JOB SUMMARY

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has a number of Higher Executive Officer (HEO) Policy Advisor vacancies across various directorates.
We are holding drop-in sessions to give candidates the opportunity to speak to Policy professionals from Defra and to find out more about the work we do. Please note that if you join a session using your personal Microsoft Teams account, your name and email address may be visible to other attendees. To maintain privacy, we recommend signing out of your account and joining the session as a guest.
Thursday 28th August 10:30 - 11:00
Thursday 04th September 14:00 - 14:30
In the Defra group, we deal with a vast range of issues that profoundly impact on people’s lives. We are responsible for England’s environment, our countryside and rural economy, the food and farming sectors and have lead responsibility for protection from a wide range of natural threats and hazards. Your role will be critically important to achieving our vision of ‘creating a great place for living’.
Would you like the opportunity to develop your own skills and future career?
As a Policy Advisor you will be part of a team who work with a range of both internal and external stakeholders. You will contribute towards the drafting of policy and strategy that support Defra’s key priorities. This means that you may develop specialist expertise and work across a small portfolio area. Alternatively, you may develop a more over-arching knowledge of a wider range of topics.
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.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Our policy areas are each split into Directorates, work-streams and projects that combine flexibly to deliver on Ministerial priorities.
As a Policy Advisor you will support your team to deliver against the directorate’s policy objectives. You will be responsible for supporting policy development, working with stakeholders to achieve outcomes, and contributing towards the drafting of policy and strategy papers.
The successful candidates will need to be flexible in light of changing Ministerial priorities. In addition, the post holder may be asked to provide support on wider Departmental/Directorate priorities as needed.

As a Policy Advisor your responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

• Supporting your team on a variety of work such as planning, policy development and quality assurance.
• Owning aspects of policy delivery, including management of risks and issues.
• Drafting and coordinating high-quality communications, including briefings and ministerial correspondence.
• Contributing to the development of legislative documentation, such as fact sheets, speaking notes and Bill documentation.
• Managing relationships with stakeholders, internally and externally.
• Performing secretariat functions for key networks and groups.

While there are currently 15 roles available for this vacancy, we aim to establish a reserve list of successful candidates. Those placed on the reserve list will remain eligible for appointment for up to 12 months. Offers of employment will be made in merit order as vacancies arise across relevant business areas.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Your personal qualities will be as important as your professional experience; and we welcome applications from all backgrounds. 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 having a diverse workforce which represents people in our communities and an inclusive culture where everyone feels they can be their authentic self at work, belong in the organisation and can speak up to challenge. We want everyone to be able to contribute to the success of our organisation, regardless of your background.
For this post you will be assessed on the areas set out below.

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)
• 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

As a Policy Advisor your responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

• Supporting your team on a variety of work such as planning, policy development and quality assurance.
• Owning aspects of policy delivery, including management of risks and issues.
• Drafting and coordinating high-quality communications, including briefings and ministerial correspondence.
• Contributing to the development of legislative documentation, such as fact sheets, speaking notes and Bill documentation.
• Managing relationships with stakeholders, internally and externally.
• Performing secretariat functions for key networks and groups