Field Officer

Job summary

We are recruiting home‑based Field Officers across a number of counties. Applicants should apply for the vacancy in the county where they will be based. As part of the application process, you will be asked to select your preferred county from the list provided.Posts we have available are in the following counties:Hampshire, West Sussex, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Bedfordshire, Derbyshire, West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, Cumbria, Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire

Do you enjoy spending time outdoors?
Are you motivated by supporting people and communities?
Do you have an interest in farming and rural life?

If so, our Field Officer vacancy could be a good fit for you.

TheRural Payments Agency (RPA) is an executive agency of the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). We deliver over £2 billion in payments each year to farmers, traders, and landowners across England.

We are part of the Operational Delivery Profession, with most of our colleagues providing day-to-day services for customers and stakeholders. Our work supports agricultural and rural communities, helping to deliver effective services and contribute to a better place to live and work.

The Regulatory and Advice Service (RAS) within the RPA includes around 250 colleagues, such as Meat Technical Inspectors, Field Officers, Inspection Support teams, and Statistical and Analytical teams. Together they carry out more than 8,500 visits annually. This work ensures compliance with livestock and meat production regulations and the effective use of public funds for environmental outcomes. It also provides clear advice to customers and supports the delivery of the Government’s environmental ambitions.

Further information is available on the Rural Payments Agency website: Rural Payments Agency – GOV.UK

Job description

As a Field Officer, you will play an important part in supporting a healthier, more sustainable environment for the future. You will work directly with agricultural and rural communities, helping them meet regulatory requirements while supporting environmental protection.

This is an active, hands‑on role that involves regular time outdoors, including walking several miles across varied terrain in different weather conditions. The role also includes working safely and responsibly with livestock such as cattle, sheep and pigs.

Field Officers carry out a varied role that offers opportunities to develop professional skills, work independently and make a positive contribution through practical, meaningful work.

Responsibilities

• Carry out visits to farming premises to provide advice and guidance, helping customers understand and meet scheme and regulatory requirements
• Assess the validity and compliance of claims made under RPA schemes
• Undertake practical field tasks such as measuring land and checking landscape features and equipment using GPS-based technology
• Work safely around livestock, including cattle, sheep, and pigs, checking ear tags to confirm births, deaths, movements, and tagging requirements, while continuously assessing and managing risk
• Prepare for visits by reviewing relevant information in advance and completing follow-up reports that outline findings, advice, and guidance
• Undertake regular outdoor activity, including walking several miles daily across a range of terrain and in varying weather conditions
• Cover a geographical area and where required, work outside your area to support colleagues across other regional areas
• Visit farms, land, and other premises to assess compliance with RPA scheme requirements and government regulations
• Travel regularly as part of the role, which may include visits or meetings outside your local area and occasional overnight stays
• Work flexibly, including early starts or late finishes, to meet operational needs and customer requirements
• Work as part of a multi‑skilled team, which may include visits to food premises or meat processing plants
• Following successful completion of probation, become eligible to apply for the RPA lease car scheme

Person specification

You must be able to demonstrate the following skills and experience listed in the essential criteria

Essential Criteria:

• Valid UK Driving Licence
  
• Agricultural knowledge or experience, which may include working or living in an agricultural environment, a relevant qualification (such as agriculture or environmental studies), or demonstrated knowledge of agricultural schemes
• Strong written, numerical, and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work independently, as the role involves planning and carrying out visits that will be undertaken alone, with appropriate support and safety processes in place
• Effective organisation skills, with the ability to manage workload and meet deadlines, including during periods of increased demand
• Confidence in using technology, including Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and Teams
• Strong interpersonal skills, with experience of communicating clearly and providing a high standard of customer service
• Ability to undertake sustained outdoor activity, which may involve walking several miles over extended periods, across varying terrain and in different weather conditions

Licences

Valid UK Driving Licence

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £29,715, Rural Payments Agency contributes £8,608 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, Strengths and Experience.

Application Process

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete the following:

• A name blind CV summarising your job history/previous skills and experience relevant to the role
• A 750-word personal statement demonstrating how you meet the person specification and essential criteria detailed in the advert

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

Sift

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

Interview

If you are successful at the application stage, you will be invited to an interview where you will be assessed on your Experience, Behaviours, and Strengths.

Experience Question

You will be asked a question assessing your experience against the essential criteria

Behaviour Questions

During the interview, you will be asked questions based on the behaviours listed below:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating & Influencing
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service

For more information on behaviours and to help you prepare please click here

Strength Questions

You will be asked a number of strength-based questions. These explore what you do well, do regularly and what motivates you. The questions are shorter, and the panel will be interested in your first reaction to the questions and the information or reasoning to support this.

For more information on strengths including the strengths dictionary to help you prepare please click here

Interviews will take place via MS Teams

Sift and Interview dates to be confirmed

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)

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.

Salary

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band.

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 RPA 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.

Near Miss Candidates

Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in RPA 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 by location.

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.

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 RPA does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

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 : RPA Recruitment Team
• Email : RPARecruitmentAdmin@rpa.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 Pack EO Field Officer 455862 Opens in new window (pdf, 1585kB)