253 Jobs in Yorkshire and the Humber

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity to join a professional Human Resources (HR) team, striving to provide a continually improving service to our customers.Defra Group HR function provides an expert service to Defra, the Environment Agency, the Rural Payments Agency, Natural England, and Animal and Plant Health Agency.

Our aim is to create a more efficient, effective and unified HR function across the Defra group and to make it easier and simpler for our customers to do business with us. Defra's landscape is fast moving and there is a need for a high performing HR function that can keep pace and support those changes. Defra’s work has a profound impact on people’s lives, and this role is key to supporting Defra’s long-term vision which focuses on ambitious outcomes, efficient working, and thriving people. You will play an important part in helping Defra attract and secure people with the capabilities and specialist knowledge and experience to help deliver our ambitious agenda.

This post sits within Defra Group HR Resourcing Operations. We are a busy team with a varied workload, supporting and educating business colleagues in all things Resourcing. We also support each other, and take the wellbeing of our team seriously. In addition to providing a responsive and expert service, we encourage a team culture of openness, proactivity and approachability

Job description

The Resourcing Advisor plays a pivotal role in delivering a high-quality, candidate-focused recruitment services across the organisation. This position supports the end-to-end delivery of recruitment campaigns, advises stakeholders on best practice, and ensures all activity aligns with Civil Service recruitment principles and organisational objectives.

Working closely with Resourcing Managers, Resourcing Business Partners, and Vacancy Holder's, the Resourcing Advisor ensures smooth, timely, and effective recruitment and onboarding processes while continuously seeking opportunities to improve the candidate experience and providing an excellent customer service.

We are looking for resilient, focused, proactive and adaptable individuals who are organised and efficient in their approach to tackling problems.
We are looking for someone who works well in a team and can balance a varied workload and deal with demands from multiple stakeholders effectively. You will need to be able to deal with a degree of ambiguity but have the confidence to challenge processes and responses where appropriate.

This role offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to meaningful work that supports the development of a diverse, capable, and engaged workforce across Defra Group.

As part of your role you will:

• contribute to the planning and delivery of high-quality recruitment campaigns and other resourcing activity.
• provide high quality expert advice to the business and to support on specified
  aspects of resourcing.
• coordinate information to/from business areas relating to recruitment activity and the end-to-end recruitment process.
• be responsible for onboarding recruitment activity.
• champion best practice customer service and experience through continuous
  improvement activity using the tools and systems available.
• contribute to the development and implementation of a range of resourcing
  initiatives and specific projects within agreed timescales and appropriate standards to support the delivery of Defra Group business objectives.
• contribute in supporting the use of contingent labour – ensuring appropriate sourcing, compliance, and value for money.
• contribute to job evaluation processes, helping ensure roles are accurately defined and assessed in line with organisational frameworks.
• support the development and promotion of Defra’s employer value proposition.

The Resourcing Delivery team manages high volumes of recruitment and works with both candidates and stakeholders across and outside the Defra Group to deliver an efficient, customer focused, professional resourcing service.

We are looking for candidates who are passionate about looking after customers, in addition to resourcing the best talent into Defra Group.

Person specification

To be successful as a Resourcing Advisor within Defra, we are looking for you to be able to evidence the following:

Essential Skills and Experience

• Strong organisational and time management skills, with the ability to coordinate and manage multiple recruitment campaigns and competing priorities simultaneously while maintaining high standards of delivery.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence to advise, challenge, and influence stakeholders at all levels. Able to build effective working relationships and communicate clearly and professionally to achieve positive outcomes.
• A strong customer and candidate focus, demonstrating empathy, professionalism, and a commitment to fairness, inclusion, and quality throughout the recruitment process.
• Sound judgement and effective problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify issues, assess options, and implement practical solutions. Demonstrates a proactive approach to continuous improvement and resolving challenges efficiently.
• High attention to detail, ensuring accuracy in written communications, recruitment documentation, data management, and record-keeping.
• Strong teamworking and collaboration skills, with the ability to share knowledge, support colleagues, and contribute positively to collective objectives while maintaining effective stakeholder relationships.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams, with the ability to use these tools effectively to support recruitment and administrative activities.
• Familiarity with Civil Service recruitment processes, including the Civil Service Recruitment Principles and Success Profiles framework, with a commitment to delivering recruitment activity fairly, consistently, and in line with policy requirements.

Behaviours

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

• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £29,715, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £8,608 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, Strengths and Experience.

Application

As part of the application process you will be asked to provide a CV and Personal Statement.

The CV should cover your previous employment history.

The Personal Statement should be no more than 750 words and demonstrate how you meet the essential skills and experience criteria outlined in the person specification section of this job advert.

Sift

The indicative programme is below but please note that these dates may be subject to change. You will be informed at the earliest opportunity if any changes are required.

• Deadline for submission of applications - 2nd August
• Sift week commencing - 3rd August
• Interviews to be held during week commencing - 17th of August

Interview

If successful at the application stage, you will be invited to an interview via MS Teams where you will be assessed on the behaviours and strengths listed, and your experience.

There will be an In-Tray exercise during the interview to test Experience. Details will be provided at the start of the interview and candidates will get an allotted amount of time to review the scenario(s), feedback to the panel and answer any follow up questions.

Please note that interviews via video use Microsoft Teams and you will need to use your device to access the video link.

The following Behaviours & Strengths will be assessed at interview/ Test

-Managing a Quality Service

-Communicating and Influencing

-Working Together

You will receive a link to join the interview at the appointed time through the email account you provide us with on your application.

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.

Location

As part of the pre-employment process, successful candidates will agree a contractual workplace from the locations listed in this advert. This agreed location will become their substantive and permanent place of work.

Where the location is listed as ‘National’, the successful appointee must discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location before pre-employment processes begin, in line with Defra’s location policy and site capacity.

Time spent at a workplace for this post must meet the Civil Service expectation that at least 60% of working time is spent in an organisational workplace, with the remaining time worked flexibly from home. Workplace time may include other organisational sites, field-based operational locations, and supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement aligned with common Civil Service expectations.

Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will follow departmental travel and subsistence policies. Employees are responsible for travel costs to their contractual workplace.

The successful candidate must carry out all duties from within the UK and cannot work 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

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.

Merit Lists

Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location.

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 the 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.

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

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 5year 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.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).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 : Cat Bainbridge
• Email : Cat.Bainbridge@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

Attachments

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