About the job

Job summary

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.

This role is based in the Social Research team within the Environment Science and Analysis division. The team provides specialist social research expertise to support teams working on natural environment policy issues across Defra’s Environment Strategy (ES) and Natural Environment, Trees and Landscapes (NETL) directorates.

Job description

As a Senior Research Officer, you will work alongside colleagues in an interdisciplinary evidence division, including social researchers, economists and scientists, reporting to a Principal Social Researcher. You will be working very closely with policy colleagues to deliver a broad programme of research and evaluation and will be responsible for leading high-profile insights, research and evaluation projects, working across professions and complex policy areas.

The team is currently working particularly closely with the Access and Engagement with Nature team, the wider Access, Landscapes, Peatland and Soil division, and the Land Use division.

The role will contribute to a range of high-profile areas, including the 25 Year Environment Plan, in particular connecting people with the environment to improve health and wellbeing, the Environmental Improvement Plan, Green Social Prescribing, Local Nature Recovery Strategies, the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme and the People and Nature Survey.

Person specification

The role will include work in the following areas, with an opportunity to discuss the distribution of projects and other work when in post:

• Developing, commissioning and managing social research projects, and helping to ensure findings are used in policy and by wider stakeholders. Current work includes the Farming in Protected Landscapes evaluation, Local Nature Recovery Strategies evaluation, and research into Green Social Prescribing and farmers’ and land managers’ attitudes and behaviours towards lowland peat management. Overall, work on these projects will require close working with policy and delivery colleagues and external contractors to ensure that the approach, analysis and reporting is high quality, and that findings feed into policy development and delivery
• Effectively disseminating and communicating evidence and insight to policy teams and stakeholders, and providing ongoing research support, including helping to develop future evidence projects
• Supporting public consultations and/or helping to ensure evaluation is embedded in the policy process across ES and NETL, through advising and supporting policy and embedded evidence teams to develop appropriate approaches and methods. The role requires constructive input at all stages of work with policy and evidence colleagues, and will require knowledge of research and evaluation design and methods

We are seeking candidates who:

• Have experience using social research methodologies - with the ability to identify, champion, and use both qualitative and quantitative social research approaches to explore and answer policy questions
• Have experience of managing research projects, ensuring relevant legal, ethical, procurement, and quality assurance practices are followed, ensuring high quality results and methodological rigour
• Have experience of working across organisational boundaries and across evidence disciplines, building and maintaining a network of colleagues and contacts to achieve progress on shared outcomes
• Have experience of taking personal responsibility for shaping, planning and driving forward their work, including delivering at pace and managing deadlines across a broad portfolio of work
• Are able to accurately evaluate competing data sources and identify salient points and trends to draw sound, logical inferences and produce advice to support key policy decisions
• Have experience of communicating analysis, evidence and concepts clearly in a way that is easy to understand

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, Experience and Technical skills.

Application Process

 As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, personal statement,  behaviours and a 250 word technical skill required for the post.

For your personal statement, in 500 words or less, with reference to your CV, please explain why you have the experience, skills and/or qualifications required to undertake this role.

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

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Interview

If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on Experience , Technical skills and Behaviours. You will also need to prepare for a presentation and Q&A to assess the technical skills for Senior Research Officers set out in the Government Social Research Technical Framework.

Interviews will be held via video link.

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.

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.

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

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.