Programme Lead on Ecosystem Assessment and Resilience

Job summary

In Defra, we deal with a vast range of issues that profoundly affect people’s lives. We are responsible for England’s environment, countryside and rural economy, the food and farming sectors and have a lead responsibility for protection from a wide range of natural threats and hazards. Defra is also an important international Department, and we leverage our domestic expertise and learning to drive transformational and systemic change globally. Over the next five years, the International Biodiversity and Climate Directorate will work to deliver the Global Biodiversity Framework and its vision to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.

Defra is establishing a new programme and team to design, pilot, and evaluate innovative approaches for assessing ecosystems. The programme will use novel metrics of ecosystem function, process and resilience to underpin a new generation of environmental assessments. A series of ‘policy sandboxes’ will be developed and delivered in close collaboration with academics, Defra Arms’ Length Bodies (ALBs) and other stakeholders. These will enable government to test alternative approaches in a controlled, evidence driven environment.

The Programme Lead will establish and lead this new programme. They will coordinate scientific, analytical, and policy workstreams; manage relationships with academic partners, Public Sector Research Establishments (PSREs), and Defra group ALBs; and ensure the programme delivers robust, credible, and policy relevant outputs that support planning reform, nature recovery, and long-term environmental resilience both domestically and internationally.

This post sits within the International Science, Evidence and Analysis Division in the International Biodiversity and Climate Directorate (IBC) but will work across Defra. The postholder will work alongside other Grade 7 scientists in Defra’s International and Domestic Biodiversity science teams. They will report to the Grade 6 head of International Research Programmes.

Job description

Background

Recent developments in functional ecology research, data science, multi-variate modelling, environmental monitoring and AI are opening up new opportunities for the ways we monitor, measure, set targets for and manage ecosystems.

Whereas traditional conservation approaches have focused on protecting species and habitats, approaches based on functional ecology and ecosystem science place emphasis on the dynamic processes that keep ecosystems together. These functions and processes allow them to adapt to changing conditions, providing resilience against shocks. They also underpin the ecosystem services upon which humans depend.

Such approaches show promise for applications to assess UK and international ecosystems, supporting policy across a wide range of areas. This includes international applications, for example, mapping international risk of ecosystem collapse, targeting Official Development Assistance funding through aid programmes and evaluating nature finance investments. It also includes important domestic priorities, such as informing better spatial planning decisions, targeting agri-environment funding and informing the management of protected areas for biodiversity.

The postholder will work with policy and science teams across Defra (domestic and international) and external researchers to design and lead the programme, which will include workstreams on:

Method development

This workstream will drive innovation, research and knowledge generation for methods for policy-relevant methods for ecosystem assessment. The workstream includes objectives on:

• • Evaluating the state of the science for ecosystem-based metrics, tools and frameworks via a literature review and expert elicitation. This will identify promising emerging approaches, which could be applied to policy use cases, and will review frameworks, tools and metrics that can be applied to assess the resilience of ecosystems for specific policy purposes.
  • Designing a toolkit for ecosystem assessment. Working with Defra science and policy teams, Defra ALBs and external researchers to develop a modular, demand-driven toolkit that can deploy a suite of tools to service a range of domestic and international policy use cases.
  • Research and development. Working with research institutions (initially Imperial College, ZSL, RBG Kew and the Natural History Museum), Defra evidence and policy teams, and ALBs, to develop a programme of R&D that produces metrics and tools for the ecosystem assessment toolkit.

Policy sandboxes

This workstream will generate an innovative and evidence-led learning platform to test novel approaches to ecosystem assessment developed in workstream one. The workstream includes objectives on:

• • Defining and developing policy use cases. Building a multidisciplinary team from Defra and ALBs to produce detailed definitions of possible international and domestic policy use cases with which to test the ecosystem assessment toolkit.
  • Testing an ecosystem assessment toolkit against pre-defined use cases and scenarios. Working with evidence and policy colleagues from Defra, ALBs, and academic partners, conduct rigorous, quantitative and qualitative tests of the ecosystem assessment toolkit, following international best practice, to explore the validity and efficacy of the toolkit.

