Number of jobs available: 1
Region: National
City/Town: All
Grade: Staff Grade 6
Post Type: Fixed Term
Working Pattern: Full Time, Part Time, Part Time/Job Share, Part Time Term Time, Compressed Hours
Role Type: Environment & Sustainability
Salary Minimum: £50,409 pro rata
Job description
Do you want to work for an organisation that values difference and includes everyone? Do you want to play a role in helping to ensure the estuarine and coastal environment is protected, restored and resilient?
Then the Environment Agency is the organisation for you!
We are fully committed to having an inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. We don’t just talk about diversity; we seek it, embrace it, and live it, for the benefit of our staff, our communities, and our environment.
We require a Senior Advisor, on a fixed term until 31 March 2025, to support our work under Defra’s ambitious Marine Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (mNCEA) Programme. The Programme aims to better assess England’s natural capital and transform environmental decision making.
You’ll lead on projects aiming to integrate natural capital assessment across our estuarine and coastal work and across the land and sea interface, enabling a catchment to coast approach. You will need to be able to translate complex data and evidence to influence and inform a non-technical audience and to encourage engagement at a local level with a wide range of stakeholders. Key to this will be building relationships with and engaging a range of nationally and locally focused stakeholders in different systems, to enable better integration of evidence and advice from source to sea.
We use smart tools to stay connected and reduce travel, but some travel and overnight stays may be required. We promote a positive, inclusive, and supportive culture where everyone feels valued.
Everyone that joins us is required to take up a secondary role in incident management. This may require undertaking relevant training. Having an incident role is an active way to support communities and prevent harm to the environment. Further information can be found within your candidate pack.
The team
You’ll join our Estuaries and Coasts Planning Team in our Environment and Business (E&B) Directorate. We provide leadership on the protection and restoration of our estuaries and coasts. We’re a dispersed team, working with others across the country.
In E&B we use evidence, expertise, and innovation to enhance and support delivery, influence policy, legislation, and secure resources. We steer the direction, set the priorities, and shape our approach to deliver environmental outcomes and improve regulation.
Experience/skills required
In your capability-based answers please demonstrate your:
- technical knowledge of estuarine and coastal environments
- understanding of the ‘natural capital approach’ and its role in decision making
- project leadership experience and independence in shaping and delivering results
- ability to understand complex scientific information and experience in using it to inform organisational approaches
- excellent communication skills, and ability to present evidence with clarity, conviction, and in briefing decision-makers
- credibility and experience in working with and influencing partners at a local and national level
- knowledge of marine policy, environmental regulations, the Environment Agency’s role and that of partners and stakeholders
- ability to work effectively with people from different backgrounds and cultures, and encourage others to consider diversity issues
You need to be educated to degree level or have relevant professional experience. You’ll have a range of development opportunities and training will be provided as required.
Contact and additional information
The role will be desk-based with no fixed location requirements, and can largely be fulfilled by remote working (hybrid of home / office) with some infrequent travel requirements for face-to-face meetings and events.
For more information about working for us and how to apply please read the Candidate Pack and Additional Information Pack.
If you have any queries about the role or working arrangements, please contact proudfoot@environment-agency.gov.uk.
Applications will be “blind” assessed using your answers to the competency questions.
Interviews will be held using MS Teams during late May 2024. You’ll be interviewed on both your scientific knowledge and competencies.
If you consent to be recruited onto a reserve list, we’ll hold your details for 6 months and we may offer you an alternative post.
Job description attachment 1
job profile – 28987.pdf – 189KB
Job description attachment 2
G6 ECP Additional Information Pack.pdf – 1155KB
Candidate pack
Candidate Pack – 28987.docx – 2044KB
Converted File Candidate Pack – 28987.docx.pdf – 553KB
Closing Date: 23/05/2024, 23:55 hours
Level of security checks required: Basic Check
Length of contract: Up to 31/03/2025
Competence 1: Achieves Results
Description
Guidance:
- Your answers to these questions will be used for interview selection. More information on how to answer competency questions can be found in the candidate pack. It is highly recommended that you read this before answering.
- Please consider the situation, task, action, and result (STAR) when structuring your answers.
- Please use an estuarine and coastal example for at least one of the competency responses.
Competency description: Sets and delivers high work standards, demonstrates the drive to meet targets. Prioritises and organises tasks and resources to ensure timely achievement of results.
Question: Giving a specific example, please describe how you have delivered a successful piece of work in the face of considerable challenges or obstacles.
Competence 2: Builds and Sustains Relationships
Description
Guidance:
- Your answers to these questions will be used for interview selection. More information on how to answer competency questions can be found in the candidate pack. It is highly recommended that you read this before answering.
- Please consider the situation, task, action, and result (STAR) when structuring your answers.
- Please use an estuarine and coastal example for at least one of the competency responses.
Competency description: Sets and delivers high work standards, demonstrates the drive to meet targets. Prioritises and organises tasks and resources to ensure timely achievement of results.
Question: Describe a situation where a key partner had disagreed with the direction of a project of work? How did you keep them on board?
Competence 3: Takes Decisions and Solves Problems
Description
Guidance:
- Your answers to these questions will be used for interview selection. More information on how to answer competency questions can be found in the candidate pack. It is highly recommended that you read this before answering.
- Please consider the situation, task, action, and result (STAR) when structuring your answers.
- Please use an estuarine and coastal example for at least one of the competency responses.
Competency description: Sets and delivers high work standards, demonstrates the drive to meet targets. Prioritises and organises tasks and resources to ensure timely achievement of results.
Question: What have you learned during your career about decision making? How have you applied that learning to your own decision-making process? Please give a specific example.
Competence 4: Shapes organisational approach & delivery
Description
Guidance:
- Your answers to these questions will be used for interview selection. More information on how to answer competency questions can be found in the candidate pack. It is highly recommended that you read this before answering.
- Please consider the situation, task, action, and result (STAR) when structuring your answers.
- Please use an estuarine and coastal example for at least one of the competency responses.
Competency description: Sets and delivers high work standards, demonstrates the drive to meet targets. Prioritises and organises tasks and resources to ensure timely achievement of results.
Question: Please give an example of when you led a piece of work that made an impact on an organisation’s policy or delivery approach.
If you are applying from the Civil Service please note that the Environment Agency is not a part of HM Civil Service and you would not be a Crown Servant in the event of being appointed. Therefore, you will not be eligible for continuous service. For applicants who currently work in local government or other bodies listed in the Redundancy Payments (Continuity of Employment in Local Government etc) (Modification) Order 1999, you may be eligible for continuous service for the purpose of calculating any future redundancy payment. If you are unsure of your status then you should contact your own HR Team.
We are fully committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. We welcome flexible working patterns for all our vacancies, including job share, so please include clearly any information regarding your preferred working arrangements on your application.
We also have a Guaranteed Interview Policy to support those with a disability who are seeking employment. We have committed to guaranteeing an interview to anyone with a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.
The Environment Agency, as a Non-Departmental Public Body, is committed to providing value for money and utilises Central Government frameworks and contracts for all external recruitment needs. For this reason, we are unable to engage with the market directly through post, email or phone calls . Should you wish to become a support supplier on one of these frameworks or contracts please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/become-a-crown-commercial-service-supplier/becoming-a-supplier-through-the-crown-commercial-service-what-you-need-to-know for more information.
