Senior Project Lead

Job summary

Defra’s Water Infrastructure Delivery team is expanding to meet the UK’s growing demand for resilient water infrastructure. We are seeking three Senior Project Leads to join high-profile teams tackling some of the most significant challenges in water infrastructure delivery.

As a Senior Project Lead, you will work at the intersection of policy and delivery, ensuring that water infrastructure enables housing growth and economic development. You will take ownership of complex projects, collaborating with regulators, water companies, developers, and local authorities to unblock issues and accelerate progress.

We have roles in four teams on offer:

1.Reservoir Programme: Coordinating Defra’s input on major reservoir projects, supporting legislative changes, and ensuring timely development and construction.

2. Critical Response Team: Leading rapid interventions to resolve water-related issues—such as those affecting new towns or major energy projects—that threaten delivery of 1.5 million homes by 2029 or critical national infrastructure.

3.Planning and National Policy Statements: Driving improvements in planning frameworks and securing legislative changes to speed up delivery.

4. Price Review 2024 and non-reservoir major projects team: Driving delivery of PR24 and non‑reservoir major projects by overseeing progress, resolving barriers, and shaping policy levers to unlock growth and ensure water and wastewater capacity keeps pace with national needs.

These roles require proactive, adaptable individuals who can navigate complex policy landscapes and deliver practical solutions. You will provide strategic advice to ministers, develop policy proposals, and manage stakeholder relationships across government and industry. This is an opportunity to influence decisions that shape the UK’s water infrastructure for decades to come.

Job description

Defra’s newly formed Water Infrastructure Delivery team is recruiting six Senior Project Leads (SEO grade) to drive critical water infrastructure projects across the UK.

These roles will shape new reservoir development, lead rapid water related interventions to unblock housing and growth, and improve planning and policy frameworks for water infrastructure. This is a unique opportunity to work closely with industry, Ministers and other departments to influence major projects that underpin economic growth and environmental sustainability.

• Leading projects within the Reservoir Programme, Critical Response Team, or Planning & NPS workstreams (e.g how to most effectively fund a reservoir or how to ensure a mutli billion pound investment isn’t held up due to water related issues).

• Coordinating Defra’s input on major water infrastructure projects and supporting legislative/policy changes.

• Engaging with stakeholders including regulators, water companies, developers, and local authorities to unblock delivery challenges.

• Providing strategic advice and briefings to ministers on high-profile issues.

• Developing short-term and long-term policy solutions to enable growth and resilience.

• Driving improvements in planning frameworks and supporting updates to National Policy Statements.

Person specification

• Deliver complex projects on time and to a high standard.
• Analyse data and evidence to inform policy decisions.

• Build strong relationships across government, industry, and local authorities.

• Prepare clear, concise ministerial briefings and advice.

Essential Criteria

• Experience in one or more of:

• Property development

• Planning permission

• Water sector planning

• Environmental regulation

• Major infrastructure projects

• Strong understanding of infrastructure planning processes, including Development Consent Orders (DCOs) and National Policy Statements (NPS).

• Skilled in negotiating and resolving conflicts between Government, Industry and Local Authorities.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions

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, Ability and Experience.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a short verbal reasoning test.

After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Verbal Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application.

Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23:55 on 22nd January 2026. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

Do not leave completing the tests until the last minute in case you experience any access or technical issues. There may not be technical support available after business hours and after 2pm on the closing date of 22nd January 2026.

While the tests should work on most operating systems and modern browsers with a good internet connection, we cannot guarantee that every combination will work. At the beginning, the test will check which browser you are using, and alert you if it is likely to be incompatible.

It is highly recommended that you complete the online tests on a desktop computer, not a mobile phone or tablet.

If candidates are successful they will then progress to submitting a CV and short (250 word) personal statement.

Sift

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

Interview

If successful you will be invited to interview, where you will be assessed through a five minute presentation on your essential experience (more details will be sent in advance) and civil service behaviours (Leadership, Delivery at Pace, Communicating and Influencing & Making Effective Decisions).

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.

Sift dates: Commencing 22nd January 2026
Interviews: Week commencing 2nd February January 2026

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

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.

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.

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 : FandW.resourcing@defra.gov.uk
• Email : FandW.resourcing@defra.gov.uk
• Telephone : FandW.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