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Do you enjoy working with scientific information, experts, universities, and research centres to understand the latest environmental evidence and trends?
Can you summarise that information into clear, accessible reports for Ministers, Parliament and the public?
If so, then we want to hear from you.

The Office for Environmental Protection (the OEP) mission is to protect and improve the environment. Created by the Environment Act 2021, our role is to hold Government and public bodies to account. The OEP do this in several ways including reporting on progress against environmental targets, advising on changes to environmental laws and receiving complaints from the public which can lead to us taking enforcement action.

These roles are based within the OEP’s Insights Directorate which leads on progressing the OEP’s strategic objective of holding government to account for delivery of environmental goals and targets, and its plans for environmental improvement. Our remit is broad: we cover biodiversity, habitat quality, status of rivers and seas, air quality, as well as waste and resources.

Through our monitoring and reporting, we analyse and comment on government’s progress. We make recommendations on how progress could be improved across the goals, targets and plans. We also provide commentary and advice on the adequacy of environmental monitoring.

In addition to reporting on Government’s progress, the Directorate supports other OEP Directorates to deliver their specialist functions, including the investigation of environmental complaints and legal actions to hold public bodies to account.

With a total staff of just over 70, we are a small, dynamic, friendly and flexible organisation covering both England, Northern Ireland, and environmental matters reserved to the UK government. We offer flexible working arrangements, high profile, dynamic work and the chance to have an impact on improving the state of the environment.
To find out more about the OEP, what we do, who we are and our current work, visit the OEP website.

The OEP is a non-departmental public body sponsored by Defra which means it operates independently from Defra and is not part of the UK Civil Service. Our employees are public servants.

This is an unrivalled opportunity to join the OEP, and help us develop and grow in our crucial early years of existence, building on our impactful scrutiny over the last couple of years.

The successful candidate will be expected to work flexibly and contribute to analysis across a range of themes or subjects. We are a small team and there will be ample opportunity to take on responsibility in a range of work areas. The role-holder will undertake analysis tasks at the direction of Senior and Principal Analysts.

Key areas we expect the role-holder will support include:

• Publish a report to independently assess the UK government’s progress in delivering its 25-year environment plan and against environmental targets for England, making recommendations for improvement.
• Publish a report to independently assess the Northern Ireland executive’s progress in delivering its environmental improvement plan, when in place, making recommendations for improvement.
• Provide and publish advice to the Northern Ireland and UK governments on their Environmental Improvement Plans, goals and targets, as they are adopted or revised.
• Evaluate and report on the UK government’s approach to its required test of whether environmental targets will significantly improve the natural environment in England.
• Scrutinise government’s progress in areas the OEP has identified as priorities, this year in nature, water and environmental governance.
• Develop and deliver a research programme to identify critical gaps in evidence and understanding of the natural environment, policy, and delivery plans.
• Develop expert and independent panels to support our work.
• Develop insights in delivering sustained environmental improvement across the marine, terrestrial, freshwater and air environments.

To support these key areas, the role-holder will be expected to independently use a range of resources – for example, evidence and models published by arms-length bodies, non-governmental organisations, businesses, academic reports and peer reviewed journal articles etc.

The post holder will also be required to respond to ad-hoc requests for input outside of the annual reporting cycle, as directed by the Principal Analyst.

The post holder may also be required to support other team members in aspects of their roles as required, for example, organising meetings with stakeholders and specialists or providing analytical input to executive briefings, advice to ministers and other statutory monitoring and reporting.

The above list of job duties is not exclusive or exhaustive and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Information Webinars

We are hosting a webinar during the application period to provide potential candidates with the opportunity to meet the team, to find out more about the role and to ask questions. For more information, please visit the event page: http://oeprecruitment.eventbrite.com

Essential Criteria;

• Degree level educated in an environmental natural or social science, or equivalent experience.
• Ability to think and operate strategically, ensuring plans and activities reflect the broader political, economic, legal and social context.
• Use sound judgement and critical thinking to analyse and tackle complex issues, at pace.
• Experience in the collection, analysis, interpretation and presentation of evidence using quantitative and qualitative methods.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate complex analysis clearly and confidently both verbally and in writing for multiple audiences.
• Experience of working collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams and with stakeholders.
• Be a strong team player, with a flexible and adaptable mindset, able to work across a wide range of projects and change direction quickly in response to changing demands.
• Excellent organisational skills, a good planner and manager of own work, and ability to take initiative and be highly proactive in progressing work as well as seeking review and steer on a regular basis.

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Seeing the Big Picture

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

• Analytical skills: The ability to analyse and interpret information to identify gaps and recommend improvements.

Pension

The OEP offers a generous defined benefit, inflation-proof Civil Service Pension which is a valuable part of your total reward package. Upon joining the OEP, staff can opt to join the Civil Service Pension Scheme which, depending on salary, offers a personal contribution rate of between 4.6% and 7.35%, and an employer contribution rate of between 26.6% and 30.3%. There is also the option to join a partnership scheme. Full details and benefits of the options available to you can be found on the Civil Service Pension Portal.

Leave and Flexible Working

The OEP offers 25 days annual leave rising to 30 days over 5 years for all new entrants.

Additional paid leave is available where necessary to cater for a variety of situations including, but not limited to, family-related leave, volunteering days, exam and study leave, public duties and trade union activities. In addition, we offer a generous enhanced maternity leave, parental leave and shared parental leave policy.

The OEP is supportive of flexible working and has a flexible working policy to allow for variations in individuals working hours where this is compatible with business need.

Performance Management and In Year Bonus Scheme

The OEP is committed to promoting a high-performing culture for all employees. Performance and development management is key to developing trusting relationships between managers and employees so that they can be their best and thrive at work. Every individual will have a performance management plan which will be reviewed on a regular basis.

The OEP has a quarterly ‘In-year Bonus Scheme’ where individuals and/ or teams can be recognised for outstanding one-off contributions and achievements.

Learning and Development

The OEP is a learning organisation and strongly supports the continuous professional development of all employees through both personal and work related study.

Every employee has access to five days learning and development each year to support professional development. This could be through Civil Service Learning mandatory and voluntary learning, corporate inductions, staff events and welcome days as well as relevant professional qualifications and specific courses.

Staff Wellbeing

Staff wellbeing is extremely important and the OEP strives to provide access to numerous resources to aid the wellbeing of its employees. Current initiatives include:

• Access to the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) providing free and confidential 24/7 telephone advice and guidance to support employees with both personal and employment issues. This may include personal wellbeing, career development or legal matters such as landlord / tenant disputes.
• Access to an Occupational Health Service to provide a range of support service to help with the way you feel at work.
• Access to trained Mental Health First Aiders and wider Defra Group mental health first aid network and resources.
• Free access to Headspace, a mindfulness, meditation and sleep app.
• Access to a Financial Wellbeing Portal.
• Free eye tests and a contribution to glasses/ lenses if required for VDU use.

Salary Sacrifice, Discounts and SmartTech Benefits

All employees have access to the STaR, Reward Gateway an online platform providing access to hundreds of discounts, offers and cashback options with well-known retailers. They offer a SmartTech scheme, a Cash Heathcare plan and numerous other benefits and services.

Job contact :

Name :
OEP Recruitment
Email :
[email protected]

Recruitment team

Email :
[email protected]