About the job

Job summary

Defra is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people's day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink.

Digital, Data and Technology Services (DDTS) is the trusted team for digital across the entire Defra Group.

We have around 1,200 colleagues across DDTS and our ambition is to make it easier and faster than ever for people to interact with Defra. If you are ready to drive innovation and push boundaries, we want to hear from you. Join us and together we will create a great place for living, and a green and healthy future for all.

Find out more about DDTS:

Defra digital, data and technology blog

LinkedIn 

Defra Jobs 

Job description

The Digital, Data and Technology Services (DDTS) Project Delivery Team are a leading exemplar of the Defra Project Delivery Profession. We are looking for Project Managers to work on digital and technology projects across Defra and our Arm's Length Bodies to deliver an excellent service for our customers. This role gives you an opportunity to be part of the Civil Service Project Delivery Function.

At Defra, you'll work alongside teams to deliver business change IT solutions that have a positive and important real-life impact. Projects can range from delivering outcomes for  flooding emergency response to projects around farming, borders and trade. These projects are very different to each other so it’s a varied role with opportunities to learn new things and develop. We use a range of modern technologies at Defra, from AI and robotics through to cloud based systems.

Working in a supportive, diverse, and customer-focused culture our flexible working arrangements mean that you can maintain a healthy work-life balance in this role.

Person specification

Responsibilities

• Identifies, assesses and manages risks, issues and dependencies to ensure the success of the project
• Ensures that realistic project, quality and finance plans are prepared and maintained and provides regular and accurate reports to stakeholders as appropriate
• Ensures quality reviews occur on schedule and according to procedure
• Manages the change control procedure and ensures that project deliverables are completed within planned cost, timescale and resource budgets and are signed off
• Provides effective management of the Project Team and takes appropriate action where team performance deviates from agreed tolerances

Skills and experience

• Previous full project lifecycle project management experience, matrix managing a small-medium size team and working with diverse stakeholders
• Knowledge of the full IT project lifecycle including knowledge of Agile and/or Waterfall methodologies
• Raising quality standards across the team with a working knowledge of governance
• Budgeting, finance forecasting and cost management
• A working knowledge of stakeholder engagement including knowledge of working with a third party supplier and/or multiple third-party suppliers.
• Working knowledge of risk, issue and change management, with awareness also of ensuring the business / customer readiness for change.

Qualifications

• Prince2 qualification or equivalent experience and a willingness to work toward a qualification. Defra is able to fund Prince2 qualification as part of your training and development.

Selection process

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 Personal Statement 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 assessed on your experience and will be asked to complete:

• A CV
• A 500-word personal statement: "Referring to the 'responsibilities and 'skills and experience' sections of the job advert, please demonstrate how you are suitable for the role by providing relevant examples."

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

Sift

Sift will begin shortly after the advert closes.

Should there be a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted using your personal statement.

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

Sift dates to be confirmed.

Interview

If successful at sift stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on the Behaviours listed below.

The following behaviours will be assessed at interview:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions

A presentation or additional exercise may also be assessed.

Interviews are expected to take place between 29th January and 2nd February 2024. Please note that these may be subject to change.

Interviews will be held virtually on Microsoft Teams.

For further information on Success Profiles, please use the links below and watch our videos on Defra Jobs.

Behaviours

Experience

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,439, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £10,687 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.

For further information on the selection process for this role, please refer to the person specification section of the job advert.

Near miss

Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in Defra which may be at a lower grade, but have a potential skills match.

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.

Reserve list

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

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.

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.

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.

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

Defra operate a blended working policy subject to business need. Individuals are expected to work from any Defra office to connect with their colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs. There is flexibility to split working week, spending minimum 60% in the workplace, unless exceptional circumstances apply and/or you are a contractual home worker.

Our main Defra DDTS hubs are in York, Warrington, Newcastle, Reading and Bristol.

Please also be aware that space within the London office is restricted and it may not be possible to be based in this location.

London location

To work from 2 Marsham Street, London, you will require the higher level of counter-terrorist check (CTC) clearance. Therefore, confirmation of appointment to the advertised post will be dependent upon successful CTC clearance being confirmed as part of pre-employment checks.  

Visa sponsorship statement

Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker Licence 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 maybe 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 circumstance 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-Employment.Checks@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.

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 on the Childcare Choices website.

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.