I’ve always had an interest in the environment. It was only at the age of 45, after speaking to friends who worked at the Environment Agency that I finally decided to apply. They told me about their roles and it sounded really interesting and a really dynamic organisation to work for.
That was just over 9 months ago, and I’m now based in Leeds, working in the Waste and Environmental Management team. Our job is to regulate companies that have environmental permits. We check that they’re compliant with permit restrictions and if they aren’t, we offer them advice on how to meet the requirements. We also gather evidence for possible prosecutions or enforcements, where operators aren’t compliant.
We try to be as visible as we can when we’re out in the public. That’s one of our mantras: Think Big – Act Early – Be Visible. So we’ve got to think of the bigger picture and how it’s affecting everybody. We’re very aware that we’re part of the Environment Agency team and that involves acting appropriately, giving advice and being approachable to members of local communities.
A varied role
There's much more to being an Environment Officer than you would expect. The Environment Agency employs people from all walks of life, and it's often the skills they've picked up along the way that make them such a great addition to our team.
The role itself is quite varied, with both office-based work and opportunities to be out in the field dealing with incidents when they come in. In my previous roles, I’d been working with people and gained a lot of skills in communication that have really helped me.
One of the biggest skills that I bring to the role is being able to communicate effectively at various levels. Some of the projects we work on are quite high-profile and get a lot of publicity. Being in the public eye and being able to help the public when we are out in the environment - that’s what I really like about the role.
Unique training opportunities
You have to build a wide range of skills across different areas to be an Environment Officer. I’m in the waste team, but I also deal with incidents as they come in, so there could be a water incident and I’d have to know how to deal with it. That’s where the training helps. It was one of the things that interested me in the role.
I knew it would be quite varied and interesting - you get to jump in a river in a dry suit, get trained by the fire brigade, hear from professional lawyers about enforcement and collecting evidence, and ex-policemen train you on how to gather evidence, collate that evidence, and then how to present it in court. When they said we’d be going out with the police I wondered if we might be in their way, but they treat us as equals. They come to us for questions and advice and really make us feel part of the team.
With the training I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to keep up with my younger colleagues, but it’s not been an issue. The training is all done at your own pace and in a straight-forward format and everyone helps each other out. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses within the teams and department, so there’s always someone there to help you along.
I’d really encourage people to apply if it’s the kind of role they want to do. The job definitely takes commitment and fortitude, but if your heart is in it and you take pride in your work, if you want to make a difference and protect the environment, then it’s a really worthwhile role.
Ashley Hare is an Environment Officer with the Environment Agency. He is currently in the waste team and has been with the Agency for just over 9 months.
If you think you’ve got the skills and commitment to become an Environment Officer like Ashley, apply now.
28 comments
Comment by David Tinkler posted on
Are there any job opportunities in the North East and if so how do I find out about them and apply?
Comment by kathrynbooth posted on
Good Morning, all our vacancies are advertised on our website. from this link you can apply as well, please see the link. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency/about/recruitment - Best wishes - Eileen
Comment by Lisa Whittaker posted on
Don't forget to sign up for job alerts, David! Go to our jobs website and click 'Create a new job alert' at the bottom of the page.
Comment by Denis Rossiter posted on
Is 53 too old to consider applying ?
Comment by kathrynbooth posted on
Good Morning - The EA workforce planning helps us achieve our aims by making sure that we have the right number of people, with the right skills, in the right place, at the right time. We do not discriminate against age, gender etc. Best wishes with your future career choice. Eileen
Comment by kathrynbooth posted on
Good Morning - absolutely not...The EA workforce planning helps us achieve our aims by making sure that we have the right number of people, with the right skills, in the right place, at the right time. We do not discriminate against age, gender etc. Best wishes with your future career choice. Eileen
Comment by Dorothy Russell posted on
Is there an age limit. ie: how old is too old to apply?
Comment by Mark R posted on
I've tried to see what current vacancies are available but there isn't a link ?
