Environmental Analyst x2

Reference number: 361648
Salary: £31,863 – £34,381 – A Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of
27%
Contract type: Permanent – Fixed term – Secondment
Length of employment: One permanent post and one FTA or secondment post until March 2025
Working pattern: Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time

Job summary

Are you passionate about the environment?

Do you enjoy working with scientific information, experts, universities, and research centres
to understand the latest environmental evidence and trends?

Can you analyse and summarise complex evidence and information and prepare clear, accessible
reports for Ministers, Parliament, and the public?

If so, then we want to hear from you.

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

This role is in the OEP’s Insights Directorate which is the analytical centre of the
organisation. The scope of our work is broad and the OEP’s priority areas over the next three
years are improving nature, clean water and effective governance; as well as developing our
work on waste, chemicals, the marine environment and soils.

With a total staff of just over 70, we are a dynamic, friendly and flexible organisation
covering both England and 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.

Job description

The Insights Directorate 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.

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.

The role-holder will support the directorate in performing its full range of key
functions including:

• Monitoring, critically assessing, and reporting on government’s progress in improving the
  natural environment in accordance with the Environmental Improvement Plans in England and in
  Northern Ireland.
• Development and successful running of the organisation’s science evidence base and
  capability.
• Analytical input to executive briefings, advice to ministers and other statutory monitoring
  and reporting.

This could include supporting across several of the following activities:

• Publish a report to independently assess the government’s progress in delivering its
  environmental improvement plan and against environmental targets for England, making
  recommendations for improvement.
• Publish a report to independently assess the Northern Ireland executive’s environmental
  improvement plan, when in place.
• 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 as well as developing our work on waste,
  chemicals, the marine environment and soils.
• Develop and deliver a research programme to identify critical gaps in evidence and
  understanding of the natural environment, policy, and delivery plans.
• Support and develop our college of independent experts.
• Develop insights in delivering sustained environmental improvement across the marine,
  terrestrial, freshwater and air environments.

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.

The OEP work on a wide variety of issues at any given time, and we are looking for people who
are be able to work flexibly across multiple work areas, and who have the enthusiasm to help us
grow as an organization. If this sounds like something you would be interested in, we would
love you to get in touch.

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. Webinar
will be held on 19 August at 13:00-13:45. To attend the webinar please click on the following

link.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £31,863, Office for Environmental Protection contributes £8,603
towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

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. The OEP will pay for
one relevant profession membership per employee to support continuous professional development.

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 Healthcare plan and numerous other benefits and services.

Location and Office Attendance

All OEP roles are based in Worcester and/ or Northern Ireland. This role are based in either
Northern Ireland or Worcester.

All GB employees will be contractually based at the Worcester office. The OEP embraces a
blended working model and supports a combination of office and home working which will be
dependent on business need and individual circumstances. Our current office attendance approach
requires 40% attendance in one of the OEP offices or on official OEP business at offsite
meetings with partners and customers. This approach enables thriving workplaces to connect with
colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs balanced with personal
flexibility and choice.

If GB based, travel and subsistence will not be paid for travel to the Worcester office.

Employees based in Northern Ireland will be contractually home based. There will be an
expectation of travel to Worcester but this will be dependent on business need and individual
circumstances. As a guideline, it’s envisaged that travel to Worcester would be between 4 and 6
times a year, fully funded by the OEP. However, travel will be a 2-way commitment, with other
OEP staff members being expected to travel to NI at a similar frequency. Northern Ireland based
staff currently have access to a touch down space in Belfast to enable collaborative working.

Criminal Record Check

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to
Disclosure and Barring Service or Access NI on your behalf. However, we recognise in
exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If
you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by
emailing [email protected] stating
the job reference number in the subject heading.

Visa Sponsorship Statement

Please note that the OEP is not a UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License Sponsor
and is unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline
personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Closing date: 11:55 pm on Sunday 1 September 2024.