Scottish Environment Protection Agency
Environmental Protection Officer
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Environmental Protection Officer
Full Time, Environment Protection Officer: Enforcement and Interventions
Based from Thurso (hybrid)
Your passion has never had a greater purpose
Here at SEPA, we’re connected by a passion that drives us to be purposeful in every action we take - to protect our environment. Through our expertise, we lead projects that make a difference for Scotland, and our workplaces are grounded in respect for that expertise.
That’s why, when you join us as an Environment Protection Officer, you’ll discover enriching benefits, meaningful support, and opportunities to learn every day. That’s what it means to be Passionately Purposeful - for our environment, and for your career.
Work that goes beyond your desk
Experts at what we do, we work in a professional way towards our shared goals, knowing the work we do makes a genuine, lasting difference on the environment.
You will join SEPA’s Enforcement Function, working within the Enforcement Support & Interventions team. This team brings together two complementary areas — Enforcement Support and Interventions — to deliver a coordinated and intelligence-led approach to tackling environmental harm. The team works within SEPA’s wider Enforcement Function, working closely with colleagues across Intelligence, Environmental Crime Team and the Scottish Landfill Tax team.
The Enforcement Support & Interventions team delivers a broad range of activity across SEPA’s regulatory remit. This includes:
- Designing and delivering thematic interventions to disrupt environmental criminality
- Providing specialist support to investigations and enforcement cases
- Developing training and awareness materials
- Supporting the effective use of enforcement tools such as monetary penalties
The team is geographically dispersed across Scotland, and you may be the only Enforcement team member in your local office. Travel will be required, and you may be asked to attend sites anywhere in Scotland.
The core focus of this role is within the Interventions area, where you will work alongside a Specialist on the design and delivery of thematic interventions that target environmental criminality, reduce harm and drive improvements in compliance. Alongside this, you will also work with colleagues in Enforcement Support to support investigations and enforcement responses to serious non compliances within regulated sectors. This may include:
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- Evidence gathering
- Case management
- Taking witness and suspect statements
- Preparing standard prosecution reports
Requirements
We are keen to meet applicants with experience in environmental regulation, investigations, intelligence led work, or related regulatory fields. Strong collaboration across the Enforcement Function and wider SEPA is essential, as is the ability to engage confidently and professionally with businesses and individuals. You and your colleagues will routinely deal with operators who seek to profit from illegal activity or who fail to meet their environmental responsibilities.
This is a highly important role within our Regulation, Business & Environment portfolio, which means you’ll need:
- Relevant experience or qualification equivalent to SCQF Level 8-10 (minimum HND)
- Technical knowledge/experience of enforcement and/or environmental regulation and provision of advice to internal stakeholders
- Demonstrated ability to undertake investigations, enforcement and interventions work into unauthorised activities, including fieldwork, while adhering to health and safety protocols and best practices
- Experience in producing detailed written reports and documentation and proposing recommendations and conclusions
- Experience in building relationships with partners and customers; and an ability to deal with challenging situations in a professional manner
Please open the link to the Environment Protection Officer role profile link which outlines the core responsibilities and expectations of the role within a defined activity family. Please note the role profile name may be different to the job title being advertised.
Support that goes beyond the workplace
We’re cultivating a workplace that supports not only your passion and your professional lives, but your personal life. So, you’ll find benefits that make a difference at work and at home. Such as:
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- Hybrid and Flexible working opportunities
- Up to 35 days annual leave and 7 additional public holidays each year (pro rata)
- Paid time off to support your Wellbeing and enable you to Volunteer in your community
- Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
- Progressive Family Friendly policies
- Training & development to enable colleagues to improve their skills, competencies and knowledge to perform at their best.
Plus, many more lifestyle benefits such as 24/7 access to an online employee discount platform, credit union facilities and access to a Cycle to Work Scheme.
Passionately you. Purposefully supportive
SEPA is committed to promoting equality, diversity, and good relations in everything it does - as a community leader, as a provider and commissioner of services, and as an employer.
We recruit solely based on merit. Our shortlisting process is conducted on an anonymous basis. Please ensure that you include all relevant information when you apply.
We support flexible working arrangements to help you maintain a healthy balance between career and homelife. This includes working part time, reduced hours, job sharing, working remotely. As a flexible first employer we are open to having conversations about flexible working arrangements that work for you and SEPA from day 1 of your employment with us.
We are proud to be a 'Disability Confident' employer and will work to identify and implement reasonable adjustments and equipment to support you in the role that you do.
Applicants with a visual impairment can request job descriptions and application forms in Braille, large print or on tape.
For the security and wellbeing of our colleagues, successful candidates will undergo Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) pre-employment checks including a level two Disclosure Scotland check. The successful candidate will also be required to undergo and obtain Security Clearance (SC) vetting.
If you have questions or need any assistance with the recruitment process please contact SEPA’s Recruitment Team at recruitment@sepa.org.uk
Apply now to join a Passionately Purposeful workplace
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