About the job

Job summary

The post holder, based in the Farming and Countryside Programme, will coordinate across many teams to lead the delivery of high quality multi-disciplinary evidence and analysis to support the content development of the programme’s exciting Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes.

The role will involve leading the coordination and delivery of the evidence-base for decisions, and providing expert advice on how best to design, analyse and communicate impacts and risks to policy customers.  This is a technical role that is both internally and externally facing. As part of this role, the post holder will work closely with other natural scientists, social scientists, data scientists, modellers, economists, and evaluators within the programme, as well as experts across Defra, our delivery partners, and our external stakeholders.

The role will involve strong co-ordination and influencing skills, to support with content development and delivery of our ELM schemes, ensuring decisions are informed by current scientific evidence. 

It will involve managing and delivering analytical projects at pace on a broad range of policy-relevant topics. Including, but is not limited to, developing an understanding of: the value for money of scheme offers by drawing upon analysis conducted by colleagues in ELM evidence and analysis teams; the evidence for relevant issues being considered by policy (e.g. potential benefits of predatory control); how land management actions need to be done to effectively deliver environmental outcomes.

Job description

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities:

• Lead and manage a portfolio of science content development projects aimed at enhancing the evidence-base for ELM schemes.
• Build strong working relationships with policy customers and be able to react quickly to customer needs.
• Lead analysis that is policy relevant by keeping up with and reacting to the latest policy thinking and emerging issues.
• Liaise effectively and collaboratively with other analysts to ensure the analytic products are inter-disciplinary and aligned with relevant work.
• Ensure that the analysis is interpreted and applied appropriately and accompanied with assurance statements.
• Ensure that analysis is appropriately engaged with and disseminated (within the team, programme, across the Defra group and to external stakeholders, as required).
• Lead the scoping and commissioning of future content development projects and appropriate assessment and appraisal.
• Lead in undertaking evidence projects where natural science expertise is required. This may include more substantive pieces as well as working at pace to deliver commissions to tight deadlines.
• Promote evidence-based policy across ELM through building positive and effective relationships with both internal colleagues within the division, across Defra, its arm’s length bodies, and external with stakeholders.
• Contribute to accessing the scientific research base and the best available data, as well as considering the impact of emerging issues and innovative technologies on scheme content development.
• Line manage a natural scientist in a small team and work closely with a team of scientists in an adjacent Natural Science Strategy team.

Person specification

The following criteria apply to the role:

• A degree (BSc/MSc/PhD) in a relevant subject, e.g. environmental science, ecology, agricultural science or geography.
• Scientific expertise in land use and land management, agriculture, or the natural environment.
• Extensive experience working at pace to deliver analytical products to a short turnaround, managing projects and coordinating a team.
• Experience of developing and leading projects with a focus on analysis, evidence assessment and collation to inform decision-making for the development of policy or delivery.
• Ability to lead a complex portfolio of work and manage your work flexibly to adapt as priorities change, often at short notice.
• Experience applying or disseminating complex or technical subject matter research findings to diverse and non-specialist audiences, using effective interpersonal, verbal, and written skills.
• Experience of scientific research methodologies and techniques, and application of these in complex projects.
• Experience of partnership working, negotiating, and attention to detail to balance conflicting priorities or needs.
• Experience of working with large, varied, and incomplete data sets. In particular, experience of using excel (or alternative programmes) for coding/modelling and ensuring there is a clear audit trail behind analyses.
• Ability to work closely with a mixed team of analysts from different professions and non-analysts.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £52,120, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £14,072 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 a CV, behaviour and technical statements.  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, Delivering 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

If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on behaviours and technical skills.

A presentation or additional exercise may also be assessed.

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 /Disclosure Scotland 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. 

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk.

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.

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. This includes moves between government departments. 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.