G7 Science Lead

Job summary

The Trees and Forestry Division of the Biodiversity, Land-use and Investment Directorate is looking for a dynamic and committed Science Lead with good experience in the environment sphere. You will help deliver big ambitions to ramp up woodland creation and management in England, getting more of the right trees in the right places. We are wrestling with tricky policy issues, including woodland creation balancing land-use trade-offs, and the tensions between short and long term priorities.

The evidence lead will lead the natural science team alongside the other natural science team leader and working closely with the Head of Economics and the Head of Monitoring & Evaluation and Social Research. Collectively they provide an evidence base to support the wider Trees and Forestry policy and delivery work. We have a statutory target to reach, a new green finance mechanism to create and an ambitious Government agenda to support including the creation of new national forests.

The post holder reports to the Head of Strategy, Evidence and Support, with professional oversight from the Senior Economic Advisor.

The role would suit candidates who are keen to work on a high-profile area with significant political complexity and interest. The role will give you the chance to work at the heart of delivering a government priority and to use your analytical skills to directly shape environmental policy and delivery.

Job description

As a Team Leader your responsibilities may include but are not limited to:

• Working closely with the parallel Science Lead, the Lead Economist and the Head of Social Research and Monitoring and Evaluation to review the existing evidence base and to work closely with policy leads and the wider team to agree and prioritise evidence gaps.
• Building strong links with Policy and Delivery teams across the Division to provide a high quality service ensuring that evidence it at the heart of policy and delivery decisions.
• Overseeing the delivery of a Trees and Forestry evidence strategy and progressing the commissioning of our next evidence portfolio to meet policy needs and advocating for an aligned budget in the SR.
• Ensuring the dissemination of our procured research is accessible and applied into practice through creative and engaging approaches.
• Overseeing the secretariat for an independent Scientific Advisory Group to support the Programme;
• Coordinating science and R&D across NETL and wider Defra to streamline our efforts and minimise duplication.
• Strategic engagement with Defra delivery partners, external stakeholders and research organisations to ensure a coordinated approach to research & evaluation that is adding value rather than duplicating;
• Horizon scanning and spotting emerging trends that could have relevance for the Programme.
• Managing the overall budget for the Trees Research Evidence and Analysis Team.

Person specification

• Experience of working independently across several natural science areas, with proven experience of making strategic links/developing insights in the context of broader environmental policy and balancing this with the essential detail.
• Experience of leading a science team and work programme – setting clear direction to rapidly develop the evidence base, effectively managing multiple competing priorities to deliver timely, high quality advice on the available evidence and quality assure outputs to help inform policy development.
• Experience of developing influential policy recommendations/ insights and clearly communicating these in briefings/submissions and/or technical reports at pace.
• Postgrad Degree level qualification or equivalent expertise in trees/forestry related natural science or relevant analytical skills, and proven experience of applying this expertise to solve complex policy problems working in collaboration with policy and delivery colleagues.
• Experience of developing strong relationships with expert stakeholders within/outside government including policy and delivery colleagues.
• Ability to work under pressure and to manage competing priorities, with the ability to pivot to new pieces of work and deliver to tight deadlines.
• A scientific understanding of tree and/or forestry science with a good awareness of policy issues impacting treescape expansion and management.

Qualifications

Postgrad Degree level qualification or equivalent expertise in trees/forestry related natural science or relevant analytical skills, and proven experience of applying this expertise to solve complex policy problems working in collaboration with policy and delivery colleagues

Behaviours

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

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

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Seeing the Big Picture

Technical skills

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

• Technical oversight and management
• Communicating science and engineering for government
• Building and applying knowledge

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £56,375, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £16,331 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, Ability, Experience and Technical skills.

Application

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide CV, a 250 word on lead behaviour, (Seeing the big picture) and to also complete a 750 word personal statement setting out your skills and experience and its relevance to the job description and person specification.

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 lead behaviour (seeing big picture) and Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Interview arrangements

Candidates who are invited to interview will be asked about their Experience, Behaviours and technical skills relevant to the role. For more information see Civil Service Success Profiles

The following G7 Civil Service Behaviours are essential to this post and will be tested at interview.

• Seeing the big picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making effective decisions
• Leadership

A presentation will be required at interview and further details will be emailed to candidates before the interview.

Your interview will either be conducted by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.

Those successful at interview will need to undergo CTC if office location is London based.

Location

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.

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).

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.

Please note this role can be based at any Defra office, where there is capacity. Travel to other sites and overnight stays may be required for meetings or training events, particularly London.

Salary

Existing Civil Servants moving on level transfer will retain their current salary or move onto the pay range minimum, whichever is the higher. Staff moving on promotion will have their pay increased by 10% or move onto the pay range minimum, whichever is the higher. As a general rule allowances and supplements will not be recognised.

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. Determine your eligibility at 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 an 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.

Criminal Record Check

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

Higher Security Clearance

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.

Further Information

Current Civil Servants (all contract types) will need to ensure that they are still employed as a civil servant at the point of starting in the relevant new post. If their contract ends (e.g. end of FTA contract or resignation) at any point during the recruitment/onboarding process for the advertised role, they will no longer be eligible and may be withdrawn.

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 : Daisy Ellis
• Email : Daisy.ellis@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