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Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
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Economist
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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.
We are looking for two brilliant analysts with expertise in behavioural insights to join two exciting areas of Defras analytical community.
One role sits in the Strategic Behavioural Insights team, supporting policy making and delivery across the Defra group.
The other role sits in the Resources and Waste directorate, supporting the design and development of impactful policies in this area.
Both roles offer exciting opportunities to work on high profile and challenging behavioural insights projects across Defras portfolio, some of which will involve engagement with ministers.
Encouraging diverse applicants
We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups.
Location
This role can be based at any one of the four locations: Bristol, London, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, York. We value flexible working and successful applicants will be able to undertake blended working between offices and home. You should be able to travel to London or another Policy Hub on some occasions unless otherwise agreed.
Job description
In both roles you will:
- Pioneer new ways of working, focused on understanding, influencing and measuring people and organisational behaviours
- Work on priority policy areas, potentially across the department or with other government departments, to undertake discrete, high impact, and sometimes fast-paced behavioural science projects
- Design and manage in-house research projects or commission and manage projects with our external professional partners
- Be expected to interpret, publish and disseminate these research findings
- Provide technical expertise, advice and training on behavioural science to colleagues across the Defra group, including its delivery bodies
In addition to your day-to-day work, there will be opportunity for on-the-job learning and development.
Role 1: Strategic Behavioural Insights Team Senior Analyst
The Strategic Behavioural Insights Team, located within the Central Social Science Team in the Central Analysis and Insights Directorate, supports the Defra group in delivering world-class policy and operations.
The team is responsible for upskilling colleagues in behavioural insights as well as delivering strategic advice and in-house or commissioned research projects with a specific policy, operational or cross-cutting focus. Recent projects include:
- Cross-government evidence review of the role ecolabels in the path to net zero
- Research with consumers to increase uptake of green finance
- Research to test effective messaging and understand compliance with behaviours to counter invasive non-native species
- Facilitating workshops to generate innovative policy ideas (e.g. air quality, sustainable fishing, land use)
- Taking a behavioural approach to supporting farmers in the disposal of agricultural plastics
- Trialling behavioural interventions to improve how livestock farmers make risk-based trading decisions, to reduce bovine tuberculosis.
Role 2: Resources and Waste Behavioural Insights Senior Analyst
The Resources and Waste Social Research and Evaluation team sits within a multidisciplinary team of analytical and science specialists. We support Resources and Waste policy colleagues, ensuring policy is designed and developed based on the best possible evidence and analysis.
In this role, you will utilise your behavioural insights expertise to support policy colleagues to understand and design behavioural interventions necessary to deliver intended policy objectives. As part of this, you will be drawing on existing evidence, and developing new evidence and insights.
Youll be working across a large, diverse range of policy issues, for example:
- How we can encourage households to waste less food
- How we can encourage households and business to do more to recycle
- What policy interventions are most likely to be effective to commonly-littered or difficult to recycle plastic waste
- How can a Deposit Return Scheme be designed to deliver really high levels of recycling
You will be an advocate for social research and behavioural insights, building its profile across the Resources and Waste Directorate, Defra and across government. This includes identifying areas that would benefit from behavioural insights, bringing in external findings, and promoting information sharing and join-up with other social researchers in other directorates and departments. You will also be representing Resources and Waste in behavioural insights and social research communities both internally and externally to Government.
Person specification
We’d love to hear from you if you have the following experience:
- Experience of applying behavioural science tools, theory and frameworks in the design and management of behavioural science projects.
- Knowledge of research methods to support a behavioural science project, including design, trialling and evaluation of behavioural interventions.
- Delivering high quality behavioural science advice and insights that challenges (where necessary) and optimises outcomes, while communicating clearly with non-specialists.
- Developing close working relationships and engaging with a wide range of stakeholders (for example, policy, communications and analytical professionals, academics, consultants) to deliver behavioural projects.
- Undertaking research using qualitative and quantitative methods (for example, but not limited to, literature reviews, data analysis, focus groups and surveys).
- Ability to anticipate and identify opportunities to use behavioural science to diagnose problems and design, trial and evaluate behavioural solutions.
- Specifying external commissions for research and managing a project, perhaps with experience of navigating procurement, commissioning and publication processes.
- Working on multiple projects at the same time.
This post is open to all those who are currently members, or who meet the eligibility requirements for membership, (refer to Eligibility document in the Apply and further information section below), of one of these government analytical professions.
- Government Social Research profession (GSR)
- Government Economic Service (GES)
- Government Operational Research Service (GORS)
- Government Statistical Service (GSS)
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
Technical skills
We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- You need to demonstrate how you meet the Senior Research Officer / Senior Executive Officer / Senior Statistical Officer Technical Skills described in the relevant professions Technical Framework.
