About the job

Job summary

This role sits in the International Negotiations team within the Chemicals Pesticides and Hazardous Waste (CPHW) International Hub. We represent the UK in international negotiations on UN Multilateral Environmental Agreements including Basel, Rotterdam, Stockholm and Minamata, and the new Science Policy Panel for pollution, chemicals and waste.  This is an exciting and fast-paced role which attracts significant ministerial attention and engagement.

As an SEO Policy Adviser, you will work within the International Negotiations team to lead the development of UK positions ahead of negotiations, and the preparation and planning for international travel.

Job description

Working to a G7 Team Lead, you will work flexibly to support Multilateral Environment Agreement (MEA) negotiations, and engage with senior officials and ministers to present UK positions at these negotiations.

You will be responsible for:

• Taking an active role as part of the negotiations team in representing the UK on a number of UN Multilateral Environment Agreements in order to influence international discussions and decisions to protect UK’s interest and uphold health and environmental standards
• Feeding into broader cross-Defra and cross-government to ensure chemicals and waste management is represented in international strategies, campaigns and funding / programming and that our work remains firmly aligned with UK foreign policy objectives
• Fostering excellent programme management across the International Hub to maintain delivery of high-quality work, in accordance with our priorities and the timelines of the international agenda
• Engaging with international stakeholders and working across a multi-disciplinary team, including scientists, social researchers and economists as part of international negotiations
• Delivering advice to senior officials and Ministers
• Working with a range of stakeholders in and outside of Government, including on cross-cutting issues such as climate change and biodiversity loss, highlighting the link to chemical pollution
• Effective planning and prioritisation of activities to deliver high quality results to time
• Creating briefing materials and presentations for meetings

You can expect to be called upon to travel for work – sometimes long distance – to represent Defra and/or the UK in international meetings.

Person specification

We are looking for someone with the following desirable criteria, although welcome applicants from a broad range of backgrounds and experience. 

• Experience of planning and prioritising effectively to meet deadlines, to deliver high quality results at pace
• Experience of working with complex policy areas, identifying the key issues, the significant risks and proposing innovative solutions
• Ability to show initiative and work independently to drive workstreams forward, as well as being able to identify when and how you need to deliver through others
• Experience of building and maintaining strong relationships with both internal and external stakeholders and forging consensus between parties with different priorities
• Experience of influencing other stakeholders in order to deliver change
• Experience of confidently and accurately communicating in person and in written submissions

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,439, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £10,648 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 250-word statements on each of the following four Behaviours – (1) Communicating and Influencing, (2) Delivering at Pace; (3) Making Effective Decisions and; (4) Seeing the Big Picture.

You will also be asked to provide a CV and a 500-word statement of suitability, in which you should explain your motivation for the role and how your skills and experience make you suitable for this role. Please refer to the essential criteria, as detailed in the job advert.

Sift

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour Communicating and Influencing, and the statement of suitability. 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 interview location to be confirmed.

Interview 

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to a video interview. 

You will also be asked questions based on the following Civil Service Behaviours: (1) Communicating and Influencing, (2) Delivering at Pace; (3) Making Effective Decisions and; (4) Seeing the Big Picture.

A presentation or additional exercise may also be assessed.

Location

Please be aware that this role(s) will be contractually based in a Defra group workplace/office. 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.

Candidates applying for these roles will be based at one of the Defra hubs as advertised.  

For information, our core Defra hub locations are:

• York – the Kings Pool
• Newcastle – Lancaster House
• Bristol – Horizon House (Please note that space at this office is limited and it may not be possible for all Policy roles to be recruited to this location)
• London – 2 Marsham Street

Internal (core Defra) employees can apply for this role and choose to remain in their current location or to be based in one of the advertised locations.

All other applicants will be based in one of the advertised locations. Our current office attendance approach requires 60% attendance in Defra group workplaces or off site meetings with partners and customers. This balance provides thriving workplaces to connect with colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs balanced with personal flexibility and choice. 

Travel and subsistence will not be paid for travel to a base office location.

Reserve List 

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

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.

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.

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

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.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

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.