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, embrace it, and live it for the benefit of staff, communities and the environment.

England is reforming agricultural policy and spending, moving from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes. ELM schemes support farmers to provide public goods in return for public money, incentivising land managers to deliver water, soil and biodiversity outcomes alongside food production. Working with Defra and delivery partner colleagues, you will aim to improve our services to farmers. These reforms are essential to help grow and maintain a resilient, productive agriculture sector and to realise EA2030 strategy and government targets for water, the environment and climate. The role will include influencing the design and delivery of incentives within the wider context of our organisational response to recent government reviews targeted at achieving clean and plentiful water and delivering greater economic growth and nature recovery through regulation.

The Environment Agency ELM team seeks 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). You will contribute to the delivery of CSHT products for the Farming and Countryside Programme and drive continuous improvement in scheme 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 diverse teams and organisations, with senior leaders, to articulate a scheme that supports and delivers our outcomes.

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

Experience/skills required The role will represent our expertise to Defra, delivery bodies and the agriculture sector to achieve consistency and improve collaboration between organisations. Essential experience includes working in Agriculture with Defra and other statutory bodies, political awareness with excellent communication and networking skills, understanding environmental sensitivities associated with major agricultural reform, and experience interpreting/evaluating evidence to propose effective risk-based solutions for challenging problems. You should be able to prioritise and deliver complex work and be a self-starter who develops and advances ideas.

Ideal candidates will show they can:

• get stuff done, including through others
• embody our culture
• make sure our information is trusted
• cascade key information
• build relationships quickly
• soothe troubled waters.

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

Location and travel You’ll have an EA Office base location; as a national role, the working location is flexible/hybrid in England. Some travel and overnight stays may be required, and we use smart tools to stay connected and reduce travel.

How to apply 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 your answers to 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, we will keep your details for 6 months and may offer you an alternative post.

Competencies

1. Shapes organisational approach & delivery – inform and influence Government policy and agricultural scheme design and implementation. Provide an example of active support for strategic work and alignment of priorities, targets and resources.
2. Achieves Results – prioritise and organise tasks and resources under uncertainty; provide an example of delivering timely results.
3. Focuses on Customers and Partners – address needs of internal and external customers; provide a rapid and effective response and manage expectations.
4. Delivers Results Through Others – harness the team to deliver on time and to standard.
5. Seeing the Big Picture – understand changing direction, goals, and business of the Environment Agency; explain implications of government reviews on water sector and regulatory reform.

Note We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce and welcome flexible working arrangements, including job share. We also guarantee an interview to applicants with a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

The Environment Agency is not part of HM Civil Service. If you are applying from local government or other bodies listed in the Redundancy Payments Order, you may be eligible for continuous service for redundancy purposes. For eligibility questions, contact your HR Team. The Environment Agency uses Central Government frameworks and contracts for external recruitment.