About the job

Job summary

Pesticides play an important role in supporting the UK’s plant health, crop production and maintenance of national infrastructure and public spaces. Targeted use of pesticides protects our crops and natural landscapes from native and invasive non-native pests, supports domestic food production, ecosystems and maintains our recreational, transport and amenity areas.  However, we must ensure that the use of pesticides does not adversely affect human health or pose unacceptable risks to environmental health.

These aims are pursued through a combination of strict regulation of pesticides and policies to further reduce the risks from pesticides used in pest, weed and disease control. This will be an important year for the pesticides hub as we look to move forward with publication of a new national action plan for the sustainable use of pesticides to outline how these measures will be strengthened and develop over the next five years.

Policy responsibility for pesticides rests with Defra Ministers (and their counterparts in Devolved Governments). The Pesticides Hub within Defra’s Chemicals, Pesticide and Hazardous Waste Division (CPHW) is responsible for developing pesticide policy in England. We work closely with the Health and Safety Executive’s Chemical Regulation Division (CRD), which is the UK regulator for pesticides.   

The hub is a friendly, 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.

The post covered by this advert will take a leading role in developing the policies or delivering the regulations in this high-profile, complex and fast-paced area.

Job description

This is an exciting and challenging time to join our team as a senior policy advisor to support and develop the pesticides regulatory framework. Senior policy advisors in the Pesticides hub work in the following areas:

• Delivery of policy commitments to support the sustainable use of pesticides, which will have real-world impacts on how pesticides are used in the UK.
• Leading on development of policy through to consultation and implementation, including making legislative change where it is needed.
• Reviewing and reforming regulatory processes to ensure they are effective and maintain environmental and human health standards now that we have established an independent GB pesticides regulatory regime.
• Leading on management of pesticide authorisations, including Defra’s role with emergency authorisation applications for pesticides, identifying areas for improvement and how to put them into practice.
• Taking a lead role on policy on compliance with pesticides legislation.

You will:

• Operate in an area that receives significant Ministerial and stakeholder interest, contributing to drafting and briefing, ministerial correspondence and PQs.
• Build relationships with teams across Defra, other Government Departments, Local Authorities and Devolved Administrations. Confidently working to influence the direction of travel for pesticide policy.
• Develop effective relationships with stakeholders to ensure the implementation of pesticide policy is effective.
• Assess risks and issues of ongoing work and manage them appropriately.
• Work closely with the economists, statisticians, social researchers and scientists in the Pesticides hub’s evidence team, and with other evidence teams across Defra, to support delivery.

Person specification

The successful candidate will meet the following essential criteria:

• A proven track record of excellent verbal and written communication skills, providing advice to stakeholders and senior managers.
• Given the often-changing priorities within the pesticides policy area, 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, while also working highly effectively as part of a team.
• The ability to work collaboratively with internal, cross government and external stakeholders, drawing on the expertise of policy, evidence, communications 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.

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, Strengths and Experience.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete 250-word statements on each of the behaviours (Changing and Improving; Delivering at Pace; Communicating and Influencing; Making Effective Decisions).

You will also be asked to complete a CV and personal statement. The CV will ask for your job history, qualifications and past skills and experience. The personal statement will ask you 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. Your CV will not be assessed as part of the application process.

Sift

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

Sift and interview dates are to be confirmed.

Interview

If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on behaviour and strength-based questions.

A presentation or additional exercise may also be assessed.

We encourage candidates to apply early to secure a favourable interview slot and to reduce the risk of a longer delay between sift and interview.

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 appointed in merit order for each 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.