About the job

Job summary

In Defra, we deal with issues that profoundly impact 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. This role sits in the new Resources and Waste Directorate.

Resources and waste goes to the heart of how society interacts with goods and services, from material extraction and industrial production through to how it is managed as waste. The 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy signalled the path for England to become a world leader in using resources efficiently and reducing the amount of waste it produces.

A significant priority for the Resources and Waste Directorate are the Collection and Packaging Reforms – a major government programme. These reforms comprise a Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers, Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging and simplified waste collections.

This role will support the economic analysis of the Deposit Return Scheme to enable the successful delivery of the policy by ensuring policy decisions are underpinned by robust analysis and supported by key deliverables including the economic case and final impact assessment.

This role will require close working with Defra policy and delivery colleagues, evidence and analysis colleagues, other government departments and devolved administrations, as well as our external stakeholders.

Job description

This is a policy and delivery facing SEO Economist role, within the Resources and Waste Directorate.

You’ll work within the CPR Economists team within the Resources and Waste Evidence function, a friendly multidisciplinary team of economists, statisticians, social researchers, scientists and operational researchers working together to provide analytical input across the Resources and Waste Directorate to support decision making.

This role provides analytical support for the government’s Collection and Packaging Reforms, a major government project and Defra priority.

Duties and responsibilities

In this role you will:

• Work directly with policy colleagues and other economist leads both in Defra and in devolved administrations to ensure impacts transparently and consistently appraised.
• Support the delivery of the final DRS impact assessment.
• Support the delivery of the Outline and Full Business Case’s Economic Case, contributing with multidisciplinary colleagues
• Develop future economic analysis to support key decisions around the evaluation plans and of the Deposit Management Organisation which will administer the scheme
• Support development of future policy decisions within CPR
• Build relationships with external stakeholders and across government to ensure the successful delivery and landing of the analysis
• Develop relationships with and play an active role in the wider Resources and Waste Evidence function to support an inclusive and positive working environment

Person specification

We are searching for an Economist with a strong delivery record, an ability to produce high quality analysis and make decisions with imperfect information, and experience working with both policy and delivery colleagues.

You will display excellent interpersonal skills and be a trusted adviser, with the credibility to influence and challenge effectively to gain consensus on complex areas. You will display excellent verbal and written communication skills, and the ability to present complex technical information to a diverse audience.        

With strong collaborative skills, you will confidently engage to build constructive relationships within the teams you work with.

You will have substantive experience as a government economist capable of confidently working on regulatory impact assessments and economic case input to business cases.

Essential criteria:

• Ability to analyse, interpret, and communicate evidence from a range of often incomplete sources clearly to support policy decisions
• A proven track record in successfully working across analytical and policy professions, other departments and external partners to deliver results
• Substantive experience as a government economist, capable of confidently contributing economic input to business cases and regulatory impact assessments, and able to successfully prioritise and meet deadlines
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to distil complex technical information and provide clear, and succinct advice for senior officials and ministers
• Able to build and maintain a network of colleagues and contacts within and outside government to achieve progress on shared outcomes

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,439, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £10,648 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;

• CV detailing your career history (including any relevant qualifications. Your CV will be used for Information Only).
• Personal statement (max. 500 words). 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.
• 250 word statement on each of the following Behaviours:
  • Delivery at Pace
  • Making Effective Decisions
  • Working Together
• 250 word statement on the following technical skill:
  GES Technical Framework– analysis of data

Sift 

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using Delivery at Pace. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview. 

Sift and interview dates as well as the interview location to be confirmed.

Interview Process Details

If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be required to do a presentation to test your technical skills and answer 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.

This post offers a non-pensionable, non-consolidated Specialist Skills Supplement of £3000 per annum (pro rata as appropriate).

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.