About the job

Job summary

The enduring objective of the PDD team will be to re-frame stakeholder relationships as delivery partners, building trusting, open relationships with industry experts and those directly impacted by policy. This objective will be reflected in both the pieces of work identified as well as in the approach to ways of working as reflected in the skills and experience section below.

Job description

Due to the ongoing delivery work within the programme, the team may need to divert from the longer-term strategic co-design approach and will also need to apply these principles to critical situations working to build stakeholder confidence and/or working with the value chain to identify immediate recommendations for any at-risk delivery or policy areas in the short term.

• Building trusting relationships with a range of stakeholders
• Preparing and delivering material for participatory design sessions
• Distilling session outputs in to policy and delivery recommendations
• Tailoring information to suit different audiences and across different formats
• Working as part of a cross-functional team, incorporating input from a range of sources but also supporting the immediate team’s priorities and deliverables

Person specification

• Familiarity with systems-thinking and application of this/similar frameworks to complex landscapes
• Knowledge of different applications for preparing written and visual material
• An understanding of waste policy and the stakeholders and their roles within the waste value chain would be beneficial
• Confident and comfortable seeking input and experiences from a wide range of both internal and external stakeholders from diverse backgrounds and perspectives
• Strong communication skills – able to communicate in a straightforward, honest, and engaging manner, choosing appropriate styles and formats to maximise understanding and impact among different audience types and sizes
• Able to develop, implement, maintain and review policies, processes, systems and services to ensure effective delivery
• Able to analyse and use a range of relevant, credible information from internal and external sources to support decisions
• Ability to align and pivot activity to contribute to wider organisational priorities
• Experience of facilitating workshops, presenting and communicating with a range of audiences of different sizes is vital
• Experience establishing professional relationships and working collaboratively with a range of stakeholders
• Experience managing challenging conversations, listening, and responding constructively to challenge, and encouraging an environment where colleagues feel they can raise issues and discussions safely
• Experience analysing and distilling significant amounts of information and inputs in to a coherent narrative and digestible output

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,136, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £8,676 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

The Civil Service marks each element of the selection process on a merit basis. You can visit the gov.uk website for further information on the Civil Service rating scale.

Ensure you have tailored your CV and Behaviour Statements to the 'responsibilities' and 'skills and experience' section of the job advert by providing examples on how you are suitable for the role. We would recommend using the STAR method. 

For further information on STAR, you can check out our hints and tips document.

Application

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• A CV
• x4 Behaviour Statements - (250 words per statement) Working Together, Communication & Influencing, Seeing the Bigger Picture & Managing a Quality Service

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Sift

Sift will begin shortly after the advert closes.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment or interview.

Interview

• If successful at sift stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on the Behaviours listed below:
  
  
• Communication & Influencing
• Seeing the Bigger Picture
• Managing a Quality Service

Interview dates are to be confirmed. Please note that these may be subject to change.

Interviews will be held virtually on Microsoft Teams.

Location

Please be aware that this role(s) will be contractually based in a Defra group workplace/office. The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.

Candidates applying for these roles will be based at one of the Defra hubs as advertised.  

For information, our core Defra hub locations are:

• York – the Kings Pool
• Newcastle – Lancaster House
• Bristol – Horizon House (Please note that space at this office is limited and it may not be possible for all Policy roles to be recruited to this location)
• London – 2 Marsham Street

Internal (core Defra) employees can apply for this role and choose to remain in their current location or to be based in one of the advertised locations.

All other applicants will be based in one of the advertised locations.Our current office attendance approach requires 60% attendance in Defra group workplaces or off site meetings with partners and customers. This balance provides thriving workplaces to connect with colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs balanced with personal flexibility and choice. 

Travel and subsistence will not be paid for travel to a base office location.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Merit Lists

Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.

Salary 

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

Visa Sponsorship Statement

Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. 

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: 

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
• Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional. 

Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Criminal Record Check

If successful and transferring from another Government Department, a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading. 

Internal Fraud Database Check

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Higher Security Clearance 

Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter.

All of these posts require the successful candidate to hold basic security clearance. Candidates posted to London may be subject to a higher level of clearance because of the security requirements for that location. Job offers to these posts are made on the basis of merit. Security vetting will only take place after the receipt of a job offer. 

Childcare Vouchers 

Any move to Defra from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. 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.