Overview

Senior Advisor - Future Agriculture - Environmental Land Management - 31666

The Environment Agency are fully committed to having an inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. We don’t just talk about diversity; we seek it, embrace it and live it, for the benefit of our staff, our communities and our environment.

England is undertaking the most significant reform of agricultural policy and spending in decades, moving from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to the Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes. ELM schemes support farmers to provide public goods in return for public money and incentivise farmers and land managers to deliver water, soil and biodiversity outcomes alongside food production. Working with Defra and delivery partner colleagues you will aim to improve services to farmers. These reforms help grow and maintain a resilient, productive agriculture sector, to realise our EA2030 strategy and government targets for water, the environment and climate. This role will influence the design and delivery of incentives within the wider context of shaping our organisational response to recent government reviews.

The Environment Agency ELM team is seeking dynamic, strategic thinkers to join us at the forefront of informing and shaping the future of ELM, particularly the delivery of Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT). Delivering key CSHT products for the Farming and Countryside Programme, your expertise will contribute to continuous improvement of the scheme through its design and delivery. You will provide advice in meetings, manage commissions, deliver and oversee Programme milestones, and identify future risks and resource requirements. You will work across a variety of teams and organisations with senior leaders to articulate a scheme that supports and delivers our outcomes.

The team sits within the Nature & Place Directorate, part of the National Agriculture and Land Team, working alongside colleagues in government, statutory bodies and industry. We work in an agile, fast-paced, flexible and collaborative environment, managing uncertainty to deliver clarity. We are committed to diversity, foster a welcoming, safe, supportive environment, and are a dispersed team that uses smart tools to stay connected and reduce travel.

Responsibilities

• Deliver key CSHT products for the Farming and Countryside Programme and contribute to continuous improvement of the scheme through its design and delivery.
• Provide advice in meetings, manage commissions, oversee Programme milestones, and identify future risks and resource requirements.
• Work across a variety of teams and organisations, including senior leaders, to articulate a scheme that supports outcomes.

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 effective risk-based solutions for challenging problems.
• Ability to prioritise and deliver complex work; self-starter who actively develops and takes ideas forward.
• Ability to work with uncertainty and manage multiple priorities.

Ideal Candidates

• Get stuff done, including through others
• Embody our culture
• Ensure information is trusted and cascaded
• Build relationships quickly
• Navigate and resolve challenging situations

Additional Information

• You’ll have an incident management objective in your development plan. Appropriate training will be given.
• EA Office base location is flexible/hybrid in England; some travel/overnights required.
• We use smart tools to stay connected and reduce travel.
• Read the Candidate/Additional Information Pack for details. For more information contact Kate Bayley (kate.bayley@environment-agency.gov.uk) or D-J Gent (dj.gent@environment-agency.gov.uk).
• Applications are blind assessed against competency questions. Interviews are expected via MS Teams two weeks after the closing date. If you are on a reserve list, your details may be kept for 6 months for a potential alternative post.