Specialist Adviser – Permitting

We are seeking a Specialist Advisor in permitting to join the Permitting & Regulatory Support Team, who are a group of subject matter experts in regulation and monitoring of waste-water, air emissions and waste management activities.

The team’s role is to ensure that the Company has all the necessary Environmental Permits required to carry out its statutory functions regarding operational activities, to offer specialist technical permitting advice to the business and to work with the Environment Agency on all permitting matters.

Base location- Clearwater Court, Vastern Rd, Reading RG1 8DB.

Working pattern or hours: 36 hours a week. This is a hybrid role working a maximum two in the office.

What you’ll be doing as a Specialist Adviser – Permitting
This is a key technical expert position where you will be contributing to the overall delivery of our Water industry national environment programme (WINEP) for AMP8 and beyond. You will be a technical lead within the group working on some the most complex permitting projects we are involved in.

Key responsibilities include:

• Act as technical lead for the team on AMP8 projects working with Capital Delivery and Engineering; providing technical advice to ensure assets comply with their environmental permits and negotiating with the Environment Agency on technical permitting matters, where necessary. This may include site visits and supporting our Operational teams on WINEP scheme delivery.
• Project manage critical permitting work programmes.
• Advise our engineering partners on the interpretation of regulatory requirements and outputs to facilitate the roll-out of the agreed business plan.
• Negotiate with the Environment Agency regarding new complex permits and changes to existing permits, submitting applications where necessary related to Capital Schemes. Ensure the interests of the company are protected, that cost implications are minimised, and regulatory requirements are appropriate.
• Support the wider team as a technical lead on permitting matters, including groundwater, process, network and clean water permitting activities. They may also be the opportunity to support the Installation Permitting team.
• Act as a representative for the team is technical meeting with other Water Companies and the Environment Agency.
• Contribute to improving compliance with all conditions of environmental permits by supporting other teams within the Environmental Regulation & Quality and the wider business.

What you should bring to the role
This role is suitable for an experienced technical expert in the field of Wastewater Environmental Permitting who has the enthusiasm and ability to support the Permitting and Regulatory Support team in developing its technical expertise and take a lead on complex technical projects.

• An important part of the role is liaising and working with the Environment Agency and our engineering stakeholders, therefore excellent communication and relationship-building skills are essential.
• Have a high level of attention to detail is essential and an ability to work through problems is desirable.
• You will need to be a confident, self-motivated individual who can demonstrate excellent organisation and prioritisation skills.
• Knowledge of wastewater and water treatment processes would be beneficial.
• You must be IT literate and fully competent on using MS Office Programs, especially SharePoint.
• You will be a subject matter expert in Water Discharge Activity Environmental Permitting.
• Project management experience is highly desirable.
• You will understand the regulatory framework applicable to the Water Industry, including the requirements of the Environmental Permitting Regulations.
• Experience in negotiating water discharge activity environmental permits with the Environment Agency is essential.
• Educated to Degree level (or equivalent) in a scientific or environmental discipline is desirable.

What’s in it for you?
Environmental Permitting is core to the business; permits are a necessity for the activities and functions of a Water & Sewerage Utility. You will be interacting with key stakeholders and gaining exposure to various parts of the business at all levels, including Water Production, Wastewater Treatment, Network & Pumping and other key business units.

You will have the chance to utilise your interest for environmental issues whilst providing practical guidance to operations and the rest of the business. The variety of activities and people you will be dealing with provides a very interesting and challenging working atmosphere.

• Competitive salary from £43,120 to £61,00 per annum depending on experience
• Annual Leave -26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service (plus bank holidays) 
• Generous Pension Scheme through AON
• Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of you and your family’s health and wellbeing, and your finances – from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling, to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.

Find out more about our benefits and perks

Who are we?
We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. It’s a big job and we’ve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.

Learn more about our purpose and values

Working at Thames Water
Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you’ll enjoy fast-tracked career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.

Whether you’re interested in a role in one of our call centres or science labs, we’re looking for people like you with real passion and a burning desire to make things better.

So, if you’re looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people’s lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we’ll be here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region and our planet.

Real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family. Why choose us? Learn more.

Our overarching aim is to ensure that Thames Water is great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and offer extra support for those who need it throughout the recruitment process. Our aim is to remove any real or perceived barriers to success, so if you need assistance, we’re here to help and support.

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business and meet colleagues.

Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.