Environment Agency, Deputy Director, Navigation Operations

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Scotland

On-Site

Expires: Expiring in less than 3 weeks

Environmental

Full time

£81,000 per year

Job summary

This post is an Environment Agency post at EA Grade Deputy Director and at EA salary £81,000. It is not a post at Civil Service Pay Band 1 as indicated on the left -hand side bar of this advert. Further confirmation of the EA grade and terms and conditions can be found in the attached candidate packThis is a vacancy working for the Environment Agency, part of Defra Group. EA are not Civil Servants so terms will reflect that. Anyone moving from the Civil Service will lose their CS terms and benefits starting new employment with the EA

Job description

We are looking for an inspiring individual to join us as Deputy Director, Navigation Operations, to lead the dedicated, values-driven teams delivering our place-based navigation services and operations.

The Environment Agency is the navigation authority for more than 1,000km of inland waterways across the non-tidal Thames, Medway, Anglian Waterways, and Rye and Lydney harbours. We support safe, responsible use of our waterways for boating, business and other recreational activities.

As Deputy Director, you will play a vital role in achieving our vision for thriving waterways that will be valued for generations to come. You will help to shape future service delivery and empower teams to deliver our new five-year navigation strategy, which is currently out for consultation:

https://engageenvironmentagency‌‌.uk.‌engagementhq.com/42576/widgets/157135/documents/110358

You will:

Lead operational delivery for navigation: You will have a clear picture of our delivery priorities and will oversee skilled teams to ensure our locks, weirs, harbours and waterways operate safely and effectively and our statutory duties and performance objectives are met.
Prioritise health, safety and well-being: You will embed consistent operational standards and ways of working across dispersed teams, fostering a safe work environment and effective risk management.
Drive operational improvements: You will identify and implement continuous improvement and innovation to our operations to ensure a high performing navigation service which delivers our statutory duties and customer expectations
Engage with a variety of local stakeholders: Your ability to operate politically and communicate clearly will be key to managing relationships and building partnerships with business leaders, MPs, local authorities and community members.
Embed a culture of inclusion: Your ability to role model and inspire an inclusive culture and consistent standards and ways of working will be an integral part of the role

For more information, please see the candidate pack and job profile

Person specification

Experience/Skills Required:

We are looking for experienced and passionate leaders who can demonstrate these skills and behaviours:

Leading with clarity

Extensive leadership experience in complex operational environments and proven success inspiring teams to deliver front-line outcomes. The ability to foster collaboration in high-stress situations.

Solving problems and making decisions

The ability to interpret operational, asset, performance and financial information and make decisions in situations where priorities are competing and information is incomplete.

Delivering quality outcomes

Experience leading teams through transformation whilst managing complex operational risks. A proven commitment to creating a culture of health and safety. An understanding of crisis management and large-scale incident response will be valuable.

Influencing and connecting

Excellent political judgement and experience working effectively with a range of stakeholders on complex, sensitive issues in a political environment. Exceptional communication skills and the ability to deliver complex messages and influence multiple audiences on strategically critical topics.

Benefits

Substantial pension scheme

Leave entitlement
Your leave allowance in this role will be 27 days/ 200 hours or equivalent, depending on working pattern, plus bank holidays. Your allowance will be pro-rata if you work part time, or you are on an assignment to a role at a higher grade that attracts an increased entitlement. Your entitlement depends on your grade, your contracted hours, and your length of continuous service.

We offer up to two days paid environmental outcome days each year. These give you the opportunity to take part in community activities with a clear environmental outcome for people and wildlife.

Enhanced maternity, adoption and paternity leave, and sickness absence provisions are available. Additional paid leave is available for employees taking part in public
duties, trade union activities, special/trained forces and for health and safety representatives.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

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. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

Application Closing Date 23:55 Sunday 27 September 2026

Candidates will have the opportunity to find out more about the role as there will be a virtual briefing session on 22 September 2026 at 3.00pm. Invitations can be acquired by emailing: DirectorofOperationsNationalNavigationService@environment-agency.gov.uk Please note that this not part of the formal assessment process; it is intended to give candidates the opportunity to learn more about the appointment and the Environment Agency.

If shortlisted, you will be invited to take part in an assessment day in Reading on 20, 21 or 22 October 2026

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

UK nationals
nationals of the Republic of Ireland
nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

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Contact point for applicants

Salary range

£81,000 per year