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Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
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About the job
Job summary
Defra is a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive department, which plays a crucial role in achieving a better world for us all to live in. Policy advisors are responsible for turning the Governments goals into action. We are problem solvers. We help design programmes of policy by bringing together expert advice from inside and outside the Civil Service to deliver on the Governments promises.
We are committed to making the Civil Service more representative of the citizens we serve and making our workplaces more inclusive and equal. We are particularly interested in receiving application from citizens who come from groups traditionally underrepresented in the Civil Service (such as ethnic minority communities, disabilities, and long-term health conditions, the LGBTIQ+ communities and those without formal qualifications). Floods and Water directorate has a deep commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and are committed to getting the best from people and making it a place people can be their authentic selves and thrive. Examples of this in action in the last 12 months include:
- Ethnic minority colleagues have developed and participated on a specific mentoring programme to boost their skills and confidence.
- We have grown a lively and influential EDI group which advises the senior leadership team on how to be more inclusive.
These roles in Floods and Water are an opportunity to work at the cutting edge of public policy, in an area with a lot of public and ministerial interest. They are suitable for applicants for a wide variety of backgrounds. While prior knowledge of the policy area is great to have, successful applicants are recruited based on their transferrable skills. This may be from prior work experience (inside or outside the Civil Service), from education or from volunteering. More information on the Government Policy Profession can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/civil-service-policy-profession
We have several roles available within Defras Floods and Water Directorate. We are a friendly, high-performing, and inclusive directorate, whose work has a real impact on peoples lives and the environment. The importance of our work attracts a lot of political and public interest. Through the application process you will be able to express an interest in an area of work covered by Floods and Water (listed below) though we cannot guarantee a role in any particular team.
We are recruiting for roles which are available now, as well as roles which may become available in the next 12 months.
Job description
We are seeking capable people to contribute to our policy and strategy work in the Floods & Water Directorate. We value your range of skills and we do not expect applicants to have specialist knowledge of the area; we will help you to build your expertise in role.
These roles are a great opportunity to get your foot on the ladder of a Civil Service policy career.
- You will have the opportunity to develop a wide range of skills, including policy development, stakeholder management, and project management, among others
- You will play an active role in shaping and delivering the Floods & Water priorities, working creatively and collaboratively with others to deliver excellent outcomes
- You will need to build excellent relationships across Floods & Water Directorate, with wider Defra colleagues, other government departments and arms length bodies (such as the Environment Agency), and with external stakeholders, inspiring confidence, and trust
You can expect frequent interaction with Ministers, Special Advisers, and senior officials, including in other government departments. Its a very exciting time to join the team and support important policies improving peoples lives.
As a senior policy advisor, you may have responsibility for:
- Briefing Ministers and senior leaders, orally and in writing, to inform strategic decisions and long-term policy development
- Negotiating policy positions with other departments
- Helping draft consultations and official government responses
- Working with stakeholders and experts to design new interventions
- Responding to Parliamentary Questions on your policy area
- Drafting responses to written correspondence from MPs and the public
- Some roles have line management responsibilities for Higher Executive Officers and/or Executive Officers
Work areas currently being recruited for are described below. We would like to invite you to one of our drop-in sessions to hear more about the work of the teams, meet people already working in these areas and ask any questions. They dates are:
Date: Wednesday 25th October 2023
Time: 10:00 – 11:00
Microsoft Teams meeting
Join on your computer, mobile app or room device
Click here to join the meeting
Meeting ID: 376 917 758 384
Passcode: QZLRCh
And
Date: Thursday 26th October 2023
Time: 18:00 – 19:00
Microsoft Teams meeting
Join on your computer, mobile app or room device
Click here to join the meeting
Meeting ID: 326 997 462 845
Passcode: VCxbSw
Water Quality
The Water Quality team is focused on making positive improvements to the quality of our waters, from addressing sources of pollution to setting national targets for improvements. This is an opportunity to work on an area which is a top government priority and subject to intense public scrutiny. We have roles in key areas of the team focused on the Water Industry and Water Strategy.
Work you may be involved with includes:
- Working with regulators and other government departments to improve water companies environmental performance
- Delivering new policies and legislation to address issues associated with nutrient pollution and storm overflows
- Developing and delivering targets and strategies for improving water quality
- Representing Defra at external meetings
- Providing regular updates and advice to senior officials and ministers
Water Environment and Public Health Team
The Water Environment and Public Health Team is focussed on protecting and improving the availability of clean water for drinking, recreation, nature recovery and food production. We do this by improving how water drains through our built and agricultural landscape into the water environment, reducing the extent that it suffers or contributes to pollution.
There are a variety of roles available in the Division, but each will require you to take ownership in a particular policy area, and will likely involve considering evidence, engaging with local and national stakeholders and water industry, developing policy proposals, driving, and delivering key commitments in the UKs first ever integrated Plan for Water, and directly working and advising senior officials and Ministers.
You will be contributing towards outcomes that could include:
- Ensuring safe drinking water, designating beaches, lakes, and rivers for bathing, protecting Englands shellfish waters from pollution, and preventing damage to our unique chalk streams
- Making sustainable drainage mandatory for new developments, reducing our reliance on storm overflows, and improving access to nature in our built environment
- Reforming agricultural regulations, advice, and public financial support to reduce pollution from farms while supporting sustainable food production
- Preventing our water environment becoming contaminated with harmful chemicals, microfilters and microplastics
- Protecting our water system from consumer products that interfere with the drainage and water treatment and harm the environment, such as wet wipes
- Requiring water companies to produce 25-year Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans to ensure a robust drainage system both now and for future demand
- Encouraging more financial contributions from wider society for nature-based solutions that improve the water environment.
