Continuous Improvement Consultant

Job summary

Defra is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people's day-to day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink. In terms of programme and project delivery, Defra has one of the largest and most complicated portfolios in Government.

The Defra group Continuous Improvement Service exists to create and maintain a sustainable Continuous Improvement culture in Defra group.

We do this by providing a professional change and improvement expertise across Defra group.

Our expertise is deployed in three ways:

1. Expert consultancy – supporting clients to deliver measurable improvements.
2. Competency building – through training and mentoring.
3. Community development – sustaining practitioner networks and sharing expertise.

Why join us?

• Work on projects that make a real difference to public services and the environment.
• Be part of a supportive, expert team committed to professional excellence.
• Opportunities for development and exposure to strategic initiatives across Defra group.

Job description

We are looking for an experienced Continuous Improvement Consultant to join our team and help drive meaningful change across Defra group.

In this role, you will:

• Lead end-to-end improvement projects – from commission through implementation and benefits realisation
• Support clients and teams to apply Continuous Improvement methodologies and tools effectively
• Design and deliver training to our practitioner community and wider networks
• Mentor and coach colleagues in applying improvement techniques
• Contribute to the development and delivery of our Continuous Improvement Strategy and Service

Person specification

We are looking for someone who is highly skilled, credible, and passionate about Continuous Improvement. You must be able to demonstrate:

• professional qualification – Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Lean Competency System Level 1c.
• proven experience delivering improvement projects from commission to benefits realisation.
• ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• strong analytical skills – confident in data collection, analysis, and presenting insights to influence evidence-led decisions.
• experience designing and delivering training to clients and peers.
• facilitation expertise – shaping and running workshops both face-to-face and virtually.
• coaching and mentoring capability – supporting others to apply Continuous Improvement tools and methodologies.

Qualifications

Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Lean Competency System Level 1c

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

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

• Using data to drive evidence-led decisions.
• Continuous improvement project management.

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.

Application

As part of the application process you will be asked to provide a CV and Personal Statement.

The CV should cover your previous employment history.

The Personal Statement should be no more than 750 words and demonstrate how you meet the essential skills and experience criteria outlined in the person specification section in the job advert.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Sift

We will conduct the sift against your CV and Personal Statement. A score of 1-7 will be provided for each element. Where a high number of applications are received we may conduct an initial sift on the Personal Statement only, those who meet the bar for Personal Statement only will then be progressed to a full sift.

Personal Statement Guidance

When completing your Personal Statement, please read and understand the Person Specification thoroughly, as this is what your written evidence will be assessed against. Please ensure you evidence the key personal qualities and experiences that align with the criteria. Consider the Job Description and look to demonstrate how your previous experience may align with the expectations and be applicable to the role. The written evidence you provide must relate to your own experiences. Your layout is entirely your preference; you may choose narrative, bullets, etc. Your Personal Statement will be assessed and scored out of 7 aligned to Success Profile experience scoring rating.

We encourage you to use the full 750-word allowance of the Personal Statement but not to exceed.

You may choose to address each criteria separately, however, one narrative example may cover and evidence several essential criteria.

For further guidance and information on how to construct your application (CV and Personal Statement), you are encouraged to visit the Civil Service Careers website. How to write your CV , Civil Service Careers

Interview

If you are invited to interview, Experience, Ability, Technical and Behaviours will be tested. Interviews will take place face to face via assessment centre (expected to be week 2nd March 2026) in central Birmingham (Aqua House, Lionel Street, B3 1AQ).

There will be a presentation during the interview to test Experience and Technical ability. Details of your presentation will be provided with your invitation to interview if successful at sift.

The assessment centre will consist of 4 sections, covering Experience, Ability, Technical and Behaviours:

Experience & Technical -

• Presentation outlining a continuous improvement project you’ve led or significantly contributed to, including how you have used data to drive evidence-led decisions.
• In-tray exercise where you will be given information about a continuous improvement project and you will be asked to explain how you would respond. You will have 15 minutes to review the information and 15 minutes to present back to the panel and answer any questions.

Behaviour 1 – Communicating and Influencing

Behaviour 2 – Managing a Quality Service

We estimate that an assessment centre will last no more than 2 hours from start to finish. Assessments will be made on the requirements outlined in the advert following the Success Profiles: - GOV.UK framework

Notification of outcomes expected to be mid March 2026.

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.

Near Miss Candidates

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.

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.

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.

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.

Vetting

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.

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.

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 : Ian McLoughlin
• Email : Ian.McLoughlin@defra.gov.uk

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

Attachments

Candidate Information Pack FINAL Opens in new window (pdf, 1804kB)