Biodiversity Science Advisor

Job summary

You will be part of National Biodiversity Evidence and Analysis Team within the Biodiversity, Land Use and Investment Directorate. This is a multidisciplinary team of natural scientists, economists and social scientists. We support several policy teams responsible for delivery of national biodiversity policy for nature recovery which includes delivery of Environmental Improvement Plan Commitments and the governments legally binding targets under the Environment Act. Delivering and monitoring biodiversity outcomes cuts across multiple areas of Defra including species recovery, water policy, protected sites, Environmental Land Management Schemes and land use.

We are seeking 3 Senior Scientific Officers to join the team who have experience in biodiversity science, ecology or closely related relevant disciplines.

Job description

In this role, you will work closely with policy teams and other evidence and analysis colleagues to deliver Governments statutory biodiversity targets. Your role will require you understand evidence needs and will use technical knowledge and expertise to develop, manage and deliver a range of scientific evidence and research activities that support policy.

Your role will involve significant coordination and collaboration across organisational boundaries to ensure team outputs are aligned with the evidence standards and policy objectives, while meeting statutory requirements. Scientists in the team work alongside policy and evidence teams across Defra, it’s arms length bodies as well as the research community. Your role working at the science/policy interface will be crucial in helping to translate rich environmental data and evidence into accessible insights that support policy decisions across Defra.

We are looking for people who will bring a strong scientific background to provide advice on complex environmental problems. It is essential that the post holder is able to maintain good networks, critically assess the evidence available as well as effectively communicate the evidence to expert and non-expert audiences.

The main focus of the roles will be to develop the evidence base to support delivery of Environment Improvement Plan commitments for nature recovery, as well as legally binding targets under the Environment Act. The successful candidates will help to better understand and communicate how we continue to best deliver for the targets, the potential impact of future policies on biodiversity in England and how to monitor progress towards commitments and targets. Successful delivery of the biodiversity targets is critical to Defra’s commitment to restoring and enhancing the UK’s natural environment within a generation.

You will also have the opportunity to play a leading role in organising and delivering R&D projects as part of our wider programme of evidence.

Candidates will join the Directorates’ Science Professional Community that provides a peer group for professional learning, development, and support.

These science posts are eligible for a Specialist Skills Supplement. Please see below under the heading ‘Salary’ for further information.

There are three roles available, these will cover a breadth of areas, including but not limited to biodiversity modelling, monitoring and spatial analysis.

Person specification

We are looking for candidates who are engaged and enthusiastic and can work within a complex policy area in a collaborative and supportive manner.

The below sets out general responsibilities and essential criteria, however given the different requirements across the three roles there is also a section that includes essential criteria but where only one criteria is required.

Responsibilities of the role will be to:

• Develop relationships with policy colleagues in order to understand their evidence needs and how these can be met using appropriate scientific approaches
• Develop a strong network of contacts to inform approach and identify opportunities for collaboration.
• Scope, develop, procure and manage research projects and contracts to address specific evidence gaps and inform policy development.
• Work in often challenging timeframes to deliver robust and clear evidence and analysis ensuring policy are well equipped to make recommendations and decisions.
• Work with natural scientists, social scientists and analysts, to communicate advice that supports biodiversity policy development by drawing on the best available evidence from a range of sources and clearly communicating assumptions and areas of uncertainty.
• Support, guide and critique policy to ensure it is evidence based.
• Provide expert input into official correspondence, briefings and ministerial submissions.

Essential Criteria

• Knowledge of & experience working on terrestrial or freshwater biodiversity science or related discipline.
• Experience of applying scientific knowledge, experience and skills to the development of research projects. Good project management skills including the ability to manage multiple pieces of work at the same time.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to effectively communicate to scientists and non-scientists and distil complex information into clear, succinct advice.
• Ability to work collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team and maintain strong relationships with expert stakeholders within and outside government.
• Ability to make scientific decisions and recommendations based on limited data or evidence and providing necessary caveats to analysis.
• Ability to contribute to a positive, supportive team culture.

Essential Criteria – only one of the below is required, please set out clearly in your personal statement which of these you are addressing

• Familiarity with methods for modelling relationships between species and environmental variables and use of R or Python in research. Understanding of spatial datasets and GIS. Ability to assess risk, uncertainties and confounding factors.
• Familiarity and experience with biodiversity and environmental monitoring approaches, data and limitations and associated indicators and their development.

You will need a postgraduate degree in a relevant science area.

Qualifications

A postgraduate degree in a relevant science area.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Technical experience/understanding related to Biodiversity

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £42,665, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £12,360 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%

Things you need to know

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, Experience and Technical skills.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, 500 word personal statement, 250 word Technical Statement and 250 word Behaviour statements. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Your Personal Statement should demonstrate why you are suitable for the role with reference to the essential criteria.

You will need to provide a 250 word max statement on Technical Skill Knowledge of terrestrial biodiversity freshwater and/or science, ecology or related discipline.

You are also asked to complete three behaviours:

Communicating and Influencing

Making Effective Decisions

Seeing the Big Picture

Should a large number of applicants be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, Communicating and Influencing, personal statement and CV. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

If successful at the application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on three behaviours, Communicating and Influencing, Making Effective Decisions, Seeing the Big Picture and technical skill (technical skill on Knowledge of terrestrial biodiversity freshwater and/ or science, ecology or related discipline).

You will need to do a presentation on Technical experience/understanding related to Biodiversity.

Interviews are via video and candidates will be sent an email with the MS Teams link.

Sift and Interview dates to be confirmed.

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.

Successful applicants currently employed by the hiring Defra organisation for this post may choose to remain in their current contractual location or may choose to change contractual location to one of those listed above. This should be discussed and agreed 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 to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

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 Adjustment

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 defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk 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.

Near Miss

Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in Defra which may be at a lower grade, but have a potential skills match.

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 Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

All of these posts require the successful candidate to hold basic security clearance. Candidates posted to London may be subject to a higher level of clearance because of the security requirements for that location. Job offers to these posts are made on the basis of merit. Security vetting will only take place after the receipt of a job offer.

Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

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.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.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 theCivil 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 :

• Name : Hannah Hudson
• Email : Hannah.hudson@defra.gov.uk
• Telephone : 07950237227

Recruitment team

• Email : defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

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: defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: here