Senior Advisor - Future Agriculture - Environmental Land Management - 31666

Overview

The Environment Agency is committed to an inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We are undertaking significant reform of agricultural policy and spending, moving from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes. ELM schemes incentivise farmers and land managers to deliver water, soil and biodiversity outcomes alongside food production, with public money supporting these public goods. Working with Defra and delivery partner colleagues, you will help to improve services to farmers and influence the design and delivery of incentives within the wider response to government reviews. These reforms aim to support a resilient, productive agriculture sector and contribute to the EA2030 strategy and government targets for water, the environment and climate. The role includes shaping our organisational response to recent reviews and helping deliver cleaner water, greater economic growth and nature recovery through regulation.

The Environment Agency ELM team seeks dynamic, strategic thinkers to inform and shape the future of ELM, particularly the delivery of Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT). You will contribute to the Farming and Countryside Programme by delivering key CSHT products and continuously improving the scheme through its design and delivery.

You will provide advice in meetings, manage commissions, oversee programme milestones, and identify future risks and resource requirements. You will work across teams and with senior leaders to articulate a scheme that supports and delivers outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Provide advice in meetings and manage commissions related to ELM and CSHT.
• Deliver and oversee programme milestones, identifying risks and resource requirements.
• Work across a variety of teams and organisations, including senior leaders, to articulate a scheme that supports delivery outcomes.

Team

The team sits within the Nature & Place Directorate, part of the National Agriculture and Land Team, working with government, statutory bodies and industry. We operate 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 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 inter-organisational working. Experience of Agriculture and working with Defra and other statutory bodies is essential. You should be politically aware with excellent communication and networking skills, understand environmental sensitivities related to significant agriculture sector reform, and have experience interpreting/evaluating evidence to propose effective risk-based solutions for complex problems. You should prioritise and deliver complex work and be a self-starter who actively develops and takes ideas forward.

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

Capabilities

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

Other information

You’ll have an incident management objective in your development plan. Appropriate training will be provided. The EA Office base location is flexible/hybrid in England. Some travel/overnights will be required. We welcome flexible working patterns and have a Guaranteed Interview Policy to support applicants with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria. For details, refer to the Candidate/Additional Information Pack.

Contact

Kate Bayley: kate.bayley@environment-agency.gov.uk

D-J Gent: dj.gent@environment-agency.gov.uk