Restructure, Redeployment and Redundancy lead

Job summary

Defra Group is undergoing a period of transformation and as part of this, HR are appointing a fixed term HR professional to support the specialist advisory capability to support restructuring, redeployment, redundancy.

This role will sit within Specialist Employment Services team in HR acting as a central source of expertise on Restructuring, Redeployment and Redundancy (RRR) and related workforce transformation activity for the wider Defra Group.

The role will also work closely with HR Business Partners (HRBPs), senior leaders, project professionals and external suppliers to operationalise and transformation activity, ensuring it is delivered lawfully, consistently, and with a high‑quality employee experience.

Job description

Using a structured approach you will work closely with HR Business Partners (HRBPs), HR Expert Services, legal advisors, programme leads, the HR Senior Leadership Team and our shared services partners to:

• Establish and lead a dedicated RRR operational delivery team, with responsibility for defining clear objectives, deliverables, and timelines. This team will provide the core operational capability required to deliver restructuring-related activities.
• This will include the provision of expert and technical advice and guidance on any determined RRR requirements, and assurance that all necessary processes and complex individual cases are handled with due care and legal compliance.
• Support the design and delivery of employee and trade union consultation processes with expert RRR advice and input, helping to design a communication and engagement strategy and having a close involvement in TU consultation.
• Lead a small but expert operational HR team to ensure smooth delivery of all processes required under an RRR intervention.
• Identify risks, issues, and dependencies related RRR activity and escalate or resolve them through appropriate governance channels.
• Produce high-quality briefings, reports, and progress updates for senior stakeholders, ensuring visibility of milestones, risks, and resourcing needs.
• Benchmark processes and outputs against best practice and cross government standards, ensuring the transfer meets compliance expectations and delivers a consistent and supportive experience for employees.

Person specification

Skills and Experience - Essential Criteria

You will bring the following essential skills and experience to the role:

• The ability to navigate ambiguity and flexibility to deliver priorities
• A proactive approach, with problem-solving skills and resilience
• Significant HR and Employee Relations experience, within a Civil Service or large public sector organisation
• Proven leadership experience in an operational environment
• A demonstrable understanding of RRR processes, with previous experience leading RRR exercises in complex circumstances
• A track record of working effectively with a wide range of stakeholders across different organisations to build consensus, underpinned by excellent influencing and communication skills
• A CIPD qualification, or a willingness to work towards achieving one.
• Proficiency in project management methodologies.

If you possess the above qualities and are ready to make an impact, we would love to hear from you.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

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

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £58,207, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £16,862 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• 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 and Experience.

Application Process

As part of the application process please submit a tailored CV demonstrating how your skills, knowledge and experience meet the requirements of the role. Please provide a 750-word personal statement demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria and person specification detailed in the advert, alongside a 250-word statement on each of the following behaviours:

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture

Sift

Should there be a large number of successful applications, there will be an initial sift assessing the personal statement. Those who pass the initial sift will either be progressed to a full sift to include the behaviour statements or straight to interview. The CV will not be scored but can be used as a supporting document.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Interview

If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on experience and the following behaviours:

• Leadership (Lead behaviour)
• Communicating & Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Delivering at Pace

The interview will include experience-based questions designed to assess the essential criteria published in the advert. Candidates may be asked to expand on examples provided within their CV and personal statement

At interview, you will also be assessed on the following, through a pre-prepared presentation

• Experience

The presentation details will be sent to you with the invitation to interview via Civil Service Jobs should you be successful at sift.

Interviews will be conducted via MS Teams.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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 basic (or equivalent) 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 : HR Resourcing Delivery Team
• Email : HRResourcingDelivery@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

Defra Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 1518kB)