Overview
Senior Advisor - Future Agriculture - Environmental Land Management (31666)
The Environment Agency is committed to an inclusive workforce reflecting the communities we serve. England is reforming agricultural policy and spending with Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes, moving from CAP to ELM. ELM schemes incentivise farmers and land managers to deliver water, soil and biodiversity outcomes alongside food production. This role involves influencing the design and delivery of incentives within the wider context of shaping our organisational response to government reviews, and delivering the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) within the Farming and Countryside Programme. You will work with Defra and delivery partner colleagues to improve services to farmers and contribute to our EA2030 strategy and government targets for water, the environment and climate. The team is part of the Nature & Place Directorate, National Agriculture and Land Team, collaborating with government, statutory bodies and industry in an agile, fast-paced environment.
We foster a welcoming, safe, supportive environment where everyone feels valued. We are a dispersed team and use smart tools to stay connected and reduce travel.
Responsibilities
* Provide advice in meetings, manage commissions, and oversee programme milestones for CSHT and related ELM activities.
* Identify future risks and resource requirements; work across multiple teams and organisations with senior leaders to articulate a scheme that supports and delivers outcomes.
* Represent our expertise to Defra, delivery bodies and the agriculture sector to achieve consistency and improve collaboration.
* Contribute to continuous improvement of ELM scheme design and delivery.
* Support the delivery of strategic work and help shape organisational priorities, targets and resources.
Experience/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 effective risk-based solutions for challenging problems.
* Ability to prioritise and deliver complex work; a self-starter who actively develops and advances ideas.
Ideal candidate capabilities
* Get things done, including through others
* Embodies our culture
* Ensures information is trusted
* Cascades key information
* Builds relationships quickly
* Soothes troubled waters
Competencies
1. Shapes Organisational Approach & Delivery – Informing and influencing Government Policy and agricultural scheme design and implementation. Please provide an example of supporting strategic work and aligning organisational priorities, targets and resources.
2. Achesieves Results – Prioritising and organising tasks and resources amidst uncertainty. Describe how you prioritised work to ensure timely delivery.
3. Focuses on Customers and Partners – Addressing internal and external customer needs. Provide an example of a rapid and effective response to a group of customers and how you managed expectations.
4. Delivers Results Through Others – Harnessing a team to deliver on time and to standard. Share a time you led others to deliver results and what you learned.
5. Seeing the Big Picture – Understanding and reacting to changing direction, goals and business needs. Explain implications of government reviews on water sector and regulatory reform.
Additional information
You’ll have an incident management objective in your development plan. Appropriate training will be given. The role is national with flexible/hybrid working in England. Some travel and overnight stays may be required. We offer flexible working patterns, including job share, and a Guaranteed Interview Policy for applicants with a disability whose application meets minimum criteria. If applying from Civil Service, note that EA is not part of HM Civil Service and you would not be a Crown Servant; continuous service rules may differ for local government or other listed bodies.
Please read the Candidate/Additional Information Pack for information. For more information, contact:
* Kate Bayley: kate.bayley@environment-agency.gov.uk
* D-J Gent: dj.gent@environment-agency.gov.uk
Applications are blind assessed based on competency questions. Interviews are expected via MS Teams two weeks after the closing date. If you are placed on a reserve list, we may hold your details for 6 months for potential alternative posts.
Important notices
The Environment Agency is committed to diversity and inclusion and welcomes flexible working patterns. We guarantee an interview to applicants with a disability whose application meets minimum criteria. We do not engage with the market directly via post, email, or phone calls, but you may become a supplier through the Crown Commercial Service as described on gov.uk.
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