Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Senior Scientific Officer: Policy sandbox lead on Ecosystem Resilience Metrics
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Bristol, London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, York
Job Summary
Defra works on issues that profoundly affect people’s lives, including the environment, food and farming, rural communities, and protection from natural threats and hazards.
Within Defra, the International Biodiversity and Climate Directorate (IBC) leads international work to help halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. This includes international negotiations and influencing, as well as policy and legislation, and Official Development Assistance (ODA) programming.
The Senior Scientific Officer will report into the Grade 7 Programme Lead on Ecosystem Assessment and Resilience based in Defra’s International Biodiversity and Climate directorate (IBC). They will work within a new team responsible for designing, piloting, and evaluating innovative approaches for assessing ecosystems using novel metrics of ecosystem function, process and resilience to underpin a new generation of environmental assessments for use in domestic and international contexts.
The postholder will support the design and delivery of ‘policy sandbox’ exercises. It focuses on scoping sandbox use cases with policy teams, shaping problem statements, designing scenarios, coordinating workshops, and ensuring that analytical outputs are translated into clear policy insights. The postholder will act as the primary interface between the scientific work and policy customers.
Recent developments in functional ecology research, data science, multi-variate modelling, environmental monitoring and AI are opening up new opportunities for the ways we monitor, measure, set targets for and manage ecosystems.
Whereas traditional conservation approaches have focused on protecting species and habitats, approaches based on functional ecology and ecosystem science place emphasis on the dynamic processes that keep ecosystems functioning and delivering services. These are the functions and processes that allow them to adapt to changing conditions, provide resilience against shocks, and underpin the ecosystem services upon which humans depend.
Such approaches show promise for applications to assess UK and international ecosystems, supporting policy across a wide range of areas. This includes international applications, for example, mapping international risk of ecosystem collapse, targeting Official Development Assistance funding through aid programmes and evaluating nature finance investments. It also includes important domestic applications, such as informing better spatial planning decisions, targeting agri-environment funding and informing the management of protected areas for biodiversity.
Job Description
Defra is establishing a programme to explore the potential policy applications of such novel ecosystem metrics. It will include workstreams on:
Method Development
- Evaluating the state of the science for ecosystem-based metrics, tools and frameworks via a literature review and expert elicitation.
- Designing a toolkit for ecosystem assessment.
- Research and development.
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Policy Sandboxes
- Defining and developing policy use cases.
- Testing an ecosystem assessment toolkit against pre-defined use cases and scenarios.
Key Responsibilities
The postholder will focus on the second of these workstreams. They will work with policy and science teams across Defra (domestic and international), arms’ length bodies (e.g. Natural England and JNCC) and external researchers to test novel ecosystem assessment approaches for different policy applications.
Policy Sandbox Scoping & Design
- Work with policy teams across Defra, NE, EA, JNCC, CEFAS and others to identify, refine, and prioritise sandbox use cases.
- Develop clear problem statements, scenarios, decision pathways, and evaluation criteria for each sandbox.
- Map regulatory, operational, and data constraints relevant to each use case.
Workshop Design & Facilitation
- Lead the design and delivery of systems workshops, scenario-based exercises, and stakeholder simulations in collaboration with academic partners.
- Facilitate discussions that explore trade-offs, synergies, and behavioural responses to new ecosystem metrics.
- Capture insights, assumptions, and uncertainties emerging from workshops.
Analytical Coordination
- Work closely with the method development team to ensure analytical outputs align with policy needs.
- Work closely with academic partners who are developing quantitative modelling approaches to scenario and policy use-case testing.
- Support the compilation and interpretation of ecological, spatial, and socio-economic data.
- Translate complex analytical findings into clear, actionable policy recommendations.
Evaluation & Reporting
- Evaluate the policy implications of new ecosystem function and resilience metrics.
- Assess impacts on planning decisions, regulatory processes, business costs, and environmental outcomes.
- Produce high-quality reports, briefings, and presentations for senior officials and Ministers.
Person Specification
Essential Experience:
- Strong background in ecology, ecosystem science, environmental management, or related field, demonstrated by a PhD or equivalent experience.
- Strong facilitation skills with experience running workshops or multi-stakeholder exercises.
- Experience working with policy teams or in a policy-facing analytical/scientific role.
- Ability to synthesise complex evidence into clear policy narratives.
- Strong understanding of environmental assessment, planning, or regulatory frameworks.
- Experience of participatory research, expert elicitation, systems approaches would be beneficial.
Behaviours
- Making Effective Decisions
- Working Together
- Seeing the Big Picture
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Technical Skills
- Communicating Science & Engineering for Government: Disseminating Science & Engineering
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.
Learning and Development
- Tailored learning and development opportunities
- Flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
Application Process
- Complete a 500-word personal statement & CV.
- Candidates may be invited to interview where they will be assessed against the behaviours and technical skills set out in the advert, alongside a five-minute presentation.
Selection Process
This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Experience, and Technical skills.
Fixed Term Appointment
This is a fixed-term appointment as a Senior Scientific Officer on the Ecosystem Assessment Research team. The post is not permanent and will end three years from the start date.
Location
Successful candidates will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert.
Visa Sponsorship Statement
Please 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.
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 with 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 with the right to work in the Civil Service
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check and complete baseline personnel security standard checks.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attracting, retaining, and investing in talent wherever it is found. This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code 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.
Feedback
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Contact Point for Applicants
- Job Contact: IBC Resourcing Team, IBC.Resourcing@defra.gov.uk
- Recruitment Team: defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
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