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. They 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 radically improve our services to farmers. These reforms are essential to 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 include influencing the design and delivery of incentives within the wider context of shaping our organisational response to recent government reviews. These reviews aim to achieve clean and plentiful water working with the water sector and delivering greater economic growth and nature recovery through regulation.

The Environment Agency ELM team are 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 provide oversight of Programme milestones, and identify future risks and resource requirements. You will be working 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 passionate about our people and foster a welcoming, safe, supportive environment where everyone feels valued. We are a dispersed team and use smart tools to stay connected and reduce travel.

Responsibilities

• Provide advice in meetings, manage commissions, deliver and oversee Programme milestones, and identify future risks and resource requirements.
• Work across a variety of teams and organisations, with senior leaders, to articulate a CSHT scheme that supports and delivers outcomes.
• Influence design and delivery of incentives within the wider context of reform.

Qualifications and Experience

• 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 agriculture 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.

Ideal Candidate Capabilities

• Get stuff done, including through others
• Embodied our culture and make information trusted
• Cascade key information and build relationships quickly
• Soothe troubled waters

Contact and Additional Information

You’ll have an incident management objective in your development plan and appropriate training will be given. You’ll have an EA Office base location, however as a national role the working location is flexible/hybrid in England. Some travel/overnights will be required. Please read the Candidate/Additional Information Pack for information. 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 your answers to the 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’ll hold your details for 6 months and may offer you an alternative post.

Competences

• Shapes organisational approach & delivery — Informing and influencing Government Policy and Agricultural scheme design and implementation; provide examples of supporting strategic work and organisational priorities.
• Achieves Results — Prioritising and organising tasks and resources; dealing with uncertainty.
• Focuses on Customers and Partners — Addressing internal and external customer needs with rapid, effective responses.
• Delivers Results Through Others — Harnessing a team to deliver on time and to required standards.
• Seeing the Big Picture — Understanding implications of government reviews and regulatory reform on the EA.

We are fully committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce and welcome flexible working patterns, including job share. We also have a Guaranteed Interview Policy to support those with a disability who are seeking employment.

Note: The Environment Agency is a Non-Departmental Public Body and is not part of HM Civil Service.