Overview

Senior Advisor - Future Agriculture - Environmental Land Management (ELM) – 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 our staff, our communities and our environment.

Job Description

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).

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, 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 and delivers outcomes.

Team and Working Style

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

Experience/Skills Required

• Experience of Agriculture and working with Defra and other statutory bodies is essential.
• You are politically aware with excellent communication and networking skills.
• You understand the environmental sensitivities associated with significant agriculture sector reform.
• Experience of interpreting/evaluating evidence to propose effective risk-based solutions for challenging problems.
• You prioritise and deliver complex work and are a self-starter who actively develops and takes ideas forward.

Ideal Candidates will Demonstrate

• 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

Additional Information

• You’ll have an incident management objective in your development plan. 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.
• We use smart tools to stay connected and reduce travel.
• Please read the Candidate/Additional Information Pack for information. 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 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.

Competencies

1. Shapes organisational approach & delivery - Describe an example where you supported strategic work and aligned priorities, targets and resources. Note: large numbers of applications may undergo an initial sift using this lead capability.
2. Achieves Results - Prioritising and organising work under uncertainty to deliver timely results.
3. Focuses on Customers and Partners - Provide a rapid and effective response to customers and manage expectations.
4. Delivers Results Through Others - Harnessing a team to deliver on time and to required standards.
5. Seeing the Big Picture - Understand and react to changing direction, goals and business needs of the EA; explain implications of government reviews on the water sector and regulatory reform.

Other

The Environment Agency is committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce. Flexible working patterns are welcome, including job share. Guaranteed Interview Policy is in place to support applicants with a disability. For supplier opportunities on government frameworks, see Crown Commercial Service guidance.