Suzie Perkins
What employment sector do you work in?
Public Sector
How long have you had a green job for nature?
6 years
Please describe the work that you do.
I am a Senior Permitting Officer in the Environment Agency, specifically for the Habitats Assessments Team. I undertake habitats assessments to understand if emissions from air, water, or waste from activities such as housing developments, quarries and industrial sites, can have an impact on species or features within protected sites.
What do you most like about your job? Any dislikes?
I love knowing that I am actively protecting the environment, whether that’s because I’ve stopped a harmful activity occurring, or whether it’s because I’ve imposed mitigation measures on the activity that will reduce any significant impact on the environment. I get to be a part of large projects too, influencing and persuading how the projects plan out to ensure these don’t impact the environment.
What inspired you into this career?
I have always had a passion for the environment and from a young age I would actively seek job opportunities within the environment agency. I joined the agency as a permitting officer where I assessed activities and issued permits. The habitats assessments were a small part of this role. When the HA Team was created, just three years ago, I jumped at the chance of being part of a team that solely focused on writing these assessments and protecting designated sites from impact.
Have you faced any challenges in progressing your career so far?
I have always had ample opportunity to progress within the agency, I am extremely thankful for all the opportunities they provide. I have been fortunate enough to have completed the Regulatory and Compliance Officer apprenticeship within the agency. This gave me a greater understanding of the importance of the legislation and policies we work to and how to effectively communicate their importance to our customers to ensure win-win outcomes.
What education/training did you have?
I have a a BSC Hons in Biology with Environmental Science, an apprenticeship in Regulatory and Compliance, another apprenticeship in Continuous Improvement, and a certificate in leadership.
A degree in a relevant field however is sufficient for this particular role.
What advice would you give to someone coming into the profession?
Having a passion for what you do really helps to get the job done. It can be extremely challenging at times with some conflict arising from customers, especially when you tell them they can not carry out their activity. Knowledge in the area is of course a must, but having that drive, passion and commitment to protecting the environment really helps with those tricky conversations and being able to win over the customer is really satisfying!
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Tags: England, Public sector, Environmental adviser, Sustainability adviser, Apprenticeship
Date profile submitted: 28/03/2025
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