34834 - Senior Evidence Advisor
| Posting date: | 20 May 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £54,940 per year, pro rata |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 03 June 2026 |
| Location: | UK |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 5 days per week |
| Company: | Environment Agency |
| Job type: | Contract |
| Job reference: | 34834 |
Summary
We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities for everyone. We welcome flexible working patterns for all our vacancies, including job share.
This is an exciting opportunity to join the Environment Agency’s Natural Capital Ecosystem Assessment (NCEA) Programme as the lead for Surveillance Networks Workstream. The Defra-led NCEA programme is gathering broad scale and comprehensive data on our ecosystems including freshwater, estuarine and coastal water environments to reveal their benefits for people and the economy - their natural capital. This evidence and insight will ensure that policy and decision makers consider the true value of nature.
You will provide leadership and assurance of these NCEA monitoring networks ensuring high‑quality technical outputs are delivered. You will lead a team of water monitoring environmental specialists and subject matter experts. The team designs and delivers a suite of surveillance networks covering freshwater surface and ground waters and estuaries and coasts. The data from these networks is used to develop statistically robust and nationally representative evidence on ecosystem condition. You will coordinate and lead the work of the team and support delivery to ensure the workstream meets its objectives and the overall aims of the programme.
Your responsibilities will include:
providing technical leadership and setting the overall strategy and plan for the workstream and the work packages within it;
co-ordinating delivery of the workstream plan and supporting the work package leads and workstream project manager to resolve technical issues, manage risks/issues and ensure work is delivered to the required technical/scientific assurance standards;
working with the other workstream leads to address cross-cutting technical issues;
engaging with stakeholders within and beyond the programme on working groups and thematic boards, in the context of developing and delivering data management, analysis and digital solutions;
line management duties for some members of the workstream.
The team
The post will sit in the Strategic Evidence Design & Assessment (SEDA) team. We are part of the Chief Scientist’s Group in the Environment & Business (E&B) Directorate. We are a friendly and supportive team of data and evidence specialists, with a great reputation for delivering key information to drive the organisation’s water environment activities. Working in a dispersed way you can expect a friendly welcome and engaging work environment.
Experience/skills required
We’re looking for someone with excellent technical leadership and people skills, who can demonstrate the following:
experience in or knowledge of water monitoring network design
background in water environmental knowledge or experience in water management.
knowledge of data management and/or data analysis for the water environment;
strong team ethic with the ability to balance wider team pressures, workloads and risks;
strong communication skills, with the ability to lead, motivate, organise, and enhance team working;
good organisational and planning skills with the ability to prioritise and deliver results effectively under pressure;
ability to take initiative, be flexible, solve problems, and make risk-based decisions;
experience in working and building relationships with a variety of customers, partners and /or stakeholders;
previous line management experience (desirable).
You’ll have a range of development opportunities and appropriate training will be provided.