatory deadlines.
• Check and review work prepared by others.

You'll need:
Skills / Qualifications / Experience

• Technically qualified environmentalist (with a degree, HND or equivalent work related experience) with extensive experience in a similar role.
• Thorough understanding of environmental regulatory compliance in the water industry.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong collaboration and influential skills, experienced in working in cross sector teams within the water industry, regulators, eNGOs, universities, farmers and land based industries.
• Excellent data interpretation skills, reflecting the need to use the data to inform and influence stakeholders.
• Full, clean driving licence and ability to travel across Company region/areas as required.
• Good knowledge of catchment restoration or the agricultural sector.
• Sound knowledge of groundwater and surface water sources in the context of public water supply including knowledge of water quality and quantity issues affecting the South East of England.
• Ten years experience of working in catchment management, land management advice, catchment partnerships, or land based innovation such as nature based solutions.
• Robust practical environmental experience in delivering projects in partnership.

It will be a bonus if you have:
Skills / Qualifications / Experience

• Degree ideally in a scientific discipline or relevant work related area.
• Professional Chartership or working towards.
• A good understanding of Agricultural Policy in England and awareness of wider Environmental Policy.
• A working knowledge of integrated catchment management planning systems and approaches.
• Working knowledge of green finance /environmental markets approaches and development.
• Understanding of Natural Capital Evaluation and the metrics, models and tools used in environmental benefit assessments.
• Ability to work with uncertainty and plan adaptively as a self-starter.
• Project management experience or a project management qualification.

We want to be the water company people want to be supplied by and want to work for.

We know the communities we serve are diverse. We recognise creativity comes from diversity not similarity. That’s why we are enthusiastic about creating inclusion across age, race, gender, ethnicity, religion and identity. You will experience our dedication to equal opportunities and fair treatment for all: through your recruitment, employment and career progression with South East Water.

Benefits package:

• Excellent Stakeholder pension scheme, up to 10% employer contribution.
• 5 weeks holiday plus bank holidays per annum, increasing to 6 weeks with length of service.
• Flexible annual leave policy to buy or sell holiday leave.
• Paid volunteering days.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Health cash plan.
• Life assurance.
• Wellbeing related benefits.

What can you expect from your recruitment?

• To apply for this position, please submit your CV on our career’s website.
• It is necessary for you to have the legal right to work in the UK when you begin employment with South East Water.
• Additionally, as part of the employment offer, you will need to pass background, identity, and employment referencing checks.

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If this sounds like the opportunity you’ve been looking for, apply now!

South East Water kindly asks that recruitment agencies refrain from submitting CVs to our employees or associates without explicit invitation from our HR Resourcing team. CVs sent on a speculative basis will not be acknowledged and will not assume any responsibility for fees or commissions in the event that we hire a candidate who applied directly or subsequently introduced by an instructed agency.

Compensation package:

From £50,000p.a. (dependent on experience)

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From £50,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Company events
• Company pension
• Health & wellbeing programme
• Life insurance
• Sick pay

Work Location: In person