About the job

Job summary

This is an opportunity to join the Defra Digital Delivery team. We are offering two roles that will be responsible for the transformation and delivery of digital services and infrastructure critical to Defra’s government reform ambition. Specifically, the roles are to support Defra’s commitments to the Border Operating Model needed to facilitate trade and protect the biosecurity of the UK; and services to deliver the environment, water, and waste reform outcomes of the Environment Act.

Defra’s Digital Delivery team is finding new ways to use digital, data, technology, expertise and innovation to help those who need it most. We’re changing how we work, transforming digital services for business and citizens across the country, and their needs are at the heart of everything we do.  

Job description

You will be working closely with people and teams across Defra and government, especially with operations, policy and other digital delivery teams. You will be directly responsible multiple products teams and be able to provide the direction, vision to deliver and end to end services that meet and exceed the needs of businesses and customers at pace. 

Digital Delivery Lead - Trade

The role is accountable for the delivery of a world leading trade service that supports both imports and exports through the enablement of digitisation and data driven processes that will enhance the UK’s bio-security requirements. The role will guide the department through the transition from paper-based forms to e-Certification and the closer integration with HMRC systems through the Single Trade Window, aligned to the Borders 2025 strategy. The postholder will also seek opportunities for operational efficiencies using Artificial Intelligence and Robotic Automation to ease friction at the border.

Digital Delivery Lead - Environment

The role will work with leaders from the Environment Directorate and our Arms-Length bodies to shape and lead digital service delivery to help realise the Environment Act ambition. Immediate focus will be leading the digital delivery for the Plan for Water, Chemicals and Pesticides, and the Biodiversity Net Gains programmes. The postholder will ensure all delivery complies with Defra’s delivery guardrails and cross government standards. This is a senior leadership role requiring close working with the Director General and Directors from the Environment directorate.

Person specification

It is essential that in your CV and Statement of Suitability, you provide evidence and examples of your success and experience against the person specification:

To succeed in this role, you will be a naturally inspiring and collaborative leader, with relevant digital experience gained within the public or commercial sector, in the following key areas:

• A self-starter bringing your own energy, resilience, and enthusiasm to continually drive through bold improvements to the services being provided.
• Lead by example to help transform the culture of the organisation; fostering high trust, and embedding a culture based on openness and transparency, supporting inclusive values to drive engagement and performance in a matrix-managed system.
• Translating a strategic vision into deliverable plans with the right metrics or measures to track delivery progress and impact.
• Building excellent stakeholder relationships; creating a wide-ranging network across organisational boundaries that supports collaborative working across teams and organisations in order to surface issues early to achieve highly effective outcomes. This should also include an ability to ‘story tell’ and get people bought into ideas and initiatives.
• Leading a scaled agile environment where your success depends on influencing and managing cross-team dependencies, as well as setting consistent and predictable ways of working on your own.
• Adapting your vision in an uncertain environment, whilst continuing to provide delivery confidence by leading matrix teams across organisational boundaries and working at pace.
• A successful track record of demonstrating strong financial and commercial acumen, proven track record of managing complex budgets, delivering value for money and resolving large high risk commercial management issues.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £75,000, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £20,250 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

Candidates are asked to complete a CV and personal statement (no more than 1250 words) on how your relevant skills and experience meet the essential criteria.
Completed applications must be submitted no later than the closing date
08/01/2024

Please ensure you allow sufficient time to submit your application afterwards. Please ensure that both documents are free of any identifying information – this will be captured through the online portal, whilst ensuring applications can be considered anonymously.

How we decide whom to invite for interview

Shortlisting for interview is made on the basis of merit. The selection panel will assess the evidence presented by all applicants against the advertised essential criteria and the highest rated applicants will be invited to interview. If you are shortlisted, you will be asked to take part in a virtual staff engagement exercise and psychometric testing. Shortlisted applicants will be offered an informal discussion with the Vacancy Holder.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). 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.