Key responsibilities

• Programme Leadership & Strategy
  • Lead the design, delivery, and governance of the Policy Sandbox for novel approaches to ecosystem assessment.
  • Translate strategic objectives into a three-year workplan aligned with Defra priorities. Ensure the programme supports planning reform, environmental target delivery, and international policy objectives.
  • Provide oversight of two core workstreams: (1) Method development, (2) Policy sandboxes
• Oversee design of scientific/analytical protocols
  • Work with IBC’s non-ODA R&D team to ensure a coherent programme of research and development.
  • Oversee the development and testing of a novel, adaptive toolkit for ecosystem assessment, working with technical specialists in Natural England, JNCC and elsewhere. This includes frameworks and metrics that can be piloted on domestic and international case studies.
  • Ensure scientific and analytical outputs meet quality assurance standards and are suitable for informing regulatory and policy decisions.
  • Support the integration of ecological modelling, systems thinking, and scenario analysis into policy testing.
• Policy sandbox design and evaluation
  • Lead the development of policy use cases, scenarios, and problem statements in collaboration with policy teams across Defra, Natural England, JNCC and others.
  • Oversee the design and delivery of an approach for policy ‘sandboxing’ (including modelling, simulations, workshops, policy evaluations etc.), where new approaches and toolkits are comprehensively tested against policy use cases.
  • Evaluate the downstream impacts of new approaches on planning decisions, regulatory processes, business costs, and environmental outcomes.
  • Assess upstream implications for statutory targets, reporting frameworks, and international commitments (e.g., CBD, GBF).
• Stakeholder Engagement & Collaboration
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with academic partners and Defra Arm’s Length Bodies (particularly Natural England and JNCC), and other external experts.
  • Coordinate engagement with local authorities, developers, environmental NGOs, and private finance stakeholders as appropriate.
  • Ensure transparent communication of programme aims, progress, and findings across Defra and wider government.
  • Ensure strong working relationships and partnerships with other technical teams across international and domestic teams in Defra.
• Programme Delivery & Governance
  • Establish programme governance structures, risk management processes, and reporting mechanisms.
  • Manage programme budget (£1.1m over three years), commissioning/procurement of external research, and research project management.
  • Ensure timely delivery of milestones, including workshops, model prototypes, test cases, and evaluation reports.
  • Provide regular updates to senior officials, Ministers, and HMT.
• Team Leadership & Development
  • Recruit, lead, and develop a multidisciplinary team of scientists, analysts, and policy specialists.
  • Line manage a team of 3-4.
  • Foster a collaborative, innovative, and inclusive team culture.
  • Support staff development in systems thinking, ecological modelling, and policy experimentation.

Person specification

Essential Experience

• Experience working on biodiversity, ecology or environmental science in the context of research, policy or delivery.
• Proven experience establishing and leading complex, multistakeholder scientific or analytical programmes.
• Experience working at the science–policy interface, ideally within government or regulatory settings.
• Demonstrated ability to foster strong partnerships and collaborations, and to manage multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience designing or evaluating policy interventions, regulatory frameworks, or assessment methodologies.

Essential Skills

• Excellent programme and project management skills.
• Strong analytical literacy, with the ability to interpret complex scientific evidence.
• Exceptional communication skills, including the ability to translate technical concepts for policy audiences.
• Ability to manage risk, uncertainty, and ambiguity in evolving policy environments
• Ability to synthesize and present evidence, analysis, and policy recommendations in clear and accessible ways, including to senior colleagues, Ministers, and external stakeholders

Qualifications

Candidates should have a strong scientific or technical capability in ecosystem science, ecology, ecosystem modelling, or a relevant scientific or analytical field, demonstrated by a PhD or equivalent experience.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Working Together
• Seeing the Big Picture

Technical skills

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

• Technical oversight & management
• Communicating science and engineering for government

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, Experience and Technical skills.

Application Process

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a 750 word personal statement and CV. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please use your personal statement (in no more than 750 words) to set out how you meet the skills and experience for the role.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Sift

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the CV.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Interview

If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where we will assess you against the behaviours and technical skills set out in the advert and a five minute presentation on a relevant topic.

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

Loan/Secondment

Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

This is a Fixed-term Appointment as a Programme Lead on Ecosystem Assessment & Resilience. The post is not permanent. It is time limited due to a fixed funding period or as part of a specific project. The fixed term will end when the funding or the project expires.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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 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 : IBC Resourcing Team
• Email : IBC.Resourcing@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