Job Description

The Environment Agency is embarking on an ambitious journey of transformation through EA2030: Change for a Better Environment – our long-term strategy to ensure people, nature and businesses can prosper together. At its heart are three long-term goals: supporting healthy air, land and water for nature’s recovery, enabling sustainable growth, and building a nation resilient to climate change. Delivering these ambitions depends on our people. As one of the four enabling pillars of EA2030, the People agenda is fundamental to creating a capable, inclusive and high-performing organisation equipped to meet increasingly complex environmental challenges.

As People and Inclusion Deputy Director, you will play a pivotal leadership role in shaping the culture, capability and inclusivity of the Environment Agency. Working within a networked operating model, you will collaborate across the Defra Group, with Defra providing core HR services, while leading strategic people priorities that enable the Environment Agency to achieve its EA2030 ambitions.

This role will lead the delivery of core people services across the Environment Agency, covering a range of bulk activities (e.g. resourcing) and specialist areas (e.g. diversity and inclusion). The role will act as the main point of contact and relationship manager with Defra’s HR Service provision, providing escalation, oversight and service management on all HR-delivered services throughout the year. The postholder will lead the team to not only deliver significant BAU activity in-year (e.g. pay award negotiations, large-scale recruitment campaigns, delivery of learning and capability interventions, etc.) but also continuously improve the service offering, finding new ways to reduce the cost and the management requirement. The role will ensure the delivery of the People Strategy, and alignment with the EA2030 objectives.

The team

This role will lead around 80 staff in the delivery of their remit across the Environment Agency. People & Inclusion is part of the People & Assurance department. The postholder will directly line manage around six senior managers and oversee the direction and outcome of their work with their teams. In addition, this role will play a key role in engaging with Defra HR on their service provision into the Environment Agency.

Experience/skills Required

A wide-ranging knowledge and understanding of public sector working and with whom the EA does business.
Ability to successfully engage at a senior level internally and externally with demonstrable success in developing and delivering corporate strategies.
Proven experience of reacting to changing priorities and circumstances, re-prioritising resources, working under pressure and at pace during complex situations.
Experience of providing strategic guidance to senior leaders within a large and complex organisation
Ability to influence senior leaders and develop strategies through to implementation and action
Excellent communications and engagement skills.
Strong People/HR knowledge across a wide range of topics.
CIPD accreditation is desirable.

Contact and additional information

This role is able to be completed from any Environment Agency office, but travel will be expected with forewarning for certain meetings and events. This role is also available as a 2-year secondment, to be discussed after application.

For further information please contact: Gareth Liptrot or Tom Cheetham at Directorofpeopleandassurance@Environment-agency.gov.uk

Candidate Assessments will take place using MS Teams w/c Monday 17 August 2026, these may include a staff engagement panel or presentation. Further details will be provided to shortlisted candidates.

If you are applying from the Civil Service please note that the Environment Agency is not a part of HM Civil Service and you would not be a Crown Servant in the event of being appointed. Therefore, you will not be eligible for continuous service. For applicants who currently work in local government or other bodies listed in the Redundancy Payments (Continuity of Employment in Local Government etc) (Modification) Order 1999, you may be eligible for continuous service for the purpose of calculating any future redundancy payment. If you are unsure of your status then you should contact your own HR Team.

We are fully committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. We welcome flexible working patterns for all our vacancies, including job share, so please include clearly any information regarding your preferred working arrangements on your application.

We also have a Guaranteed Interview Policy to support those with a disability who are seeking employment. We have committed to guaranteeing an interview to anyone with a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

The Environment Agency, as a Non-Departmental Public Body, is committed to providing value for money and utilises Central Government frameworks and contracts for all external recruitment needs. For this reason, we are unable to engage with the market directly through post, email or phone calls . Should you wish to become a support supplier on one of these frameworks or contracts please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/become-a-crown-commercial-service-supplier/becoming-a-supplier-through-the-crown-commercial-service-what-you-need-to-know for more information.

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Although the Environment Agency is a non-departmental public body sponsored by Defra, we subscribe to and align with the candidate guidance on the use of artificial intelligence found on the Civil Service Careers website. Please review for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Environment Agency

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