Flood and Water Manager

Role Responsibility

The water environment faces unprecedented challenges from housing growth, climate change and pollution, these are especially acute in the Southeast. Kent County Council is committed to managing these impacts and delivering the best possible outcomes for residents, businesses, and the environment in Kent.

If you have the skills, expertise and determination to improve Kent’s environment and help it adapt to climate change then we have an exciting opportunity to join us in the role of Flood and Water Manager. Leading the work of the Flood and Water team you will be responsible for providing the strategic leadership for water resources and water quality across the county whilst supporting growth and economic development. Working with partners you will improve the environment in the county through better water quality, reduced water abstraction, improved water efficiency and ensure the council meets is regulatory requirements as the Local Lead Flood Authority whilst pursuing opportunities for investment in local flood risk management.

 With responsibility for the oversight of planning responses in KCC’s role as statutory consultee, delivery of nutrient neutrality in the position of catchment coordinator, development and implementation of the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy and representation of KCC at a local and national level the role is fast paced and varied. Partnerships, including those with local planning authorities, Natural England, NGOs and the Water Companies are integral to the work and the ability to form, lead and direct stakeholders at all levels to reduce flood risk and help the county adapt to the impacts of climate change on the water environment is a key requirement.

About You

As you will be working with a wide range of stakeholders at a strategic multi-agency level, we expect you to have excellent networking and collaborative skills and be good at forming and maintaining relationships with both internal colleagues and external partners. You will be a strategic thinker, expert negotiator, strong problem solver and effective leader, skills which you will use to develop a high performance environment in which the Flood and Water Team will thrive. Working with consultants and partners to prioritise projects for grant funding you will bring investment in to the county to support the overall aims of the environment team. You will apply your complex project management skills to a range of projects to ensure they are delivered on time and budget and achieve their objectives. You will use your expert knowledge and experience of the water environment, climate adaptation and flood risk management to shape our vision for the environment, ensuring that the county is addressing the right priorities.

You will have a degree in a relevant environmental field, be confident dealing with technical details of water management and be capable of communicating technical matters clearly to a non-technical audience.

This post is considered by KCC to be a customer-facing position. The Council therefore has a statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) to ensure that post holders have a command of spoken English/Welsh sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements. The appropriate standards are set out in the Job Description/Person Specification.

As part of the interview process for this role you may be required to complete additional testing.

The closing date for this job may change based on the number and suitability of candidates received during the recruitment process.

Contact Details

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact:

Max Tant - Flood and Water Manager

03000 413466

About the Company

Work that works for you and us - let’s talk flexibility!

KCC is committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the county’s working residents, encouraging applications from people of all ages, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds, faiths and those with caring responsibilities, and aspires to create an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves at work.

Please note – if you are interested, please apply as soon as possible as the closing date for this advert may be earlier than stated should a number of suitably qualified candidates apply.