The Flood Risk Management Team at Staffordshire County Council are currently setting up a new Community Flood Engagement Team and are recruiting to 4 permanent full-time posts, with two Project and Planning Officer posts available.

This new team will help in making the priority of making Staffordshire more sustainable and encouraging good health and wellbeing, resilience and independence a reality.

The Flood Risk Management Team also provide a similar service to Black Country Authorities and comes under the wider remit of Highways and the Built County.

You will largely carry out the powers and duties of the Lead Local Flood Authority function as described in the Flood and Water Management Act (2010) in addition to managing a large portfolio of flood alleviation schemes.

We have been awarded funding for the project under Defra/Environment Agency's Flood & Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme. The project is called the FAIR Project (FAIR standing for flood aware, informed, resilient) and covers the Staffordshire and Black Country Authorities' area. More detail of this project and its context can be found here:

A FAIR Approach to Community Flood Risk | Engage Environment Agency (engagementhq.com)

You will help the County as a Lead Local Flood Authority undertake its duties and powers under the Flood and Water Management Act (2010).

There are two different roles that the Flood Risk Management Team undertake in its routine activities. There will be a requirement to fulfil at least one of these posts but the you must be adept at undertaking both to a degree though wherever possible we will try to match your strengths with a preferred role.

Post 1 - This role is to respond to local flood risk issues on planning applications, which involves being a statutory consultee in the planning process. As part of that role you will provide pre-application advice to proposed new developments and respond to a mix of different planning applications. This will help shape future development so that they are safe in terms of flood risk and surrounding areas are not made worse by proposed development.

Post 2 - This role relates to flood investigations and flood alleviation schemes. Whenever there is significant flooding, there will be a requirement to investigate flood incidents once certain criteria are met. You will need to work with other risk management authorities to outline solutions. Sometimes this leads into flood alleviations schemes which are typically externally funded and which will varied as you work on a number of different planning applications and/or areas prone to flooding.

We also offer this service to Black Country Authorities.

Both roles are exciting - you will shape the future of flood risk in Staffordshire and the Black Country! Each day will be varied as you work on a number of different planning applications and/or areas prone to flooding.

Main Responsibilities

The main responsibilities are to:

• contribute to the development and maintenance of the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy. project management on a range of projects, studies and schemes. work collaboratively with a range of internal and external stakeholders provide commentary on flood risk and surface water management aspects of Planning Applications at various stages

The Ideal Candidate

What you need to bring to this role:

• Degree or equivalent level qualification or experience Minimum of 2 years post qualification experience flood risk management/ drainage management and/ or land use planning. Knowledge and understanding of the administrative, statutory and legal procedures relating to land use planning, land drainage and flood risk management Good knowledge of policies, design and maintenance standards in relation to flood risk management and drainage systems on new development Excellent understanding, experience and use of drainage asset and flood risk mapping The ability to travel around the county and to those authorities covered by collaborative working arrangements, a full driving licence is essential. Computer literacy (e.g. GIS)

About Staffordshire County Council

We are no ordinary county council:

Our Values:

The core of who we are as an organisation. Just like we all have personal values that shape our thoughts and behaviour, organisational values drive how we think and act collectively.

Our values were created and shaped by colleague feedback and national best practice and they sit at the heart of People Strategy:

We have a real sense of community spirit that brings our people together. This feeling of belonging means we are all connected to what we do and take pride in the difference we make every day for Staffordshire people. We are ambitious and our sights are set firmly on a better future.

We look forward and race ahead - that goes for your career too.

Our benefits:

We recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive working environment where employees can achieve their full potential and achieve a healthy work-life balance.

In addition to your salary, as a member of staff, you will have access to a range of benefits.

Our recruitment process:

As an Authority we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Staffordshire County Council is an equal opportunities organisation and Disability Confident employer. We encourage applications from all background and communities

As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident employer, a Silver Award Armed Forces employer and our commitment to supporting care leavers - we offer a guaranteed interview as long as your application meets the minimum criteria for the post.