About the job

Job summary

We are delighted that you are considering the role of Head of Simpler Recycling. It is an exciting time to join the team as we move into this next phase of delivery.

Across the Resources & Waste Directorate, our vision is:

‘A world class collection and packaging system that champions the reduction, reuse and recycling of materials. This system will embody a foundational change in how we manage waste, equipping all four nations to lead a managed transition towards a prosperous economy defined by responsibility, circularity, and resource efficiency. Together, we will minimise the environmental impacts of packaging and maximise the contribution that packaging reform can make to Net Zero and the protection of our environment.’

The Collection and Packaging Reforms comprise of five main projects and is classified as a Government Major Project.  One of these is the Simpler Recycling project. Simpler Recycling provides a waste collection overhaul that will ensure the same recyclable waste streams are collected from all households and businesses. Social benefits of £2.8bn and a 12% increase to packaging recycling rates. Through Simpler Recycling, we will ensure that people across England are able to recycle the same materials, putting an end to confusion over what can and cannot be recycled in different parts of country; and introduce weekly collections of food waste.

The primary driver for the whole programme is the considerable improvement to national recycling performance on offer. The simpler recycling programme is key to meeting our strategic drivers.

Job description

Reporting to the Deputy Director for Resource & Waste Delivery, you will be responsible for the following:

1. Overseeing the delivery of the Simpler Recycling policy and legislation which will require:

• Publication of analysis of the consultation on statutory guidance and publication of Simpler Recycling government response
• Drafting, finalisation, and parliamentary process to laying of secondary legislation and commencement order
• Finalising, clearance and publication of final statutory guidance
• Oversight of Simpler Recycling policy work including policy briefings and papers, ministerial visits, PQs etc and acting as the main private office contact
• Stakeholder management and interface with central communications team
• Commissioning and monitoring across required research projects to inform policy positions and delivery approach.
• Interface with the Net Zero team and DEZNS on our net zero pathway

     2. Running the project delivery and implementation planning for Simpler Recycling Reforms.

• Ensuring a robust approach to project planning is built on and maintained and disciplined governance ensures decisions are made at the most appropriate level
• Setting up working groups and stakeholder forums to work through challenges to delivery
• Ensure funding modelling, allocation and disbursement is carried out with rigorous and transparent processes with sign off processes in place to ensure grants are accurate and timely
• Engagement with relevant stakeholders on funding allocations including working with Local Authorities, DLUHC and HMT
• Leading the development of a Full Business Case for Simpler Recycling working with Finance, HMT and DLUHC
• Clearance of the Full Business Case to permit spend, including Accounting Officer and Treasury clearance followed by disbursement of significant funds via section 31 grants in multiple years
• Management of the project budget and securing future years funding through spending review bids
• Development of a new workstream to identify and support local authorities to cease transitional arrangements and bring forward their separate food waste collections. This will involve changes to legislation and securing funding in future years
• Management of commissioned projects related to the informing of policy and successful implementation of Simpler Recycling reforms
• Working with delivery partners to ensure readiness planning is in place and managing barriers to implementation
• Development of an integrated plan for how we deliver simpler recycling tracking our delivery, modelling LAs delivery and including wider delivery partners including the non-household municipal sector and recycling processors. Specific focus will need to be given to supporting micro-businesses
• Creation of a strategy to monitor roll-out and assess outcomes and benefits realised strongly linked in with programme-wide evaluation
• Work with Other Government Departments and stakeholders on related policy across the Net Zero delivery landscape, including on anaerobic digestion
• Work with Environment Agency in their planning for compliance associated with the of the reforms including development of a workplan to incorporate into an integrated planning approach for the project
• Develop a clear approach to compliance for local authorities

Key Responsibilities 

• Your role will include managing a team made up of approximately 15 FTE to deliver Simpler Recycling reforms. Teams include:
  • Policy & Legislation: a team responsible for finalising the secondary legislation and statutory guidance to enable Simpler Recycling who are working closely with key stakeholders across Local Authorities, Recycling Processing Facilities, Trade Associations and Industry representatives in the development of our policy position. This team is also responsible for understanding dry recycling processor readiness and also lead on our Net Zero Pathway
  • Operational Readiness, enforcement & compliance: a team working with Environment Agency to build compliance and enforcement regime. The team work to understand the gaps in infrastructure and help delivery partners prepare to implement reforms
  • Stakeholder engagement & Communications: a team responsible for SR specific stakeholder engagement and supporting Local Authorities, Waste Collection Authorities and Waste Delivery Authorities and wider industry interests as we move through our Government Response, the stages of legislative agreement and towards delivery
  • SR project management: a team responsible for providing critical project management support to wider team including governance, planning, risks and issues
  • Finance and New Burdens Funding: a team ensuring the HMT Green Book business cases are completed and maintained with rigorous analysis informing the decision making. In addition to this, part of the project team are responsible for ensuring modelling and allocation of funding to local authorities via section 31 grants. This team will work closely with the team leading on our spending review bid. Will also hold responsibility for local authorities with transitional arrangements who have different funding arrangements
  • Working with other teams in resources and waste to understand infrastructure capacity needs

