About the job

Job summary

Chemicals help us achieve many important goals, from securing cleaner water and plentiful food, to thriving industry, and more effective medicines – and using them wisely is key to keeping people and wildlife safe. So, making sure that the way we manufacture, use, manage, and dispose of chemicals is safe for communities and the environment is an ongoing priority.

Now, having left the EU, we have the freedom to consider our approach and improve our regulation in line with UK priorities– so we can phase out the most harmful and persistent pollutants in favour of more sustainable alternatives, ensure our waste is recycled sustainably, make polluters pay, and raise standards around the world. Defra’s Chemicals, Pesticide and Hazardous Waste Division (CPHW) is responsible for developing chemicals, pesticide, and hazardous waste policy. It is a friendly, fun, collaborative place to work, where we attach importance to how we do things – values, learning and development, rewarding success – as well as what we do. It is demanding but exciting too.

Job description

This is an exciting and challenging time to join a passionate and dedicated team. The post is in the chemicals policy hub that requires the successful candidates to be able to develop policy at pace and working collaboratively with stakeholders. The postholder will be part of the Emerging Chemicals Issues Policy Team leading on policy development on issues of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) and developing policy for regulation to address the risk from unintentional mixtures of chemicals (sometimes referred to as “the cocktail effect”).

This will include:

• Reviewing and reforming regulatory processes to ensure that they are effective and maintain environmental and human health standards, now that we have established independent GB chemicals regulatory regimes following EU Exit.
• Leading on development of policy through to consultation and implementation, including making legislative change where it is needed, which will have a real-world impact on how chemicals are used in the UK
• Work closely with the Chemicals evidence teams, and with other sources of evidence, to identify data gaps and secure key data needed to support the policy development process.
• Operating in an area that receives significant Ministerial and stakeholder interest, working on drafting and briefing, overseeing the development of core briefing packs, ministerial correspondence. PQs and submissions to ministers.
• Building relationships with teams across Defra, Devolved Administrations, other Government Departments and arm’s-length bodies.
• Confidently working to influence the direction of travel for chemicals policy domestically and support the international chemicals team to develop UK positions, where needed, in international fora.
• Developing relationships with stakeholders to ensure a smooth roll out of chemicals

Person specification

The following skills/experience is essential to this post:

• Previous policy experience in a highly regulated, technical and scientifically complex field, working closely with evidence specialists, including experience of developing and implementing new policy and legislation.
• Excellent communication skills (both oral and written) with a record of delivering excellent verbal and written advice to stakeholders and/or Ministers.
• Given the often-changing priorities within these policy areas, the post-holder must be adaptable and flexible, effectively responding to and prioritising work, juggling competing demands, often working at pace.
• The ability to work independently and take the lead in your own areas of work.
• The ability to work effectively as part of a team and work collaboratively with internal, cross governmental and external stakeholders, drawing on the expertise of policy, evidence, comms, procurement and legal colleagues as required.
• The ability to compile, assimilate, distil and interpret information, drawing upon experts as appropriate, to produce accurate briefings, communications, and policy proposals.
• Experience of working in an area with a diverse range of stakeholders.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,439, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £10,649 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, Strengths and Experience.

Application Process

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and a 500-word personal statement covering how you meet the essential criteria. 250-word behaviour statements will also be required for the following three behaviours:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Bigger Picture
• Delivering at Pace

The CV will ask for your Job History, Qualifications and Past Skills and Experience. Your CV will not be assessed as part of the sift.

You should use the Personal Statement to explain how your skills and experience make you suitable for the role. Please refer to the essential criteria as detailed in the person specification.

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

Sift

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, Making Effective Decisions. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Sift is likely to take place in w/c 18th March, with interviews expected to take place on w/c 2nd April.

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

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.

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 appointed in merit order for each location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.

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

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.