Senior Advisor - Future Agriculture - Environmental Land Management - 31666

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

England is reforming agricultural policy and spending through Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes to support farmers in delivering public goods in return for public money. ELM aims to improve water, soil and biodiversity outcomes alongside food production. This role, working with Defra and delivery partners, aims to improve services to farmers, influence the design and delivery of incentives, and help realise our EA2030 strategy and government targets for water, environment and climate. The role will shape our organisational response to government reviews across water regulation, growth and nature recovery.

The Environment Agency ELM team seeks dynamic, strategic thinkers to inform and shape the future of ELM, especially the delivery of Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT). You will deliver key CSHT products for the Farming and Countryside Programme and contribute to continuous improvement of the scheme’s design and delivery. You will provide advice in meetings, manage commissions, oversee programme milestones, and identify risks and resource needs. You will work with diverse teams and senior leaders to articulate a scheme that supports our outcomes.

The team sits within the Nature & Place Directorate, part of the National Agriculture and Land Team, collaborating with government, statutory bodies and industry in an agile, fast-paced environment. We value our people and strive for a welcoming, safe, supportive environment. We operate as 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. Essential experience includes:

• Experience of Agriculture and working with Defra and other statutory bodies
• Politically aware with excellent communication and networking skills
• Understanding environmental sensitivities associated with significant agriculture sector reform
• Experience interpreting/evaluating evidence to propose risk-based solutions for challenging problems
• Ability to prioritise and deliver complex work
• Self-starter who actively develops and advances ideas

Ideal candidates will demonstrate

• 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 & Delivery; Achieves Results; Seeing the Bigger Picture (Business of the EA); Focuses on Customers and Partners; Delivers Results Through Others

Contact and additional information

You’ll have an incident management objective in your development plan. Training will be provided. You’ll have an EA Office base location, but the role is national with flexible/hybrid working in England. Some travel/overnights may be required.

Please read the Candidate/Additional Information Pack. For more information contact:

• Kate Bayley: kate.bayley@environment-agency.gov.uk
• D-J Gent: dj.gent@environment-agency.gov.uk

Applications are blind-assessed using competency questions. Interviews are expected via MS Teams two weeks after the closing date. If you are offered a reserve list, your details may be kept for up to six months for another post.

Competencies

1. Shapes organisational approach & delivery: Informing and influencing Government Policy and Agricultural scheme design and implementation. Provide example of strategic work and prioritisation of organisational priorities, targets and resources.
2. Achieves Results: Prioritise and organise tasks and resources amid uncertainty; provide an example of delivering timely results.
3. Focuses on Customers and Partners: Address internal and external customer needs; provide a rapid and effective response example.
4. Delivers Results Through Others: Harness a team to deliver on time and to standard; describe key success factors.
5. Seeing the Big Picture: Understand and react to changing direction, goals and business of the EA; discuss implications of recent government reviews on water sector and regulatory reform.

We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce and to flexible working patterns, including job sharing. We guarantee an interview to applicants with a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria. The EA participates in central government recruitment frameworks and cannot engage with the market directly by post, email or phone. For information about becoming a Crown Commercial Service supplier, visit gov.uk.