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Policy Advisor Remote

Alexander Mann Solutions for Public Sector Resourcing

Full Time Remote 10.56 - 12.04 GBP Today

Job description

Policy Advisor Water Services Inside IR35

Contract Term: 6-8 weeks

Contracting Authority: DEFRA (Floods & Water Directorate)

Location: Fully remote. Alternatively, there are hubs located in Bristol, London, Newcastle and York.

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. We have developed a set of three strategic objectives covering our policy outcomes and corporate objectives. These objectives help us to deliver our ambitious vision to build our green and healthy future and provide a framework for all the important work we carry out.

Our objectives are:

To pass on to the next generation a natural environment protected and enhanced for the future.
To lead the world in food, farming, and fisheries with a sustainable model of food production.
To be an outstanding organisation focused on making a difference, with world class delivery capability.

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (https://www.gov.uk/)

25 Year Environment Plan - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/)

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, sustaining a thriving rural economy, and supporting international nature, climate and biodiversity agendas.

Defra’s Environment Group is a friendly and collaborative group, working on some of Defra’s highest priority objectives. The group benefits from an inclusive culture and we are looking for candidates who can contribute to making this a welcoming and positive place to work.

Water is vital for life - clean, freshwater for drinking and sanitation, providing for farms and industry, creating and sustaining the ecosystems on which all life depends. Yet water is a finite natural resource, facing increasing pressures from climate change and population growth. Never before has political, media and public attention been focused on water as it is now. This brins a great opportunity.

Water is a top priority for the Secretary of State, who has been clear that we need to expand our capacity, at pace. Our work on water is high profile, exciting and important, and we have set out an ambitious forward agenda in our Environmental Improvement Planand our Plan for Water. The successful candidate will find themselves in a friendly, high-performing and inclusive Directorate, with a chance to make a personal and lasting difference to benefit people and the environment.

We have several roles available within Defra’s Floods and Water Directorate. We are a friendly, high-performing, and inclusive directorate, whose work has a real impact on people’s lives and the environment. The importance of our work attracts a lot of political and public interest. We will be running rolling recruitment for roles in the directorate, so this is an excellent opportunity to acquire some experience and make some connections if you are considering a future in Defra.

As a Policy Advisor (Water Services) your main responsibilities would be:

Briefing Ministers and senior leaders, orally and in writing.
Drafting responses to written correspondence.
Responding to Parliamentary Questions on your policy area.
Negotiating policy positions with other departments.
Helping draft consultations and official government responses.
Working with stakeholders and experts to design new policy interventions.
You may also have line management responsibilities for Higher Executive Officers and/or Executive Officers.

You’ll have relevant experience in:

Experience of working confidently on various aspects of the policy and legislative cycles including supporting the delivery of key policy outcomes.
Experience using analysis and information to develop and assess options for decision makers, drawing on expertise from others as required.
Excellent written and oral communication skills.
Evidence of working with varied teams or colleagues to deliver common goals.
Good strategic judgement to identify tensions and links between different areas of work and recognise where your work fits with wider organisational objectives.
Excellent task management and prioritisation.
Ability to work at pace to deliver with competing deadlines.

If this role sounds like something that you would be interested in, please click the link to apply.

Should you require reasonable adjustments at any point during the recruitment process or if there is a more accessible way for us to communicate, please do let me know.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following: this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

Job Type: Temporary contract
Contract length: 6-8 weeks

Benefits: