Senior Advisor - Future Agriculture - Environmental Land Management - 31666Be among the first 25 applicants

The Environment Agency is committed to an inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We seek diversity to benefit staff, communities and the environment.

England is reforming agricultural policy and spending, moving from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes. ELM schemes support farmers to provide public goods in return for public money, incentivising delivery of water, soil and biodiversity outcomes alongside food production. Working with Defra and delivery partner colleagues, you will aim to improve services to farmers. These reforms support the EA2020 strategy and government targets for water, the environment and climate. The role includes influencing the design and delivery of incentives within the wider context of responding to government reviews.

The Environment Agency ELM team is seeking dynamic, strategic thinkers to inform and shape the future of ELM, particularly the delivery of Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT). Delivering key CSHT products for the Farming and Countryside Programme, your expertise will contribute to continuous improvement of the scheme through its design and delivery. You will provide advice in meetings, manage commissions, oversee programme milestones, identify future risks and resource requirements, and work across teams and organisations with senior leaders to articulate a scheme that supports our outcomes.

The Team

The team sits within the Nature and Place Directorate, part of the National Agriculture and Land Team, working with government, statutory bodies and industry. We work in an agile, fast-paced, flexible and collaborative environment, managing uncertainty to deliver clarity. We are committed to our people and foster a welcoming, safe environment where everyone feels valued. We are a dispersed team and use smart tools to stay connected and reduce travel.

Experience/skills Required

The role represents our expertise to Defra, delivery bodies and the agriculture sector to achieve consistency and improve collaboration across organisations. Essential experience includes:

Experience of Agriculture and work with Defra and other statutory bodies

Political awareness with excellent communication and networking skills

Understanding of environmental sensitivities related to major agricultural reform

Experience interpreting/evaluating evidence to propose risk-based solutions for challenging problems

Ability to prioritise and deliver complex work

Self-starter who develops and advances ideas

Ideal candidates will show they can

get stuff done, including through others

embody our culture

ensure information is trusted

cascade key information

build relationships quickly

soothe troubled waters

Capabilities

Shapes Organisational Approach and Delivery; Achieves Results; Seeing the Bigger Picture; Focuses on Customers and Partners; Delivers Results Through Others.

Contact and additional information

You’ll have an incident management objective in your development plan. Appropriate training will be given. You’ll have an EA Office base location, but as a national role the working location is flexible/hybrid in England. Some travel/overnights will be required. Please read the Candidate/Additional Information Pack for information. For more information contact Kate Bayley (kate.bayley@environment-agency.gov.uk) or D-J Gent (dj.gent@environment-agency.gov.uk).

Applications are “blind” assessed using answers to competency questions.

Interviews are expected to be held via MS Teams two weeks after the closing date.

If you consent to being held on a reserve list, details may be kept for 6 months and you may be offered an alternative post.

Competencies

Shapes organisational approach and delivery

– Informing and influencing Government Policy and Agricultural scheme design and implementation. Provide examples of supporting strategic work and organisational priorities.

Achieves Results

– Prioritise and organise tasks and resources while working with uncertainty.

Focuses on Customers and Partners

– Address internal and external customer needs; provide rapid, effective responses and manage expectations.

Delivers Results Through Others

– Harness the team to deliver on time and to required standards.

Seeing the Big Picture

– Understand the changing direction and business of the EA; consider implications of government reviews on the water sector and regulatory reform.

Note

If applying from Civil Service, EA is not part of HM Civil Service. The Environment Agency is a non-departmental public body and facilities vary; flexible working patterns are welcome, including job share.

The Environment Agency is committed to diversity and inclusion and guarantees interviews to applicants with a disability whose application meets minimum criteria.

We are unable to engage with the market directly via post, email or phone for recruitment. For supplier opportunities, see Crown Commercial Service guidelines.

We’re updating our job listings and related content occasionally; the final lines about related roles and a knowledge-sharing note at the end have been omitted to maintain focus on the described role.

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