This is an exciting opportunity to join Defra Agri-Food Chain.
The Directorate leads on a diverse and exciting range of food and farming policy, working closely with industry, academia, voluntary sector and consumer groups, as well as other Whitehall departments. The Covid pandemic has demonstrated more clearly than ever before how critical and effective food chain is to our existence and well-being.
Defra’s profile has never been higher; our remit provides the opportunity for real influence. You will be building relationships with a variety of key stakeholders. Internally, these could include Directors and Ministers, including counterparts in other teams. Externally, this could include industry bodies, non-governmental organisations and UK citizens.
You will play an active role in shaping and delivering the Defra Group’s priorities’, working creatively and collaboratively with others to deliver excellent outcomes. There are plenty of opportunities to develop your own skills and future career.
While continuing to respond to the current challenges to the farming and food systems we are developing new policies to make the most of opportunities as an independent, sovereign state by improving the innovation, productivity and economic performance of our domestic industries.
We want to make the UK the best in the world when it comes to maintaining the confidence of consumers and our world-renowned high food standards, and innovative, sustainable food production in a way that fits the Government’s commitment to achieve Net Zero in 2050.
We need to find the right ways to make the UK a great place to start and thrive as a farming or food and drink business; ensure that our food and drink businesses can deliver high quality food and drink to more markets worldwide.
Working as a policy professional in Agri-Food Chain you will be helping create, support and deliver one of a range of policies in areas such as developing our food system strategy, climate mitigation and adaptation, public sector food procurement and preparing the food system for implementation of the EU SPS agreement.
A key aspect will be flexibility to potentially work across different areas to deliver Ministerial priorities for the food system What makes the AFC really exciting and different is that we are leading the way across Government in developing user-centred, co-designed strategic policy, bringing together the best of policy and other disciplines.
You will work in partnership with stakeholders and be part of a fresh and exciting approach to delivery.
Job overview
The postholder will be part of the core leadership of the division responsible for shaping the food strategy, as a set of systems interventions, to address the challenges set out in the Good Food Cycle publication last July.
They will need to engage effectively across Defra, with other government departments, and externally with food sector leaders, civil society, academia and citizen representative groups to build momentum, collaboration and partnership to drive the outcomes this government seeks.
Responsibilities in the role include, but are not limited to:
- the team is currently reviewing priority work areas, but the role will lead the development of policy projects to deliver the outcomes in the Good Food cycle.
- this includes developing and owning clear project plans and delivering against them;
- leading and delivering speeches / publications and formal policy development on elements of the food strategy, with supporting comms and engagement activity;
- supporting the Deputy Director to provide system leadership to define and drive progress against agreed outcomes; and support the Agri-Food Directors to provide strategic oversight of the food system.
Person specification
The key skills required are:
- Strong strategic thinking skills and the ability to develop a programme of work in support of one or more stated outcome, drawing on complex systems thinking.
- A track record of motivating and inspiring team to deliver under pressure and (at times) with changing direction. They will need strong staff engagement skills and the ability to maximise performance across the team and beyond.
- Experience of establishing and delivering action plans to deliver agreed objectives
- Demonstrable strong interpersonal and collaboration skills with the ability to build and maintain relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders and other Departments at all levels of seniority and, critically, to influence action.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Making Effective Decisions
- Leadership
- Communicating and Influencing
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £67,730, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £19,621 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience.
Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.
Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.
Application Process
As part of the application process, candidates are asked to complete a CV, Personal Statement (no more than 250 words) on how relevant your skills and experience, meet the criteria and Behaviour Statements (no more than 250 words for each behaviour) on how your behaviour and experience meet the essential criteria. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Sift
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted on the Lead behaviour: Seeing the Big Picture. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Interview Process
If successful at application stage, you will be invited to an 'In-Person' interview in London, where you will be assessed on the Behaviours listed, Strengths relevant to the role.
Interviews due to be held week commencing 13th July.
Reserve List
If your application is successful but we are unable to offer you a post immediately, you will be placed on the reserve list. If over the next 12 months we are able to offer you a position, we will contact you as soon as possible. Once made an offer, you will go through our vetting and pre-employment checks processes. Appointments will be made in adherence to the Civil Service Recruitment Principles.
Further Information
Location
As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s).
Where the location is ‘National’ the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.
The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home.
Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.
Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.
The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.
Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD.
Salary
New entrants are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band.
Childcare Vouchers
Any move to DEFRA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.
Reasonable Adjustments
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
Contact Government Recruitment Service via [email protected] as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
Accessibility
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Visa Sponsorship Statement
Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.
Merit Lists
Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be appointed in merit order for each location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.
Criminal Record Check
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.
However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing [email protected] stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
Internal Fraud Database Check
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences.
This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.
This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.
Feedback
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window). See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window).
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job contact
Recruitment team
Further information
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email: [email protected].
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: here.
Attachments
Grade 6 Food Strategy Policy Campaign Candidate Information Pack 5.6.26 - Opens in new window (docx, 9MB)
