Air Quality Officer

Help drive cleaner air, protect public health and create a greener future for everyone in our borough. As an Air Quality Officer at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, you’ll play a vital role in tackling one of the borough’s biggest environmental challenges. By improving air quality, you’ll directly contribute to better public health, […]

Help drive cleaner air, protect public health and create a greener future for everyone in our borough.

As an Air Quality Officer at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, you’ll play a vital role in tackling one of the borough’s biggest environmental challenges. By improving air quality, you’ll directly contribute to better public health, stronger communities and a fairer, more sustainable borough for generations to come.

Working Style:

You’ll be based in the Borough for a minimum of 3 days a week, playing a key role in serving the local community. You’ll be part of a dedicated team who focus on improving air and land quality, making a real difference to residents’ lives and the environment.

What you’ll be doing:

Reviewing planning applications and dust management plans will be part of your day-to-day, ensuring impacts on air quality have been identified and developments remain air quality neutral or positive.

In addition, you’ll be monitoring air quality across Kensington and Chelsea, helping to oversee the operation and maintenance of our borough-wide air quality network – including five automatic monitoring stations and multiple mobile sensors. Your role will include analysing complex environmental data, identifying trends and reporting progress against statutory targets and World Health Organisation guidelines. You’ll translate technical findings into clear, actionable insights that inform both internal strategy and public reporting.

You’ll also help deliver key actions from the Council’s Air Quality Action Plan, collaborating across departments to embed best practice and reduce pollution.

In addition, you’ll oversee the inspection and permitting of small industrial processes under the Environmental Permitting Regulations, coordinate the monthly diffusion tube monitoring programme and maintain accurate records and reports.

This is a hands-on, practical role where you’ll use your technical knowledge and problem-solving skills to make measurable progress toward cleaner air – one dataset, inspection and policy review at a time.

For further details, please review the Job Description and Person Specification

What you’ll bring:

You’ll hold a relevant degree (or equivalent experience) in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering or a related discipline that includes air pollution. You’ll bring proven experience in air quality monitoring, data analysis and reporting, with the ability to interpret complex datasets and communicate findings clearly to a range of audiences.

You’ll have a strong working knowledge of air quality legislation and policy at EU, national and local levels, including the Local Air Quality Management framework and the Environmental Permitting Regime. Experience reviewing air quality assessments for planning applications or construction management plans will be a real asset.

You’ll be confident using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), ideally ArcGIS or ArcView and comfortable handling data and reports with precision and care.

Excellent communication and collaboration skills are essential – you’ll need to engage confidently with colleagues, consultants, residents and external agencies. Most importantly, you’ll be organised, methodical and proactive, with the drive to find solutions and make a difference in a challenging but rewarding field.

Why join us:

At RBKC, we’re all in – investing in our people, our communities and our future.

You’ll be part of a collaborative, skilled team dedicated to improving the borough’s environment and public health. This two-year fixed-term role offers a unique opportunity to work in one of the country’s most complex Air Quality Management Areas, where your work will have a direct, measurable impact on residents’ quality of life.

We’ll support your professional development with training, mentoring and opportunities to deepen your expertise in air quality management and environmental regulation. You’ll work alongside experienced officers who share your passion for sustainability and public wellbeing.

It’s challenging work – but it’s also meaningful. You’ll be helping us deliver on our Greener, Safer, Fairer vision for the borough and supporting residents to breathe cleaner air every day.

About us:

Kensington and Chelsea is home to diverse communities, thriving businesses and unique local places. Everything we do is focused on supporting our residents, strengthening our approach and creating a fairer borough.

As a competent and caring Council, we take pride in our work every day, ensuring our services are delivered with care and competence. We listen to our residents, act with integrity and work together to build a borough that is greener, safer and fairer for all.

This role is a clear expression of our ‘we’re all in’ mindset. You’ll get stuck in to the technical, regulatory and community aspects of air quality improvement – balancing science with service and persistence with innovation. Every inspection, analysis and conversation will contribute to a cleaner, healthier borough for the people who live and work here.

Interview Details:

Interviews will be held in person at Kensington Town Hall on the 1st and 2nd of December.

Interviews will be in person, at Kensington Town Hall, on Monday 1st or Tuesday 2nd December 2025.

Please note that this is a 2 year fixed term contract.

Ready to join us?

We’re all in – are you? If you share our values and have the skills to contribute, we’d love to hear from you.

Please apply online explaining how you meet the requirements set out in the person specification and job description.

We reserve the right to extend or close this vacancy early without warning subject to the volume of suitable applicants.

We are committed to promoting equality and respecting diversity and welcome applications from all sections of the community.

We are a Disability Confident Employer – committed to ensuring that our recruitment and selection process is inclusive and accessible.

We are committed to fair, transparent, and consistent pay practices. New hires will start at the bottom of the salary range.

Employees receive annual salary increases until they reach the top of the pay scale. In addition, employees will receive any agreed cost of living pay rises.