Strategy & Government Relations Officer - 32590
Join to apply for the Strategy & Government Relations Officer - 32590 role at Environment Agency.
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 your understanding of how arm‑sized bodies work with government departments and ministers on policy and parliamentary matters, and to devise strategies that meet tomorrow’s environmental challenges.
Key Responsibilities
* 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.
* Coordinating and quality‑assuring responses to high‑profile requests, such as ministerial correspondence.
Qualifications and Skills
* 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).
* Self‑motivated, highly organised, adaptable, able to maintain high standards under pressure.
Experience / Skills Required
As an officer within the Strategy Directorate, you will support high‑profile work, from managing relationships with government departments to driving the vision set out in our EA2030 corporate strategy.
Contact and Additional Information
Location: EA Office base location; working location is flexible/hybrid; some travel and overnight stays may be required.
For queries, contact eatalent@environment-agency.gov.uk.
Applications are “blind” assessed using competency question responses. Interviews will be held via MS Teams from mid‑January.
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.
* Scenario: In the role, you will manage the team’s shared inboxes on a day‑to‑day basis, tracking actions and exploring ways to improve the flow of information to and from the team. You will also manage ministerial correspondence for the organisation, ensuring quality‑assured responses are delivered to deadline. This involves identifying issues, sharing intelligence and delivering quality products.
* 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.
* In the role, you will work with colleagues across the organisation and the Defra Group to help manage the Environment Agency’s reputation.
* 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.
* In this role, you will need to manage a range of customers in a timely and effective way, while balancing a number of competing priorities and pressures.
* 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?
Legal and EEO Statements
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.
We also have a Guaranteed Interview Policy to support those with a disability who are seeking employment. We have committed to guaranteeing an interview to anyone with a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.
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 review the Civil Service Careers website for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Seniority level
Associate
Employment type
Full‑time
Job function
Legal
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