We are immersed in an exciting period of change. At the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) our work ranges from supporting the UK’s world-leading food, farming and fishing industries to protecting the environment and providing robust defences against natural threats. Leaving the EU will fundamentally transform the work we do and how we deliver it. We are embracing this opportunity to become even more efficient, focused and innovative. Join us, and you will be at the heart of this change - helping us to secure a more sustainable future for the UK.

Taking on a wealth of fascinating policy challenges, you will:

• Use evidence and expertise to contribute to the drafting of policies and strategies that will support the UK’s exit from the European Union, affecting both the immediate and the long-term future.
• Become a specialist on one specific policy area, or develop a more broad oversight on several linked policy areas in one of the following teams: Agri-Food Chain; Animal and Plant Health and Welfare; Biosecurity and Food Projects; Environmental Regulations; EU and International Trade; EU Exit Domestic and Constitutional Affairs; EU Exit Overview; Future Farming and Countryside; Marine and Fisheries or Strategy. 
• Work flexibly, adapting according to the changing needs of your tasks. Seeking out and analysing the most current information, you will alert senior colleagues to any issues that may affect the intended outcomes of your policy area, and suggest ways to address these challenges.
• Build mutually beneficial relationships with a broad array of internal and external stakeholders including Directors, Ministers, industry bodies, non-governmental organisations and UK citizens.

This is a unique opportunity to join a forward-thinking team, and learn from experienced colleagues. You will therefore excel in the role if you have excellent written skills, with the confidence to make effective decisions in a fast-paced environment. As a team player, you will be keen to support your stakeholders, and you will share our ambition to constantly improve the service we offer. While specific policy experience is not essential, you will have a track record of quickly getting to grips with complex challenges, in a role in which you have taken a creative approach to achieving your objectives. Naturally, you will show excellent planning and prioritising skills, with the ability to understand the risks that may arise from your understanding of a situation. With plenty of initiative and the capacity to self-manage your own workload, you are comfortable analysing research from a variety of sources (social, policy and quantitative).

Candidates who are interested in this opportunity will be assessed against the ‘Success Profile Framework’ in which your suitability for the role will be matched against a variety of elements. This flexible framework is the new and improved application process for all civil service roles, and will look at your ability to perform the role, your relevant experience, your strengths and behaviour, as well as your technical skills, knowledge or qualifications.

We aim to support the professional and personal wellbeing of everyone in Defra. Our benefits include generous annual leave, a contributory pension, staff bonuses and recognition, salary sacrifice benefit options, and an employee discount scheme. We also offer flexible working and a variety of learning and development opportunities.