Principal Regulatory Officer (High Hazard)

£54,940 - £64,576 per annum (plus additional £4,750 for specialist COMAH expertise, subject to eligibility)

Warrington, Newcastle or Darlington, Leeds or York, Lincoln or Nottingham, Sutton Coldfield or Tewkesbury, Bridgewater or Romsey, Welwyn Garden City or Farnham or Ipswich

Full time/ Permanent/ Flexible working available

Staff Grade: 6

Are you ready to make a real difference? Join our High Hazard specialist team as a Principal Regulatory Officer.

We are committed to enhancing our regulatory practices and building a more effective regulatory framework. To achieve this, we are looking for Principal Regulatory Officers (PRO) to provide assurance on the quantity and quality of the regulatory delivery at COMAH (Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 2015) sites across England.

You will be a nationally recognised expert delivering more complex compliance issues and managing risk both environmentally and reputationally. You will work with your network across the business to deliver a consistent regulatory approach.

The Principal Regulatory Officer is committed to develop and lead less experienced officers, playing a key role in the leadership of COMAH delivery helping to drive forward business and workforce planning, assessing regulatory capabilities and developing and delivering training.

You will be responsible for providing advice and guidance to team members, using coaching skills to ensure delivery. You will also be responsible shaping local strategy, tactical direction and managing risk.

The COMAH team covers a variety of industries, you will be expected to use influencing and negotiating skills to ensure best practice. Often dealing with people at senior levels within industry, local communities and other interested groups.

What is in it for you?

You’ll benefit from a culture that embraces difference and is inclusive where you’ll feel supported and trusted to do the right thing. We’ll invest in you and allow you to grow and shape your career. What’s more, you’ll have access to our great benefits package including:

• A salary of £54,940 - £64,576 per annum.
• This role attracts an additional allowance of £4,750 for specialist expertise in COMAH regulation. It is payable after appointment, provided you meet eligibility criteria. To qualify, you’ll need significant COMAH or high-hazard industry experience and a relevant degree or equivalent technical expertise.
• A generous pension scheme of 19%.
• Overtime opportunities through standby and incident pay.
• 27 days holiday (increasing at 3, 6, and 10 years of service up to a maximum of 30) + 8 bank holidays for full-time employees.
• Two additional days for paid environmental outcomes giving you the opportunity to take part in community activities.
• Training and professional development time.
• Maternity, paternity, and adoption leave scheme.

We have a flexible working policy for all employees, to support a healthy work-life balance within your working day. We will also consider flexibility in working patterns across the working week on a case-by-case basis.

What will you do?

In this role you will:

• Ensure sites comply with regulatory requirements of the COMAH Regulations, to prevent and limit the consequence of major accidents, specifically for the more complex nationally significant sites, assessing operator ability to protect the environment.
• Use your regulatory experience across a range of COMAH complex sites to lead the resolution of technical and reputational issues.
• Lead site inspections and lead the response, investigation and delivery of appropriate enforcement action for a range of complex environmental incidents.
• Lead on the enforcement strategy for your team, supporting the COMAH Team Leader, and in collaboration with Competent Authority partners.
• Provide expert input to support national investigations.
• Work with partner organisations addressing joint initiatives and regulatory duties.
• Fulfilling roles within the COMAH Competent Authority as may be required e.g. COMAH Intervention Manager, Assessment Manager, for all types of site.
• Shape the regulatory approach and delivery nationally for COMAH.
• Work with your team leader to plan, and be responsible for delivering, the COMAH work plan for your team, which will extend across multiple areas.
• Ensure delivery in line with KPIs and provide assurance to your Regulatory Manager.
• Take action to resolve issues and risks with regulatory officers, overseeing officer delivery from a quantity and quality perspective.
• Develop and deliver training in more complex technical activities, to support upskilling within COMAH.
• Assess the technical capabilities of COMAH officers, to support the business in workforce planning and inform technical capability and capacity.
• Responding to incidents is a central part of what we do. You will be required to have an incident role and make yourself available to respond to incidents or provide business continuity support during an incident. This may attract an additional payment and full training, and alternative working arrangements will be available to support you with your incident role.

The Team 

You’ll be part of a newly formed team reporting to a COMAH Team Leader, working with Senior Regulatory Officers and Regulatory Officers.

The team will work directly with site operators, while collaborating with national and local colleagues to improve COMAH delivery and assurance. Your team will be responsible for delivering their regulatory plan by delivering robust inspections, audits and investigating incidents.

We are fully committed to having an inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve.

You’ll have an EA Office base location. Your team will be dispersed, and the role requires site visits and fieldwork and so regular travel will be required. We welcome flexible working.

What do I need? 

Essential criteria

• Knowledge and practical application of the COMAH regime.
• Understanding of the COMAH Regulations or previous regulatory or industry experience in this regime.
• Excellent influencing skills and success in developing good relations in complex environments.
• Experience of working with partner organisations to address joint initiatives and regulatory duties.
• A strong commitment to people development with experience of training and coaching others.
• Degree in a Scientific or Engineering subject or comparable external industrial experience.
• Membership of a relevant professional body with Chartered status or working towards Chartered status.
• Full UK driving licence.

Desirable criteria

• Regulatory experience across a range of complex sites and regimes.
• Experience of delivering results through others and providing strategic and tactical direction.
• A proven track record of taking initiative and using a continuous improvement approach.

Contact & additional information

Don't miss this opportunity to be part of the UK's biggest environmental organisation. Join us, and together, let's tackle the challenges of a changing climate and build a more sustainable future. Apply now and embark on a rewarding and fulfilling career journey with the Environment Agency. 

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 on our career site for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Please note: Candidates selected for interview will be notified by email at least five days in advance. Please check both your inbox and junk mail folders to ensure you don’t miss our message. A reserve list will be held, and you may be offered other roles, including temporary roles, in other locations that may be similarly aligned to this role.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record and counter terrorist check.

Closing date for applications: 10th November 2025
Interview Dates: Week commencing 1st and 8th December 2025

The interviews will include both competency based questions and a technical assessment.