SEO Economist roles

Job summary

Are you passionate about using analysis to improve people’s lives and the environment?

Can you work independently to lead analytical projects, communicate complex quantitative findings clearly to stakeholders, and manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment?

Do you have the strong quantitative and organisational skills needed to deliver high-quality analysis and develop expertise in the water sector, even without prior water experience?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

We are looking for four highly motivated and enthusiastic economists for a range of fast-paced and critical roles across Defra. This is a particularly exciting time to join the Defra group and play your part in delivering a once in a generation reform of sectors vital to the nation’s economic growth and prosperity. You will play an active role in shaping and delivering the Defra group’s priorities, working creatively and collaboratively with others to deliver excellent outcomes. Working with us will provide significant opportunities to develop your own skills and future career. If successful, you will join one of the following teams:

• Floods and Water Directorate lead the government’s work on the water system - water quality, water resources, floods protection and emergency response.
• Environmental Quality, Infrastructure and Planning Directorate support economics input across the Planning, Infrastructure and Permitting Division.
• EU and International Trade Directorate to deliver analysis to support HMG and Defra objectives related to the EU reset and wider trade.

Your personal qualities will be as important as your professional experience; and we welcome applications from all backgrounds. You must be passionate about using analysis to deliver better outcomes for our communities whilst also ensuring value for money. Knowledge of the sector isn’t required but a strong foundation in microeconomics (and macroeconomic for the EU and International Trade Directorate) will be essential. You will play an active role in working creatively and collaboratively with others to deliver excellent outcomes.

If you believe you have the skills and qualities we are looking for, then we would like to hear from you. The Defra group is dedicated to promoting equality and valuing diversity. We are committed to ensuring that every talented and hard-working person has the opportunity to rise to the top, whatever their background and whoever they are.

Job description

Floods and Water

Defra’s responsibility for water quality and availability has never been more important. This role is a fantastic opportunity to support high-profile economic work to make sure England’s water system delivers for people and the environment, working hand-in-hand with policy in a fast-paced environment where analysis has a significant impact.

The water environment faces multiple pressures from human activities, including intensive land use, pollution from agriculture, processing of wastewater, and water usage. Significant change is needed if we are to meet the government’s ambitions.

We are looking for experienced analysts to help deliver improvements to the regulatory model for water. These changes will help support measures to transform and integrate our water system, address sources of pollution and boost our water supplies through more investment, tighter regulation, and more effective enforcement. Examples of work include:

• Appraisal of policy options in line with the Green Book.
• Analysis to shape future legalisation and policy reforms with a focus on drinking water regulations, consumers bills and the water environment.
• Supporting modelling of consumer related issues including water bills.
• Analysis of measures to accelerate the roll-out of smart meters.
• Economic analysis to help improve the security and resilience of water supply through better mapping of assets, and safeguarding drinking water quality.
• Reviewing evidence on the impact of initiatives to reduce the risk and cost of flooding and applying this to investment and policy decisions.
• Supporting the development of a new appraisal and assurance framework for assessing investments in the water sector on a consistent basis.

Environmental Quality, Infrastructure and Planning

We are looking for an experienced economist to support economics input across the Planning, Infrastructure and Permitting Division. This is a high-impact role at the heart of the government’s growth agenda.

• Lead Environmental Regulator (LER): A business case covering future piloting and the scale-up phase of the LER pilot programme for Defra and ALBs.
• Planning & Infrastructure: A business case for the digital programme and other reforms as required.
• Environmental Permitting Regulation: Provide analytical input for multiple reforms currently being scoped to improve the environmental permitting system, some of which will potentially require legislative change.
• Options analysis and appraisal of future reforms to environmental planning regulation.
• Collaborate with the economic advisers in the division, who will task manage you across the range of policy areas, and with other analytical colleagues in the division.
• Plan ahead to secure the resource required to deliver high quality analysis for priority work.

EU and International Trade

We are looking for an experienced economists to deliver analysis to support HMG and Defra EU reset and wider trade objectives. These are high profile, fast paced roles, central to the delivery of departmental and wider government priorities.

• Manage analytical projects to deepen the evidence base underpinning decisions related to EU and broader trade negotiations and decision making.
• Produce robust, high-quality analysis and evidence that are well structured and properly quality assured.
• Develop innovative approaches to analysis, looking for opportunities to do things differently and more efficiently.
• Collaborate across Defra and Whitehall on the development of analysis, maintaining effective relationships.
• Work flexibly across the team, to support the development on high priority analysis in a very fast paced policy environment.

There will be a drop-in session held via MS Teams at 11:00 on Thursday 19th March where you will have the opportunity to ask any questions that you have relating to the roles. This can be accessed via the link below:

Microsoft Teams meeting

Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/32020428615724?p=CLZiwSJzVFboDAAHaw

Meeting ID: 320 204 286 157 24

Passcode: 32UR99qn

Person specification

You will be a badged economist with experience working in government policy and/or delivery environments. You will be experienced in delivering high quality and often complex analysis to demanding timelines, balancing robustness and pragmatism where necessary.

You will meet the skills and experience requirements at SEO level for the Government Economic Service.

You will display excellent interpersonal skills, with the credibility to influence and challenge effectively to gain consensus with colleagues on complex, fast-paced policy and delivery. You will display excellent verbal and written communication skills, and the ability to present complex technical analysis to a diverse, often non-specialist, audience. With exceptional collaboration skills, you will confidently engage to build constructive relationships within your own team and with colleagues across the Department and externally.

In these posts you will:

Take responsibility for delivering a wide variety of analytical projects.

Be highly collaborative, working closely with other analytical and policy teams in

Defra, other Whitehall departments, Arms Length Bodies and industry.

Demonstrate the ability to communicate complex research and analysis into meaningful advice, informing and influencing policy or delivery decisions.

Balance multiple objectives, prioritising your time accordingly, managing expectations where necessary and be willing to work flexibly across priorities.

For the water and planning roles, the successful candidate to hold basic security clearance. For the EU and International Trade roles, the level of security clearance needed is security check. 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 based on merit. Security vetting will only take place after the receipt of a job offer.

Qualifications

Must meet Government Economics Service (GES) profession pre-requisites.

Memberships

The successful candidate will either be a member of the Government Economics Service (GES) or eligible to apply.
The requirements of GES at SEO are in this document: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ges-technical-framework-2022

Behaviours

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

• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Technical skills

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

• Government Economic Service (GES) Technical Framework - Application of Knowledge: Applying Economic Theory and Analysis and Deliver Economic Analysis
• Government Economic Service (GES) Technical Framework - Effective Communication: Communicating Analytical Findings
• Government Economic Service (GES) Technical Framework - Analysis of Data

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, Experience and Technical skills.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and a Personal Statement Your Personal Statement should be no more than 750-words and detail evidence of how you meet the Essential Skills and Experience as noted in the Person Specification section of the job advert.

Your CV should include your job history and full qualification details. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

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.

If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on Behaviour and Technical based questions.

Your interview will be conducted via MS Teams.

A presentation may also be included in the interview that will assess your knowledge of the Government Economic Service (GES) Technical framework. Details of which will be sent out in advance of the interview.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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