Comment by kathrynbooth posted on
Good morning Mark
We do not accept speculative CVs and all applications must be made via our online application form.
You can find information about working for the Environment Agency on the GOV.UK website including all our current vacancies. In some circumstances we will also advertise in national and local newspapers, Job Centres and employment agencies.
You can search for a job on our recruitment system. Please use the link below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency/about/recruitment
Regards
Margaret
Comment by Jason pole posted on
When can i start ?? ?
Comment by Kevin O'Neill posted on
Is a driving licence essential for field work?
Comment by kathrynbooth posted on
Good Morning - I just checked on the field roles advertised and full driving licence is required: https://environmentagencyjobs.tal.net/vx/appcentre-1/candidate/ - Eileen
Comment by Ms penny Ashton posted on
Any special qualifications needed .
Comment by kathrynbooth posted on
Good Morning - the job specification gives the experience required - Eileen
Comment by Hannah posted on
I work in ecological consultancy at the moment but keep checking every week for an environment officer position in my area. Is there any volunteering opportunities/training that I could do in the mean time to keep up to date with environmental issues?
Comment by kathrynbooth posted on
All opportunities for voluntary work with us are advertised on GOV.UK. Please check our website for the latest information:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency/about/recruitment
Comment by James posted on
Hi , I am relocating to the South West region at some point in the not to distant future and I look forward to applying to the EA for a suitable role which matches my current skill set.
To help me plan for the future can you advise on whether there are particular periods/seasons when a vacancies become available. For instance, I noticed there were lots of vacancies advertised around the New Year period but there are only 9 national vacancies advertised today.
Comment by kathrynbooth posted on
Hello
All our recruitment is done online on our website at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency/about/recruitment
You can search by your desired location and also sign up for job alerts. We tend to get our budgets around April time so sometimes there is an increase in job advertisements around that time. Apart from that we cant really say but the best way would be to keep an eye on our website.
Regards and good luck in your search
Amy
Comment by Ben Lavers posted on
Hi,
Would you know when you might next be taking applications for Environment Officers?
I have had a look and so far you are not taking new applications at this time.
Kind Regards
Ben Lavers
Comment by kathrynbooth posted on
Morning - it is best to keep checking the jobs page - I believe you can set up an alert email to notify you. Good Luck with the job hunting - Eileen
Comment by Joe Waldron posted on
Environment Officer vacancies are currently being advertised across the country, closing date 2nd December 2018.
Check them out on the jobs page here:
https://environmentagencyjobs.tal.net/vx/lang-en-GB/mobile-0/appcentre-1/brand-2/xf-4f8f234da28d/candidate/jobboard/vacancy/1/adv/?ftq=environment+officer
Comment by Colin posted on
Hi i am a older gentleman not much experience in this was wondering is there any vacancies where ak older person like me can apply for a vacancy where we can just go help with checking to see if people have rod licenses ect to stop illegal fishing we lose a lot of revenue eith people not buying these i am willing to train to assist in any way i can
Comment by eileenroffe posted on
Good morning the Environment Agency work closely with the Angling Trust and have set up a Volunteer Bailiff Service, please click on the link or copy and paste into your browser for further details and how to make an application: https://www.anglingtrust.net/page.asp?section=1466§ionTitle=Voluntary+Bailiff+Service - best wishes - Eileen
Comment by Deri Brown posted on
I am interested in changing my career as a building contractor and becoming an environment officer or similar at the age of 44.
Comment by eileenroffe posted on
Good morning, all our job vacancies are advertised and applied for at this link, scroll down to the bottom right until you see: working for the EA and Jobs: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency: ^Eileen
Comment by GMay posted on
Is a manual driving license necessary or is automatic fine for the role?
Comment by Maria Abbas posted on
Can i become environmental officer with masters in environmental science but no experience
Comment by eileenroffe posted on
Hello, please make an application from our link: https://environmentagencyjobs.tal.net/vx/appcentre-1/candidate/ everyone has to start somewhere. Best wishes Eileen