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.

Supporting us in a key moment in time as we prepare to leave the European Union, you will be instrumental in delivering the changes needed to secure the future success of the farming industry. As a representative of the project and programme profession, you will:

• Develop and deliver a 10-year transformation strategy which will enhance the future quality of farming and the related environment, and improve the performance of the sector.
• Take line management responsibilities a large number of pivotal teams involved in organisational change including Policy, Project Delivery, Farmer Readiness, Organisational Readiness, Communications and Engagement, Learning and Development, Change Management and Culture Change.
• Use new agricultural policy and governance to get the market sector ready for the changes it faces, working flexibly to adapt your strategies to accommodate the opinions of stakeholders.
• Build the relationships necessary to implement these changes, including those between Government, the farming sector and private industry. This will include working with Arm’s Length Bodies and Executive Agencies.
• Ensure sector and organisational operating models are ready to support these widespread changes. As such, you will work with the Programme Director to bring these workstreams together, and to prepare key Defra stakeholders for the necessary transition, seeing to it that they remain engaged throughout the process.
• Work innovatively to identify potential clashes in approach, ensuring that change activity is integrated so that disruption to the service is minimised.

This is a fascinating role with the scope to drive great changes for the farming sector. You will therefore excel in the team if you have outstanding communication and strategic influencing skills with good emotional intelligence and the capacity to build partnerships that will remove barriers and drive a sector-wide culture of collaboration. Results-focussed with good analytical capabilities, you will be comfortable using economic and social research to identify and respond to key market changes. As such, you will have a senior-level background in business change or transformational delivery in a public or private sector organisation. With a good knowledge of consultation and engagement in the public domain, you will have a comprehensive understanding of core transformation methods. Fluent in the policy delivery lifecycle, you will understand the nuances of navigating Whitehall, and you will be comfortable leading in a period of ambiguity.

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.