• You will be responsible for managing the project including day to day progress across each of the teams above, as well as leading on any strategic or emerging issues to support delivery
• The role involves working closely with colleagues in HMT, DLUHC, DESNZ and Local Authorities, Trade Associations, representative bodies, Industry leads and representatives
• Hold a key position in managing and monitoring the work of WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) who are grant funded and assist the project in some key areas of research and data collection
• You will ensure that team members feel both stretched and supported to achieve their objectives, and support strong collaborative and inclusive working across the SR team

Person specification

The essential criteria for this role is: 

• Experience managing a complex project and covering a wide range of disciplines including policy development, delivery, stakeholder engagement, funding and finance and project management; with ability to prioritise effectively and deliver at pace
• Excellent communication and collaborations skills are essential, with ability to establish, build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders (internal and external) and communicate complex policy challenges and solutions to Ministers
• Ability to see the big picture, identifying linkages across a complex policy landscape; and creatively resolving sensitive or complex delivery problems
• Ability to lead, coach and direct others, while managing competing priorities and supporting wellbeing and development of your team
• Experience of strategic leadership to achieve system reform objectives, or other transferable experience
• Experience of working with senior leaders and executives and support them with effective decision making
• Experience establishing and leading a team of people, including strong inter-personal, performance management and development skills
• Ability to balance competing demands and tight timescales, remaining calm under pressure whilst maintaining immaculate attention to detail
• A highly effective communicator with the ability to present complex issues to a diverse set of audiences
• Strong written skills, able to distil complete information into concise, readable summaries
• Experience working in or with the recycling, packaging and producer sectors

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £62,605, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £16,903 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.

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

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Interview

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

A presentation will be required at interview stage to demonstrate Skills & Experience (further details will be provided closer to the time). You will also be assessed on the following Behaviours:

• Leadership

Promote diversity, inclusion and equality of opportunity, respecting difference, and external experience. Welcome and respond to views and challenges from others, despite any conflicting pressures to ignore or give in to them. Stand by, promote, or defend own and team’s actions and decisions where needed. Seek out shared interests beyond own area of responsibility, understanding the extent of the impact actions have on the organisation. Inspire and motivate teams to be fully engaged in their work and dedicated to their role.

• Seeing the Big Picture

Develop and maintain an understanding of economic, social, political, environmental, and technological developments to ensure activity is relevant. Ensure plans and activities in your area of work reflect wider strategic priorities and communicate effectively with senior leaders to influence future strategies. Adopt a government- and industry-wide perspective to ensure alignment of activity and policy. Bring together views, perspectives, and diverse needs of stakeholders to gain a broader understanding of the issues surrounding policies and activities.

• Making Effective Decisions

Clarify your own understanding and stakeholder needs and expectations, before making decisions. Ensure decision making happens at the right level, not allowing unnecessary bureaucracy to hinder delivery. Encourage both innovative suggestions and challenge from others, to inform decision making. Analyse and accurately interpret data from various sources to support decisions. Find the best option by identifying positives, negatives, risks, and implications. Present reasonable conclusions from a wide range of complex and sometimes incomplete evidence. Make decisions confidently even when details are unclear or if they prove to be unpopular.

• Communicating and Influencing

Communicate with others in a clear, honest, and enthusiastic way to build trust. Explain complex issues in a way that is easy to understand. Consider people’s individual needs. Deliver difficult messages with clarity and sensitivity, being persuasive when required. Consider the impact of the language used. Remain open-minded and impartial in discussions, whilst respecting the diverse interests and opinions of others. Introduce different methods for communication, including making the most of digital resources whilst getting value for money. Monitor the effectiveness of own and team communications and take action to improve where necessary

• Delivering at Pace

Show a positive approach to keeping the whole team’s efforts focused on the top priorities. Promote a culture of following the appropriate procedures to ensure results are achieved on time whilst still enabling innovation. Ensure the most appropriate resources are available for colleagues to use to do their job effectively. Regularly monitor your own and team’s work against milestones ensuring individual needs are considered when setting tasks. Act promptly to reassess workloads and priorities when there are conflicting demands to maintain performance. Allow individuals the space and authority to meet objectives, providing additional support where necessary, whilst keeping overall responsibility

Location 

As part of the pre-employment process for this post, 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.

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.

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.

Full Time Only

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying. 

NSV

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

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.