About the job

Job summary

In Defra, we address a vast range of issues that profoundly impact on people’s lives. We are responsible for England’s environment, our countryside and rural economy, the food and farming sectors and lead responsibility for protection from natural threats and hazards. 

The roles will initially sit in the Defra Resources and Waste Directorate and may be allocated to the Scheme Administrator for the UK Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) for Packaging when established. 

Resources and Waste goes to the heart of how society interacts with goods and services, from material extraction, industrial production through to how materials are ultimately managed as waste. Material resource use is fundamental to how our society functions and is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions as well as other environmental impacts such as biodiversity loss. The 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy signals the path for England to become a world leader in using resources efficiently and reducing the amount of waste it produces and associated greenhouse gas emissions. 

Within Resources and Waste, the Collections and Packaging Reform (CPR) program is a part of the Government Major Projects Portfolio, which comprises of the largest, most innovative and highest risk projects and programmes delivered by the government. As part of CPR, pEPR will require obligated producers to pay the full costs of managing packaging when it becomes waste. It will provide financial incentives through variation of the fees charged to packaging producers to encourage sustainable design, production and use of packaging.  

As a Delivery Lead in the Fees and Payments Calculator team, you will have a unique opportunity to play a critical role in delivering the new pEPR regime. This is a high profile, fast moving and complex area, with opportunities to put to practice and further improve your technical, project delivery and stakeholder engagement skills, and regular exposure to senior leaders and decision makers. 

These are rewarding roles where the successful candidates will be required to take ownership of driving the delivery and maintenance of the analytical framework underpinning the calculation of pEPR payments to local authorities and fees charged to packaging producers.  

Job description

We are looking for exceptional candidates with experience of taking full responsibility in driving the successful delivery of projects of similar scale and complexity. You will need to be confident working with waste experts and technical specialists, including analysts and modellers responsible for the building of a suite of analytical tools and numerical models. You will also need to be confident being at the forefront of the scheme administrator stakeholder engagement, communicating with clarity and confidence pEPR requirements, and supporting industry’s readiness and engagement with the scheme. 

The two Delivery Leads will primary be responsible for ensuring that the pEPR Scheme Administrator is provided on an annual basis with: 

• Up-to-date estimates of local authority costs to manage packaging waste across the UK
• The level of pEPR fees to be charged to packaging producers to cover local authority costs and, where relevant, incentivise a shift to packaging materials achieving better environmental outcomes

In order to deliver these products, the successful candidates will lead their teams to: 

• Oversee the delivery and improvement of a suite of analytical tools and models underpinning the calculation of LA costs and producer pEPR fees
• Implement and monitor robust project plans to ensure a timely delivery, to the right quality
• Oversee the procurement and management of science and evidence projects, for instance to collect waste management cost data, or provide the necessary underpinning evidence to support increasing pEPR fees for some packaging materials
• Implement and maintain a comprehensive programme of stakeholder engagement, including to support industry’s readiness and contribute to answering specific queries
• Be the subject experts to go to for any matters related to the Fees and Payments Calculator, working closely with other teams in Government and key bodies, including regulators

Person specification

We are looking for exceptional candidates with a strong record of delivering and operationalising strategies or policies of similar scale and complexity.  You will need to be confident being at the forefront of the scheme administrator stakeholder engagement, communicating with clarity and confidence pEPR requirements, and supporting industry’s readiness and engagement with the scheme. 

You will also have the right communication skills and experience to engage with technical experts as well as wider stakeholders (e.g., packaging industry, waste management companies, local authorities, environmental NGOs or academia). You will have experience of confidently advising and building confidence with a wide range of senior leaders, in central or local Government, industry or the charity sector. 

You will have strong project management skills, with experience of taking ownership of timely project delivery, and the ability to challenge project teams on their work. 

Given the highly technical nature of this delivery area, and the need to engage and collaborate with specialists, we encourage applications from candidates with additional technical skills, such as in operational or social research, or science and engineering.. 

We are ideally looking for candidates with significant experience in the waste sector, for instance gained in an industry, consulting or regulatory setting. We are however also encouraging candidates with experience in the wider environmental sustainability field to apply to these roles. 

Essential criteria: 

• Experience of successfully leading the delivery of projects and programmes of similar scale and complexity 
• Experience of successfully leading and managing technical and non-technical staff in a fast-paced delivery context
• Experience of implementing and using project management techniques, including the use of relevant software 
• Ideally experience and expertise in waste management – experience in the wider environmental sustainability field will also be considered for these roles 
• Experience of procuring or managing R&D and data collection projects to support delivery 
• Experience of building and maintaining stakeholder engagement programmes 
• Strong interpersonal skills, to build and maintain constructive relationships with internal and external stakeholders 
• An ability to work with a wide range of professions and specialists to deliver shared goals, and the confidence to negotiate trade-offs when necessary 
• Experience in communicating complex, technical information to senior leaders, Ministers and stakeholders, utilising evidence, and analysis to steer effective decision making 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £52,120, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £14,072 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, Experience and Technical skills.

Application Process

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

• A CV detailing your career history (including any relevant qualifications. Your CV will be used for Information Only).
• Personal Statement (750 word max). You should use this to explain how your skills and experience make you suitable for the role. Please refer to the person specification, as detailed in the job advert.

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

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Interview

If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview via MS Teams

You will need to do a presentation at the interview to demonstrate Technical Skills (further details will be provided closer to the time). You will also be assessed on Behaviour questions.

Location 

As part of the pre-employment process, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s).

Where the location is 'National' the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

Successful applicants currently employed by the hiring Defra organisation for this post may choose to remain in their current contractual location or may choose to change contractual location to one of those listed above. This should be discussed and agreed prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.

Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.

Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD.

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.