Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Restructure, Redeployment and Redundancy lead
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Job Summary
Defra Group is undergoing a period of transformation and as part of this, HR are appointing a fixed term HR professional to support the specialist advisory capability to support restructuring, redeployment, redundancy.
This role will sit within Specialist Employment Services team in HR acting as a central source of expertise on Restructuring, Redeployment and Redundancy (RRR) and related workforce transformation activity for the wider Defra Group.
The role will also work closely with HR Business Partners (HRBPs), senior leaders, project professionals and external suppliers to operationalise and transformation activity, ensuring it is delivered lawfully, consistently, and with a high-quality employee experience.
Job Description
Using a structured approach you will work closely with HR Business Partners (HRBPs), HR Expert Services, legal advisors, programme leads, the HR Senior Leadership Team and our shared services partners to:
- Establish and lead a dedicated RRR operational delivery team, with responsibility for defining clear objectives, deliverables, and timelines. This team will provide the core operational capability required to deliver restructuring-related activities.
- This will include the provision of expert and technical advice and guidance on any determined RRR requirements, and assurance that all necessary processes and complex individual cases are handled with due care and legal compliance.
- Support the design and delivery of employee and trade union consultation processes with expert RRR advice and input, helping to design a communication and engagement strategy and having a close involvement in TU consultation.
- Lead a small but expert operational HR team to ensure smooth delivery of all processes required under an RRR intervention.
- Identify risks, issues, and dependencies related RRR activity and escalate or resolve them through appropriate governance channels.
- Produce high-quality briefings, reports, and progress updates for senior stakeholders, ensuring visibility of milestones, risks, and resourcing needs.
- Benchmark processes and outputs against best practice and cross government standards, ensuring the transfer meets compliance expectations and delivers a consistent and supportive experience for employees.
Person Specification
Skills And Experience - Essential Criteria
You will bring the following essential skills and experience to the role:
- The ability to navigate ambiguity and flexibility to deliver priorities
- A proactive approach, with problem-solving skills and resilience
- Significant HR and Employee Relations experience, within a Civil Service or large public sector organisation
- Proven leadership experience in an operational environment
- A demonstrable understanding of RRR processes, with previous experience leading RRR exercises in complex circumstances
- A track record of working effectively with a wide range of stakeholders across different organisations to build consensus, underpinned by excellent influencing and communication skills
- A CIPD qualification, or a willingness to work towards achieving one.
- Proficiency in project management methodologies.
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If you possess the above qualities and are ready to make an impact, we would love to hear from you.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Leadership
- Seeing the Big Picture
Salary
Alongside your salary of £58,207, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £16,862 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).
Benefits
- 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 employer contribution of 28.97%
Application Process
Requirements
As part of the application process please submit a tailored CV demonstrating how your skills, knowledge and experience meet the requirements of the role. Please provide a 750-word personal statement demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria and person specification detailed in the advert, alongside a 250-word statement on each of the following behaviours:
- Leadership
- Seeing the Big Picture
Sift
Should there be a large number of successful applications, there will be an initial sift assessing the personal statement. Those who pass the initial sift will either be progressed to a full sift to include the behaviour statements or straight to interview. The CV will not be scored but can be used as a supporting document.
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 And The Following Behaviours
- Leadership (Lead behaviour)
- Communicating & Influencing
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Delivering at Pace
The interview will include experience-based questions designed to assess the essential criteria published in the advert. Candidates may be asked to expand on examples provided within their CV and personal statement
At interview, you will also be assessed on the following, through a pre-prepared presentation
Experience
The presentation details will be sent to you with the invitation to interview via Civil Service Jobs should you be successful at sift.
Interviews will be conducted via MS Teams.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
Contact point for applicants
Job Contact
- Name : HR Resourcing Delivery Team
- Email : HRResourcingDelivery@defra.gov.uk
Recruitment team
Further information
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact 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: here
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