This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
You will be assessed on the following behaviours throughout the selection process: Empowering & inspiring leadership, Seeing the big picture, Communicating & Influencing and Delivery
Application Process
As part of the application process, candidates are asked to complete a CV and Personal Statement (no more than 1250 words) on how your relevant skills and experience meet the essential criteria. Completed applications must be submitted no later than the closing date of 23:55, Sunday 16th august 2026.
Sift
A sift will be conducted against the key criteria in the essential criteria and will assess your experience. Applications will be assessed by the selection panel and shortlisted. (please note: feedback is not given at the shortlist stage)
Assessment - Staff Engagement Exercise
This assessment will not result in a pass or fail decision. Rather, it is designed to support the panels decision-making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview.
Full details of the assessment process will be provided to shortlisted candidates at the earliest opportunity. For further information regarding the assessments please visit - https://scs-assessments.co.uk/
Interviews
You will be asked to attend a panel interview, in order to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the essential criteria for the role. As part of the interview, we may ask you to prepare and present a short presentation or undertake a practical desktop exercise. This will be confirmed in the interview invitation. We will also ask some strengths-based questions.
Interviews will be held face to face in London.
Informal chat
Shortlisted candidates will have the opportunity for an informal chat, further details will be provided to those who progress to this stage.
Reserve lists
A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months, which the Civil Service may use to fill future suitable vacancies across government for candidates who are considered appointable following interview.
Other Information
Please let us know what adjustments we can put in place to help you through the recruitment process if you are disabled.
Candidates who pass the interview criteria but are not offered a post may be kept on a reserve list for 12 months and may be offered similar roles across the department.
Defra is committed to name blind sifting. That means that identifying characteristics such as your name, gender, age, or address are removed from your application until after shortlisting for interview has taken place.
What are the Success Profiles?
The Success Profile Framework is being introduced to attract and retain people of talent and experience from a range of sectors and all walks of life, in line with the commitment in the Civil Service Workforce Plan.
For this role you will be assessed against Experience and Behaviours.
How we will assess experience:
We will be looking at your experience, career history and achievements that are relevant to the role.
Some of the assessment methods which will be used to understand your experience include:
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1250 personal statement and CV (2 pages max)
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Staff Engagement Exercise
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Final Interview
How we will assess behaviours:
We will be assessing a number of behaviours throughout the application process.
The behaviours that we will assess are:
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Leadership
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Seeing the big picture
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Communicating & Influencing
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Delivering at Pace
For more information about Success Profiles, please follow the link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles
Timeline
Please note that this timeline is indicative at this stage and could be subject to change. The anticipated timetable is as follows:
Application Closing Date: 23:55, Sunday 16th August 2026
Shortlisting Outcomes: W/C 31st August 2026
Assessments: W/C 7th September 2026
Interview: W/C 21st September 2026
Final Outcomes: W/C 5th October 2026
Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process as it may
not be possible to offer any alternative dates for assessments or Interviews.
Office Attendance
Successful applicants currently employed by the hiring Defra organisation for this post may choose to remain in their current contractual location or may choose to change contractual location to one of those listed above. This should be discussed and agreed prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.
The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.
Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD.
This role will require regular travel nationally and to London.
Reasonable Adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
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Contact Government Recruitment Service at: [email protected] as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
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Complete the assistance required section in the personal information page of your application form to provide information we should be aware of that will enable us to support you further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if youre deaf, a Language Service Professional.
What reasonable adjustments can be made if I have a disability?
Defra is a Disability Confident Leader and therefore part of the Disability Confident Scheme. For further information on the Disability confident scheme, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/disability-confident-campaign
If you have a disability defined by the Equality Act 2010, you are eligible to be considered for the Disability Confident Scheme. In order to qualify, you must have a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term negative effect on your ability to carry out normal day to day activities.
For further information regarding disabilities covered under the equality act please visit the website.
Further Information
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact: [email protected]
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
