Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Senior Natural Scientist
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Bristol, London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, York
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. The Defra group is dedicated to having a diverse workforce which represents people in our communities and an inclusive culture where everyone feels they belong within the organisation and can speak up to challenge. We want everyone to be able to contribute to the success of our organisation, regardless of background.
Environmental Land Management (ELM) is a large and fast-paced division comprising policy, delivery and evidence teams working together to develop the agri-environment schemes. Staff are geographically dispersed with a mixture of office and home-working arrangements in place. A range of technologies are used to connect between members as part of our day to day working.
The Environmental Land Management schemes form a core part of Defra’s Farming Directorate (FD) through rewarding farmers and land managers for environmentally beneficial activities. Our schemes pay farmers and land managers for providing environmental benefits such as clean air, clean and plentiful water, thriving plants and wildlife, reduction in and protection from environmental hazards; beauty, heritage and engagement with the environment; and mitigation of, and adaptation to climate change.
We have two exciting and challenging Higher Scientific Officer roles within the Environmental Land Management Strategic Science and Modelling team which sits within the wider Environmental Land Management Evidence and Analysis team. We are multi-disciplinary, comprising of natural scientists, data scientists, behavioural scientists and other analytic professions. This role will complement, expand and develop our policy-facing natural science capacity.
We Are Inclusive
We recruit by merit based on fair and open competition, we embrace diversity and promote equality of opportunity, and we are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills. There is a disability confident scheme (DCS) for people with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
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 recognise how important inclusivity is to achieve the best outcomes. We hope to attract applications from all underrepresented groups.
Job Description
We are seeking Higher Scientific Officers, with excellent technical ability, project management skills, and ability to communicate science, to support with delivering high quality evidence to support the development of the Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes in England. The post holders will join a team of natural scientists responsible for supporting both strategic policy development and delivery through the provision of robust scientific evidence and analysis. As part of these roles, the post holders will work closely with natural scientists, social scientists, data scientists, modellers and economists within the Environmental Land Management team as well as experts across the Defra family.
The post holders will be responsible for identifying and addressing priority evidence needs, leading analytical projects, and providing rapid, high-quality analysis to support policy development and delivery.
Person specification
The Following Responsibilities Apply To The Role
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- Identify policy needs through liaising with policy and analyst colleagues.
- Procure and manage science contracts to answer important policy questions, ensuring projects deliver robust and impactful findings and achieve value for money.
- Promote and disseminate research/evidence and analysis to policy colleagues, reflecting confidence in the interpretation.
- Provide evidence-based responses and recommendations within area of expertise within short time frames.
- Carry out rapid analysis to respond to reactive policy requests.
- Maintain up to date knowledge within area of expertise, explore and promote innovative research approaches.
- Work closely with multi-disciplinary colleagues, including policy, natural science, social research, economic, and data science colleagues on Environmental Land Management scheme development.
- Ensure relevant legal, ethical, procurement, and quality assurance practice followed, and ensure quality of results and methodological rigour.
Essential Criteria
- Hold an Undergraduate degree in a relevant scientific discipline or have equivalent workplace experience.
- Scientific knowledge in land use and land management, agriculture, or the natural environment.
- Have experience of developing and leading projects with a focus on evidence collation or analysis to inform decision making for the development of policy.
- Ability to manage a complex portfolio of work and manage your work flexibly to adapt as priorities change, often at short notice.
- Experience disseminating complex research findings to diverse and non-specialist audiences, using effective interpersonal, verbal, and written skills.
- Experience of partnership working, negotiating, and attention to detail to balance conflicting priorities or needs.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
- Working Together
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Communicating complex, technical ideas clearly to stakeholders from different backgrounds – presenting analysis and interpretation
Salary
Alongside your salary of £34,765, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £10,071 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).
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%
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
To be successful in this campaign, you will need to demonstrate the experience, behaviours and technical linked to the person specification for this role.
Behaviours
The following Civil Service Behaviours are essential to this post and will be tested during the selection process. Full details on the Civil Service Behaviours Framework can be found here.
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- Delivering at pace
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working together
The Application Process
To apply, please complete the advertised CS Jobs application process by submitting:
- a CV detailing your job history and full qualifications
- Plus we require a 500 word personal statement
- Three, 250-word behaviour statements
How your application will be assessed
Candidates will have their applications sifted by a panel, who will assess the evidence provided in their CV, personal statement and behaviour statements.
In The Event Of a High Number Of Applications, We May Carry Out An Initial Sift On The CV And Lead Behaviour Only
Interviews
Interviews will be virtual. Candidates invited to progress to interview will take part in a blended interview, with questions on behaviours, and a presentation.
Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
Location & Travel
As part of the pre-employment process, 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.
Successful applicants currently employed by the hiring Defra organisation for this post may choose to remain in their current contractual location or may choose to change contractual location to one of those listed above. This should be discussed and agreed prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.
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.
You will need to agree your working arrangements with your new manager. Some travel may be required and occasional overnight stays.
To work from 2 Marsham Street you will require the higher level of CTC clearance. Therefore, confirmation of appointment to the advertised post will be dependent upon successful CTC clearance being confirmed as part of pre-employment checks.
Reserve List
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Childcare Vouchers
Any move to DEFRA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.
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.
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