We are a fun and relaxed team that encourages people to take pride in their work, to take pride in their personal development and to take pride in their own work environment. We work hard to be collegiate, inclusive, and supportive of each other, to recognise and celebrate each others achievements, and to empower people at all levels to take responsibility for their work, lead the way in their behaviours and to challenge bad practices.
Water Services
The Water Services team is responsible for ensuring that the governments priorities for the water environment are delivered by water companies. We hold the water companies to account with regulators, set objectives and develop long-term policy for the industry. The work in this team is spread across several key areas: Water Efficiency; Drought Resilience; Economic Regulation and Company Performance; and Water Infrastructure.
Work you may be involved with includes:
- Ensuring that the governments priorities are delivered through the largest-ever water industry investment programme from 2025 to 2030
- Drought policy in preparation for summer 2023 as well as longer term water resilience work
- Delivery of new innovation measures to increase water supply and improve infrastructure
- Delivery of the water demand target and policies in the EIP roadmap on water efficiency in new developments and retrofits. to make us more water efficient and resilient to drought
- Working with industry regulators to improve water company performance by including their financial resilience as well as environmental performance
- Contributing towards the establishment and running of the delivery programme for the Plan for Water
- Providing regular updates and advice to senior officials and ministers
- Working with a variety of stakeholders and other government departments to deliver key policy outcomes
- Line and task management of junior colleagues
Flood & Coastal Erosion Risk Management
The Government aims to create a nation more resilient to future flood and coastal erosion risk. It is investing £5.2 billion over 2021-27 in flood defences in a capital programme to better protect homes, businesses, and infrastructure across the country. This programme requires new work to strengthen delivery. We work on other wider actions to tackle flooding and coastal erosion and you will be supporting some key areas of our work, including funding policy, reviewing regulations, and working with industry.
Work you may be involved in includes:
- Generating, assessing, and formulating advice for Ministerial decisions over a short space of time, relating to specific proposals, including those areas listed above
- Programme managing workstreams, reporting on the work, and maintaining engagement with several external stakeholders, with the support of others in the team
- Developing materials for any public announcements, engaging communication for internal and external stakeholders
Person specification
We are looking for proactive and enthusiastic people who are used to working autonomously and are confident at communicating and assimilating information.
Essential Skills for all roles:
- Experience of working confidently on multiple aspects of the policy and legislative cycles, including policy advice to Ministers, support for parliamentary debates, and providing answers responding to external scrutiny
- Experience using analysis and information to develop and assess options for decision makers, drawing on expertise from others as required
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Evidence of working confidently with a variety of teams or colleagues to deliver common goals
- Good strategic judgement to identify tensions and links between different areas of work and recognise where your work fits with wider organisational objectives
- Excellent task management and prioritisation
- Ability to work at pace to deliver with competing deadlines, maintaining sound, timely communication and managing expectations throughout
- Proactive, organised, excellent attention to detail, capable of taking a leadership role in complex and multi-faceted scenarios, and delivery focused
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Delivering at Pace
- Making Effective Decisions
Benefits
£10,069 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
Blended Working
Defra operates a blended working policy subject to business need, giving people the flexibility to choose when and where they work and collaborate with others.
Individuals are expected to work from one of the office locations stated in the advert to connect with their colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs. There is flexibility to split the working week, spending minimum of 40-60% in the workplace, unless exceptional circumstances apply and/or you are a contractual home worker.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Application Process
As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide:
- Behaviour Statements – Delivering at Pace, and Making Effective Decision (250 word max per statement)
- Personal Statement of no more than 750 words detailing your relevant experience, linking it to the essential skills and highlighting any experience in any subject area.
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 and Lead Behaviour: Delivering at Pace. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Sift date to be confirmed.
Interview
If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on Experience, Behaviours and Strengths.
Interview dates to be confirmed. The Interview will be conducted via MS Teams.
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.
Defra continues to support a blended working model and candidates are currently expected to attend their office base for 40-60% of the week.
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.
Near miss
Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in Defra which may be at a lower grade but have a potential skills match.
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 youre 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 applicants 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.
Fixed Term Appointments
Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.
While many of the advertised posts are permanent, a number of the posts available are Fixed-term Appointments as Policy Advisors in the Water Quality, Water Services, Water Environment and Public Health, and Flood & Coastal Erosion Risk Management teams.
These FTA posts are not permanent. They are time limited due to a fixed funding period or as part of a specific project. The fixed term will end when the funding or the project expires.
The details of your policy work and associated responsibilities will vary depending on the team and post which you are assigned to, however you can expect to be responsible for briefing Ministers and senior leaders, orally and in writing, drafting responses to written correspondence, responding to Parliamentary Questions on your policy area, negotiating policy positions with other departments, helping draft consultations and official government responses, working with stakeholders and experts to design new policy interventions.
This post will therefore begin from the candidate’s start date and end on 31/3/25.
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 Marsham Street, London will be subject to a higher level of clearance because of the security requirements for that location. 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
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
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).
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Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Sarah Tyler
- Email : sarah.tyler@defra.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
Government Recruitment Services via email: defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission.