Benefits
£10,070 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
A career in the Civil Service is like no other. If youre looking to join a world class team and develop your career with us, then the Civil Service is the place for you! You might be wondering, whats in it for me? Take a look below at some of the benefits available to you as a civil servant in Defra.
Science and Analysis Directorate Benefits
Learning and Development
Everyone in Defra is supported to develop their skills and capabilities. When you join the Directorate, you will be welcomed into your new team through an induction programme that will provide you with helpful information on the civil service, Defra, our work and our policies. Your line manager will also work with you to establish your priorities for the year, developing a performance, learning and development plan tailored to you and your role, while also working with you to connect you with a civil service mentor to help empower you in your new role with the opportunity to benefit from paid for coaching.
Most importantly, were keen to invest in you! As a civil servant, you will also have access to Civil Service Learning where you can participate in professional development programmes across a wide spectrum of subjects and professions.
Department Benefits
Technology
Were a firm believer in agile and flexible working. When you join Defra, well kit you out with a new Windows 10 Laptop, smartphone and rucksack to make sure that you perform your best wherever you are.
Leave
25 days’ paid leave per annum rising to 30 days after five years service, in addition to eight public holidays and the Kings Birthday privilege day. We also offer
– competitive maternity, paternity, parental and adoption leave;
– study leave for the pursuit of academic studies;
– 3 days paid leave for volunteering per annum;
– 15 days paid leave per year for reservist training; and,
– generous paid sick leave.
Cycle to Work Scheme
Defra loans you a bike for your commute as a tax-free benefit. At the end of the loan period, you have the option to buy the bike, saving 30% of the original cost.
Season Ticket and Bicycle Loan
We offer interest-free season ticket loans, to all Defra employees with more than three months service, for purchasing train and bus season tickets, as well as station car parking. For those unable to take advantage of tax-free benefits, we also offer an interest-free bicycle loan to enable the purchase of a bicycle for commuting.
Gym, Social and Sports Activities
Our offices have a range of different onsite facilities, including gym, fitness facilities, games room, showers and cycle storage. There are also a variety of networks and social groups to join. Ask your line manager for more information.
Restaurant and Café Facilities
A range of our offices offer onsite restaurant and café facilities.
Civil Service Benefits
Pension
Your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package, and you will be given the chance to join one of three different pension plans. You can find more information on the Civil Service Pension on the MyCSP Website at www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk
Civil Service Sports Council
The Civil Service Sports Council (CSSC) organises a wide choice of activities throughout the UK, from art, gliding, abseiling and orienteering to cabaret weekends and quiz and curry nights. Your CSSC membership will provide you with FREE access to hundreds of national and local sites, in addition to savings at many high street stores, cinemas, restaurants and historic houses.
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 complete a
- CV
- Personal Statement (maximum 500 words) on how you meet the role criteria outlined in the Person Specification.
- Statements (maximum 250 words each) demonstrating how you meet the Technical skills for the profession you are a member of/wish to be assessed against and evidence for the lead Behaviour, Working Together.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Sift
Unless already a member of one of the Government Analytical Professions (refer to Eligibility document in the apply and further information section below.), applicants will need to demonstrate how they meet the eligibility criteria for the profession they choose to be assessed against.
An eligibility sift will assess whether candidates meet the qualifications and/or experience criteria. Candidates may also have to pass a knowledge test or a written test (depending on the analytical professions requirement) before being sifted for interview.
The application sift will be conducted using the CV, Personal statement, Technical skills and lead behaviour, Working Together.
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour Working Together.
Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview, once eligibility assessments are complete.
Once you have submitted your application and the vacancy has closed, if you are required to do a test, you will be emailed during standard working hours inviting you to complete the GSR/GES/GSS/GORS written or knowledge tests.
This is a timed test and must be completed and submitted to be considered for the next stage of the process. Please ensure you inform us ahead of the test if you require any reasonable adjustments to be considered.
Please note: If you are already a member of the GSG, you are exempt from sitting the GSS online test. To prevent your application being rejected please ensure you provide your membership number. Once confirmed you will be moved onto the next stage by our recruitment team.
The sifting and testing will take place from mid-September with interview dates in mid-October. These dates are indicative only.
Interview
If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on Technical skills, Experience and each of the three Behaviours.
Interviews are expected to last no longer than 60 minutes.
Candidates may be asked to deliver a presentation at interview
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.
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.
These posts offer a non-pensionable, non-consolidated Specialist Skills Supplement of £3000 per annum (pro rata as appropriate).
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 maybe 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 circumstance 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-Employment.Checks@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.
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 2 Marsham Street, 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
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).
Apply and further information
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Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Strategy Resourcing Team
- Email : sandc.resourcing@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.
