Senior Advisor - Future Agriculture - Environmental Land Management - 31666
Location: King’s Lynn or Ely, England, United Kingdom. National role with flexible/hybrid working in England. Some travel and occasional overnight stays may be required.
The Environment Agency is committed to an inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We welcome flexible working patterns and have a Guaranteed Interview Policy to support applicants with disabilities. This role is within the Nature & Place Directorate, part of the National Agriculture and Land Team, and works in collaboration with Defra, delivery partner colleagues, and other statutory bodies to shape and deliver Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes and related policy reform.
Purpose of the role:
* Inform and influence Government policy and agricultural scheme design and implementation, with a focus on Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) and wider ELM delivery.
* Provide advice in meetings, manage commissions, oversee programme milestones, and identify risks and resource needs across cross‑government and external partners.
* Support the EA2030 strategy and government targets for water, the environment, and climate through effective policy and delivery design.
What you will do:
* Lead or contribute to the design and delivery of incentives within ELM, ensuring alignment with reform goals and cross‑organisational priorities.
* Engage with Defra, delivery bodies, and the agriculture sector to achieve consistency and improve collaboration.
* Represent the EA’s expertise in external forums and work with senior leaders to articulate schemes that deliver outcomes in water, environment, and climate.
* Provide strategic, risk‑based advice and evaluate evidence to propose effective solutions for challenging problems.
* Contribute to continuous improvement of CSHT products and the Farming and Countryside Programme through design and delivery enhancements.
Experience and skills required:
* 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 risk‑based solutions for challenging problems.
* Ability to prioritise and deliver complex work, and to act as a self‑starter who develops and advances ideas.
Ideal candidates will demonstrate: get things done, embody our culture, maintain trusted information, cascade key information, build relationships quickly, and manage challenging situations effectively.
Capabilities include: Shapes Organisational Approach & Delivery; Achieves Results; Seeing the Bigger Picture (Business of the EA); Focuses on Customers and Partners; Delivers Results Through Others.
Assessment and application details:
* Applications are assessed ‘blind’ based on competency questions; feedback may not be provided at sift stage.
* Competencies and descriptions include: Shapes organisational approach & delivery; Achieves Results; Focuses on Customers and Partners; Delivers Results Through Others; Seeing the Big Picture.
* Competency descriptions request examples of strategic work, prioritisation, customer engagement, team leadership, and understanding of government reviews’ implications on the water sector and regulatory reform.
Other information:
* Incident management objective in development plan; appropriate training provided.
* Flexible working arrangements and the option to work remotely where possible.
* Travel and national scope with some travel/overnights required.
* Contact: Kate Bayley (kate.bayley@environment-agency.gov.uk) or D-J Gent (dj.gent@environment-agency.gov.uk).
* For external recruitment information please consult Crown Commercial Service guidelines.
Notes:
* Interviews are expected via MS Teams two weeks after the closing date.
* If you consent to being on a reserve list, your details may be kept for six months and you may be offered an alternative post.
Senior Advisor - Future Agriculture - Environmental Land Management - 31666
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