Strategy & Government Relations Officer - 32590
Apply for the Strategy & Government Relations Officer (Position code 32590) at the Environment Agency.
We are fully committed to having an inclusive workforce that reflects 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.
This high‑profile role requires organisational skills, political awareness, and the ability to influence and collaborate effectively to deliver outcomes that matter. It offers an excellent opportunity to deepen understanding of how arm‑length bodies work with government departments and ministers on policy and parliamentary matters and to devise strategies addressing tomorrow’s environmental challenges.
Key Responsibilities
* Coordinating and quality‑assuring responses to high‑profile requests, such as for ministerial correspondence.
* Managing shared inboxes, tracking actions, and improving information flow.
* Supporting responses to parliamentary questions, ministerial or senior briefings.
* Delivering impactful engagement with external stakeholders.
* Monitoring trends, government and political activity, helping to share good intelligence across the organisation.
* Building and maintaining effective relationships across the Defra Group, including senior leadership.
* Supporting incident management activities.
Qualifications & Experience
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
* Strong attention to detail and ability to present information clearly and accurately.
* A flexible approach with the ability to deliver high‑quality work to tight deadlines.
* Resilience under pressure and confidence in knowing when to seek guidance and support.
* Experience in a customer‑facing or stakeholder engagement role, with a focus on building relationships and maintaining a positive reputation.
* Strong organisational skills, including effective management of knowledge and information.
* Understanding of parliamentary and government processes, or experience in stakeholder engagement (desirable but not essential).
About the Environment Agency
The Environment Agency is a non‑departmental public body, committed to protecting and improving the environment and responding to emergencies such as major floods. The Agency works across multiple teams including Government Relations and Strategy to shape policy and deliver its environmental objectives.
Employment Details
Seniority level: Associate
Employment type: Full‑time
Job function: Legal
Contact & Application
Location: EA Office base; national role with flexible / hybrid working and occasional travel/overnight stays.
Email: eatalent@environment-agency.gov.uk
Applications are “blind” assessed using competency‑question responses. Interviews will be held via MS Teams from mid‑January.
Competencies
Competence 1 – Manages Self
Definition: Has full awareness of own strengths, weaknesses, impact and approach. Effectively organises self and takes personal responsibility for own role in the Environment Agency.
Question: Tell us about a time you personally organised a high volume workflow (e.g., tracking work, a shared inbox and high‑profile correspondence) to meet tight deadlines while maintaining quality. How did you prioritise, track actions, share intelligence with others, and improve the flow of information? What was the outcome?
Competence 2 – Communicates Effectively
Definition: Listens and questions to understand and engage. Conveys information and ideas clearly, accurately and persuasively through speech and writing.
Question: Please provide an example of where you have needed to communicate a complex message to a wide range of people in an innovative and engaging form.
Competence 3 – Focuses on Customers and Partners
Definition: Addresses the needs of internal and external customers, provides rapid and effective responses.
Question: Describe a time when you had to manage multiple internal and external customers with competing priorities. How did you assess and prioritise their needs and manage expectations quickly and decide whether to involve senior colleagues? What was the outcome and what did you learn?
Note for applicants from the Civil Service: the Environment Agency is not a part of HM Civil Service and you would not be a Crown Servant in the event of being appointed. For other eligibility concerns, contact your HR team.
We are fully committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. Flexible working patterns, job share, and a guaranteed interview policy for those with a disability that meet the minimum criteria for the post are welcomed.
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. Plagiarism may lead to withdrawal of the application.
#J-18808-Ljbffr