EA Senior Environmental Crime Officer in Warrington

On behalf of Defra, we are looking for a EA Senior Environmental Crime Officer for a 9-months contract working on a hybrid basis with an expectation of 2-3 days attendance in the Warrington office. In the Defra group, we deal with a vast range of issues that profoundly impact on people’s lives. We are responsible for England’s environment, our countryside and rural economy, the food and farming sectors and have lead responsibility for protection from a wide range of natural threats and hazards.

We have developed a set of three strategic objectives covering our policy outcomes and corporate objectives. These objectives help us to deliver our ambitious vision to build our green and healthy future and provide a framework for all the important work we carry out. Our objectives are:

• To pass on to the next generation a natural environment protected and enhanced for the future.
• To lead the world in food, farming, and fisheries with a sustainable model of food production.
• To be an outstanding organisation focused on making a difference, with world class delivery capability.

We have an exciting opportunity to lead on environmental crime across GMMC; a rapidly developing area. Working closely with external partners, national teams, Area Environment Managers, Senior Lawyers and Officers across regulatory regimes, this role is crucial in providing a hands-on operational steer on enforcement across the Area in support of effective and efficient enforcement action.

You will join a dedicated Enforcement Team that tackles high priority and significant/serious and organised waste crime, dealing with complex legislation that allows for a variety of enforcement options and increasingly using disruption techniques to offenders’ day to day activities. You will develop the wider enforcement community by supporting, training and mentoring those delivering enforcement across the business. Relationship building and providing a first-class customer service will be essential to deliver results.

It is the SECOs role to ensure we robustly investigate environmental crime in a timely manner, using best available techniques to deliver the right enforcement outcomes across GMMC Area. As a EA Senior Environmental Crime Officer, your main responsibilities will be:

• Act as the gatekeeper for GMMCs operational action enforcement response; provide technical leadership on investigation policy and management, so that investigations are focused and deliverable using agreed resources and proceed at pace.
• Lead on and support disruption operations and specialist enforcement activities following a risk-based approach, targeting the greatest environmental offences to stop and/or disrupt the illegal activity.
• Lead on and provide technical support to officers investigating environmental crime to encourage intelligence-led, outcome-focused and well-managed investigations both on the ground and through the approval of investigation plans.
• Lead on and provide technical support to officers gathering evidence in line with legislative requirements (including taking witness statements, conducting suspect interviews, carrying out covert surveillance, etc) building casefiles and attending court.
• Support and mentor colleagues across the enforcement community, helping to build expertise. You’ll work with other senior officers to identify training needs and deliver tailored development opportunities.
• Build strong networks internally and externally to maintain a positive reputation, response and effective resolution of issues.

To be considered for this role, please ensure your CV evidences the following essential criteria:

• NPPV 1-3 (Police Check)
• Policing background
• Experience of managing complex disruption operations and/or investigations from start to finish, achieving results, working alone and with others.
• In-depth knowledge of the legislation which governs criminal investigations (Police and Criminal Evidence Act, Criminal Procedures and Investigations Act, Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act).
• Experience in coaching and mentoring to enable you to work alongside others to develop and inspire the enforcement capability of officers.
• Proactive management of the health and safety of yourself and others.
• Confidence in dealing with hostile/difficult customers; this role may involve working with confrontational people and organised criminal networks requiring you to adapt your communication style to the situation.
• Strong influencing and persuading skills and the ability to present a convincing case that is appropriate to the audience.
• Confidence in communicating with legal professionals, colleagues and partner enforcement agencies; you will need to be creative in working with partner organisations to help achieve our aims.
• This is an operational role with a high deployment frequency and so a full UK driving licence is required.
• Experience in using and interrogating systems to manage and analyse data; drive intelligence-led outcome focused investigations.

Desirable:

• Has contributed to strategies on detection/prevention of offending.
• Knowledge of the environmental legislation; Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016, Environmental Protection Act 1990 and Environment Act 1995.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, Defra guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. This scheme encourages candidates with a disability and/or neurodivergence to apply. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following: this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different.