Principal Flood and Water Management Officer

Protect our local communities from flood risk and shape a safer, more resilient environment across our borough. Protect our local communities from flood risk and shape a safer, more resilient environment across our borough. As our Principal Flood and Water Management Officer, you’ll lead our local flood risk strategy and deliver innovative water management projects across Kensington and Chelsea. It’s a role with real community impact – a chance to combine technical expertise with local leadership to safeguard homes, businesses and iconic London places. Working Style You’ll be based in the Borough for two or three days a week in a hybrid setup, playing a key role in serving the local community. Whether you’re working in the office, on-site or collaborating with partners, you’ll be part of a dedicated team making a real difference to residents’ lives. What you’ll be doing Your focus will be managing the Council’s statutory duties as a Lead Local Flood Authority under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. A central part of your day-to-day role will involve reviewing major planning applications and providing clear, technically robust drainage advice to ensure new developments manage surface water and flood risk effectively. You’ll also maintain and update our planning policies, local flood risk management strategies and flood hazard mapping to keep our policy framework robust and forward-looking. Beyond policy and planning, you’ll oversee and progress strategic flood mitigation schemes across the borough. You’ll step straight into delivering innovative flood resilience solutions along Portobello Road and contributing to high-profile initiatives such as the Natural History Museum Gardens. This will mean building strong, collaborative relationships with external consultants, Thames Water, the Environment Agency and internal council teams. Engaging directly with residents and local communities affected by flooding is central to everything you do. You’ll make sure our solutions are practical, transparent and grounded in genuine resident experience, giving people confidence that their homes and neighbourhoods are protected. For further details, please review the Job Description and Person Specification . What you’ll bring You’ll bring a degree in planning, engineering, environmental science or a related discipline, alongside membership or chartered status with the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) or an equivalent professional body. You have substantial experience working at a principal or senior level within local government or private consultancy, giving you a thorough understanding of Lead Local Flood Authority duties, planning policy and surface water management. You’re skilled in evaluating site-specific flood risk assessments, managing complex procurement processes and securing vital grant funding from government bodies and partner organisations like Thames Water. You’re exceptionally well-organised, comfortable balancing a high volume of work, and adept at keeping complex projects moving forward. Above all, you’re an excellent communicator who knows how to translate technical information into clear advice and excel at collaborating across departments. You bring empathy, resilience and a genuine commitment to working alongside local residents to build long-term flood resilience. Why join us At RBKC, we’re all in – investing in our people, our communities and our future. This position offers a high degree of autonomy, giving you the space to shape priorities, direct well-resourced initiatives and see the direct impact of your decisions on the ground. You’ll lead on nationally recognised, high-profile projects in iconic London locations, working alongside supportive colleagues who value collaboration and practical action. We will invest in your continuous professional development, offering flexible hybrid working and a supportive, team-oriented culture where