About the job

Job summary

This position is based Nationally

Job description

The team 

This position is based Nationally in the Science & Evidence Programme Team

The Teams – The Science and Evidence Programme Team is a cross-cutting team that works closely with others across the Chief Scientists Directorate (CSD) and the four Strategic Programmes to provide leadership and engagement to embed the Science, Evidence and Evaluation Strategy (2020 - 2025) into the business and drive a cultural shift towards becoming an evidence-led organisation.

The team champions, facilitates and supports key interdisciplinary and cross-cutting science and evidence issues, including longer-term/horizon scanning and evaluation. We provide a business planning function, working with other major programmes to ensure a consistent and coordinated approach to annual and in-year commissioning, resourcing, and performance reporting, including a robust CSD team plan.

Supporting the Principal Adviser & Head of Programme to develop, manage and report delivery of NE’s Science & Evidence Programme. A key element of the role is to co-ordinate the Science & Evidence Programme Budget, working in a small team to ensure this is spent effectively and that it is spent on the organisation’s evidence priorities. The role will also include broader support to S&E Programme to monitor and develop delivery of programme activity and outcomes.

The Post holder will work closely and collaboratively with colleagues in the Science & Evidence Programme team who undertake business management of the Chief Scientists Directorate delivery across its remit, in support of NE’s other strategic programmes. 

 Tasks will include:

• Identifying ongoing and new projects that need supporting to meet Natural England’s (NE) evidence needs as part of the teams Science Leadership work under the Science and Evidence Strategy
• Ensuring that budgets are profiled and spent effectively
• Participating in NE Business Planning and Spending Review activity
• Engage with project leads to monitor delivery, identify risk and encourage best practice
• Manage delivery risks and underspend, Coordinate in-year bids for evidence funds, reallocating underspend where appropriate
• Business Planning – Working with the Principal Adviser and supporting a Lead Adviser to ensure that the CSD resource allocation received through the business planning exercise accurately reflects the demand and available supply for CSD. Liaise with CSD managers, Programme teams and the PMO to ensure accuracy and consistency of figures.
• Budget Management – As well as having key responsibilities for the Evidence Budget there will also be oversight of the other elements of the CSD budget, including liaising with key budget holders, managers, and the finance business hub to ensure budgets are managed and reported against accurately.
• Developing existing reporting and data tools to improve delivery and information sources or coming up with new solutions.
• Some functional management.

Competencies

Competence 1 

Professional competency

Detail 

Technical/Specialist Knowledge (STAR format not needed for this competency)

Description 

• Practical experience of relevant finance and procurement processes and systems. Ability to manage and interpret data effectively using relevant IT systems. (Essential)
  
• Good business, project and contract management skills. (Essential)
  
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, able to provide effective summaries and briefings for all stakeholders. (Essential)

Competence 2 

Professional competency

Detail 

Personal Effectiveness

Description 

• Through your networks, offer strategic solutions to financial implications and share best practice to influence informed decision making (Practitioner)
  
• Apply new technology to improve the way we deliver our work (Practitioner)
  
• Make and explain objective decisions which combine your professional judgement and evidence (Expert)

Competence 3 

Professional competency

Detail 

Work Delivery

Description 

• Manage and deliver your work to meet agreed targets and deadlines (Expert)
  
• Show strong financial awareness by understanding your team's financial position, highlighting risks and opportunities, and taking management action if a material variance is likely to occur (Practitioner)
  
• See the big picture so you can set your team’s work within the context of the organisation’s vision, mission and aims, and help them understand how their work relates to and supports this (Practitioner)

Competence 4 

Professional competency

Detail 

Putting People at the Heart of the Environment

Description 

• Nurture trusting partnerships and collaborate to achieve pragmatic outcomes that help deliver Natural England’s vision, mission and aims (Practitioner)
• Work proactively and collaboratively with stakeholders and partners to identify and secure opportunities to deliver gains for people and nature (Practitioner)

 

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £36,098, Natural England contributes £9,782 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

Please refer to Job Description

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.