Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Senior Scientific Officer - Monitoring
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Bristol, London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, York
Job Summary
The Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes form a core part of Defra’s Farming Directorate through rewarding farmers and land managers for environmentally beneficial activities. There are three ELM schemes – the Sustainable Farming Incentive, Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier and Landscape Recovery Scheme. The schemes collectively offer a mix of action-based payments and the opportunity to co-design long term, bespoke agreements to deliver landscape-scale land use change and habitat restoration.
ELM is a large and fast-paced division comprising policy, delivery and evidence teams working together to develop the new 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.
We have two exciting and challenging Senior Scientific Officer roles within the ELM Science, Monitoring and Evaluation team. This team is multi-disciplinary, comprising of natural scientists, social scientists and analysts.
These roles will complement, expand and develop the science and monitoring capacity, working closely with the existing teams on the policy development and improvement of the schemes.
Job Description
We are seeking two enthusiastic and capable Natural Scientists, with excellent technical ability, leadership potential, communication and co-ordination skills, to coordinate and deliver cross-cutting evaluation of our agri-environment delivery at a project and scheme level. This analysis will support the assessment of environmental outcomes, project deliverability and value for money, helping to ensure the schemes are delivering intended environmental benefits.
The roles will also include close collaboration with analytical, policy and delivery teams, as well as effective engagement with external stakeholders to support scheme delivery.
Person Specification
The post holders will be responsible for conducting, coordinating and presenting analysis, reviewing monitoring and evaluation approaches, producing analytical products and technical documentation, negotiating long-term agreements, developing guidance, and delivering internal training. They will provide specialist advice on their areas of expertise, and environmental monitoring.
- Line management of direct reports in supporting work areas.
- Conduct, coordinate and present a cross-cutting evaluation of project/scheme deliverability, environmental benefits, monitoring and evaluation approaches, contribution to environmental targets, alignment to scheme objectives, and value for money.
- Develop and maintain up to date knowledge of environmental monitoring approaches across a range of asset-based indicators and apply this to the review of monitoring and evaluation plans and provision of expert advice to relevant policy and delivery teams to support scheme design and delivery decisions.
- Produce technical supporting documentation to formalise long-term project commitments and guide future implementation.
- Communicate effectively with external stakeholders to provide guidance and support, negotiate project implementation terms, and achieve favourable outcomes aligned with scheme objectives and environmental targets.
- Develop and produce analytical products for project and scheme evaluation.
- Develop guidance and deliver internal training on analytical assurance tasks.
- Work closely with economic, evaluation, social research, modelling, and policy colleagues on Landscape Recovery assurance and analysis. Provide expert advice on scheme monitoring.
- Promote and disseminate research/evidence and analysis to relevant policy and delivery teams and more widely within the Department and across government departments to ensure key learning feeds into ongoing and new policy development and products have maximum impact.
- Support the delivery of externally commissioned research projects to ensure robust, impactful designs that achieve value for money and provide insights that feed into scheme development.
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Essential Criteria
The following criteria apply to both roles:
- Hold a degree in a relevant scientific discipline or have equivalent workplace experience.
- Have specialist knowledge of monitoring in one of the following areas: trees and woodlands, soils, water quality, biodiversity, habitats, agricultural landscapes
- Have demonstratable knowledge of environmental monitoring methods including: earth observation, field survey, and modelling approaches.
- Have excellent analytical skills covering evidence synthesis, qualitative and quantitative research methods, data collection and analysis and interpreting data. Including experience delivering products using GIS software and dealing with large complex datasets.
- Have demonstratable knowledge of metrics and indicators relating to natural capital assets, outcome indicators, cross-cutting evaluation, and conceptual ecological models.
- Ability to lead a complex portfolio of work and manage your work flexibly to adapt as priorities change, often at short notice.
- Experience of partnership working, negotiating, and attention to detail to balance conflicting priorities or needs.
- Experience disseminating complex research findings to diverse and non-specialist audiences, using effective interpersonal, verbal, and written skills.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
- Leadership
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Delivering at Pace
- Leadership
Salary
Alongside your salary of £42,665, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £12,360 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).
Application Process
As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a CV and Personal Statement to demonstrate your experience relating to the Essential Requirements listed in the job advert.
- A name-blind (anonymous) CV covering your previous job history, qualifications and experience.
- A Personal Statement should be no more than 500 words to detail your experience
You will also need to complete 250 word statement on 2 behaviours which are:
- Leadership
- Delivering at Pace
Further Information
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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).
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
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).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in a new window).
Contact point for applicants
Job Contact
Name : Felicity Bennett
Email : FD_BusinessManagement@defra.gov.uk
Recruitment team
Email : defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
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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