Overview

The Environment Agency is reforming agricultural policy, moving from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to the Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes. ELM schemes incentivise farmers and land managers to deliver water, soil and biodiversity outcomes alongside food production. The role involves influencing the design and delivery of incentives within the wider context of shaping our organisational response to government reviews and delivering EA2030 targets for water, the environment and climate. This position focuses on the delivery of Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) products within the Farming and Countryside Programme and contributing to continuous improvement of the scheme through its design and delivery.

Responsibilities

• Provide advice in meetings, manage commissions, and oversee programme milestones.
• Identify future risks and resource requirements; work across multiple teams and organisations with senior leaders to articulate a scheme that supports outcomes.
• Influence the design and delivery of incentives within the Environmental Land Management framework in the wider organisational response to government reviews.
• Contribute to delivering key CSHT products and the broader objectives of the EA2030 strategy, regulation, and nature recovery through water and environmental outcomes.

Team and Environment

The team sits within the Nature & Place Directorate, part of the National Agriculture and Land Team. We work in an agile, fast-paced, flexible and collaborative environment, managing uncertainty to deliver clarity. We are committed to a welcoming, safe, and inclusive environment and operate with a dispersed team using smart tools to stay connected and reduce travel.

Experience / Skills Required

• Experience of Agriculture and working with Defra and other statutory bodies is essential.
• Politically aware with excellent communication and networking skills.
• Understanding of environmental sensitivities associated with significant agricultural sector reform.
• Experience interpreting/evaluating evidence to propose risk-based solutions for challenging problems.
• Ability to prioritise and deliver complex work; self-starter who develops ideas and moves them forward.

Ideal Competencies

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

Additional Information

You’ll have an incident management objective in your development plan, and appropriate training will be provided. The EA base location is flexible/hybrid within England for this national role. Some travel/overnights will be required as we use smart tools to stay connected and reduce travel.

Please read the Candidate/Additional Information Pack. For more information please 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 to be held via MS Teams two weeks after the closing date. If you consent to being held on a reserve list, your details may be kept for 6 months and an alternative post may be offered.

We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce and welcome flexible working patterns, including job shares. We guarantee interviews for disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the post. The Environment Agency is a Non-Departmental Public Body and uses Central Government frameworks for recruitment; external market engagement is not available for unsolicited postings.

Location

Bridgwater, England, United Kingdom (national role; flexible/hybrid working in England).