About the job

Job summary

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people's day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink.

Constitution and Strategic Projects

We are a high performing directorate consisting of 4 different areas: Devolution, Legislation and Better Regulation, the Policy Response and Resilience Unit, and a Business Management Team. We work at pace to give top quality support to Ministers on cross-cutting priorities for Defra. We also work in partnership with policy teams throughout Defra – supporting them, adding value to their work, and providing constructive challenge. We are an inclusive directorate which supports people to develop and thrive by exposing them to new challenges and by making time for feedback and discussion.

Finally, we are outward looking and open to new ideas – from our partners in Government, our sectors and from people who have worked in other industries and environments

Job description

Diary and Inbox Management: 

• Lead the management and coordination of the Director’s diary and meetings, including but not limited to weekly all staff calls and SLTs, ensuring time is appropriately allocated and delivered in the best way possible
• Synthesise information from emails/briefings and bring the key points to the Directors attention 
• Coordinate planning and finalising of agendas for meetings, oversee the coordination and distribution of the relevant paperwork
• Liaise with colleagues and stakeholders to deal with enquiries and to coordinate appointments and engagements, arranging meetings for internal and external attendees, booking rooms, preparing materials, etc
• Compose and circulate emails as needed e.g., sharing papers to wider groups for feedback / raising awareness of matters such as mandatory training and new guidance 

Director Support:  

• Trouble shoot issues that may arise to make sure the Director’s priorities are delivered
• Act as a liaison between the Director and other colleagues to ensure any communication that should be redirected is
• Take a proactive approach, liaising with key staff/stakeholders for information on tasks’ progress and applying this data to best support the Directors’ decision-making 
• Support the Directors in review of budget
• Responsible for a full range of secretarial, administrative support and assistance including taking minutes where required and keeping notes of arising actions
• Ensure the Director has all papers and information for the meetings. This includes moving to necessary folders where appropriate and asking for them in case not received
• Arrange business travel and accommodation for the Director when necessary and as early in advance as possible. Subsequently update site visits tracker

Supporting the Wider Group: 

• Work with the wider BMT to consider the bigger picture e.g., assisting with the Business Continuity Plan
• Contribute towards the organisation and coordination of large-scale events such as awaydays
• Support and contribute on BMT commissions
• Responsible for maintaining momentum and check-ins with ongoing tasks such as action plans, people survey results
• Taking initiative to anticipate problems and resolve them before they become an issue

Collaborative Working and Engagement: 

• Work with other HEOs within the team to ensure that cohesive community approach is taken within the SLT Support team and that holiday, sickness and short-term absence cover is provided
• Line management responsibility of EO’s in terms of leave requests, performance, training, leaving daily responsibilities and asks to that of the DD they are reporting to. Ensure there are regular 1:1’s and developmental chats. Obtain feedback from their Deputy Director’s so that if anything needs improving, or deserves recognition, necessary steps can be taken to achieve this
• Take an active role in the Business Management Team’s Business Support Network, building up good working relationships with other Business Support Officers to ensure efficient and effective progression of work
• Providing cover for wider directorate support colleagues
• Report directly into the Business Team Manager (Corporate and SLT Support)
• Promote engagement and enhanced understanding of business for self and direct report(s)
• Identify and promote areas for smarter and collaborative working

Person specification

• Line management and workload delegation experience
• Experience of supporting senior or executive leaders in high-paced/pressured political environments, maintaining multiple personal/team calendars and inboxes
• Strategic planning/project governance background
• Stakeholder and relationship management at all levels of seniority
• High standard of communication skills (written and verbal)
• Highly organised
• Competent use of Microsoft Office
• Competent in statistics and finance
• Business planning experience
• Minute- and note-taking experience

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,136, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £8,676 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, Personal Statement and 3 Behaviours.

CV is for reference only and will not be assessed.

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 Personal Statement.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Interview

If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on the behaviours listed on the application form, and a number of strengths.

A presentation or additional exercise may also be assessed.

Interview to be held via video link.

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.

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.

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

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.