Senior Environmental Analyst

Job summary

Do you enjoy working with scientific evidence, experts, universities, and research centres to understand environmental processes, changes and trends?
Can you summarise that information into 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 improve the natural environment. Established by the Environment Act 2021, our role is to hold government and public bodies in England and Northern Ireland to account. We do this in several ways including reporting on progress towards environmental commitments, advising on changes to environmental laws and receiving complaints from the public, which can lead to us investigations and taking enforcement action.

This role is based within the OEP’s Insights Directorate which leads on progressing our strategic objective of holding governments to account for delivery of environmental goals and targets, in accordance with Environmental Improvement Plans.

With a total staff of just over 80, we are a dynamic, friendly and flexible organisation covering both England, Northern Ireland, and environmental matters reserved to the UK government. We offer flexible working arrangements, including part time and job share 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 in England and DAERA in Northern Ireland which means it operates independently from Defra and DAERA. Our employees are public servants and as part of the benefits package, employees have the opportunity to enroll in the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

Job description

The scope of our work is broad and the OEP’s priority areas over the next three years are improving nature on land and at sea, clean water and effective governance; as well as developing our work on the circular economy and waste, chemical regulation, and soil health. Alongside analysing and commissioning scientific evidence on the natural environment, understanding policy is a key aspect of assessing how government is addressing its commitments and meeting its targets.

Through our Environmental Improvement Plan monitoring and reporting, we analyse and comment on government’s progress. We make recommendations on how progress could be improved across environmental goals, targets and plans. We also provide commentary and advice on the adequacy of environmental monitoring.

In addition to reporting on Government’s progress, Insights Directorate supports other OEP Directorates to deliver their specialist functions.

The successful candidate will be expected to work flexibly and contribute to analysis across a range of themes or subjects. Insights is a small team and there is ample opportunity to take on responsibility in a range of work areas.

Key areas we expect the role-holder will support include:

• Development of analysis across the range of policy areas in Environmental Improvement Plans, in order to provide an independent assessment of progress.

• Development of annual progress reports and methodological statements including authorship and review and quality assurance processes.

• Analysis and commissioning of evidence relating to science and policy to develop a robust basis for our scrutiny and reporting functions.

• Translation of science into policy relevant recommendations.

• Support the OEP’s finance, business planning and budget management activities, including helping Insights to plan and monitor resources, maintain clear forecasts, support proportionate reporting, and identify opportunities to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of financial and planning processes.

• Support wider specialist functions such as providing advice to Government and analytical support towards the monitoring of environmental law, reviewing complaints and when undertaking investigations.

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.

Person specification

• Degree level qualification in a relevant scientific or environmental discipline, or equivalent experience.
• Experience in the collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of evidence from a range of science and policy sources.
• Ability to think and operate at the science-policy interface, using the best available evidence to inform decision-making and recommendations.
• Experience in commissioning and managing external research projects to support science and policy analysis.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate complex analysis clearly and confidently, verbally and in writing for multiple audiences. In particular developing concise non-technical summaries.
• Experience of working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams and stakeholders, including coordinating inputs from external technical experts.
• Ability to identify risks to the delivery of key activities, and work with the wider team to manage and resolve them.
• Experience of supporting finance, business planning or budget management activities, including monitoring resources, maintaining forecasts, supporting reporting, and identifying practical improvements to planning and financial processes.
• Be a strong team player, with a flexible and adaptable mindset, able to work across a wide range of projects and change direction quickly in response to changing demands.
• Ability to take initiative and be highly proactive in progressing work as well as seeking review and steer on a regular basis.

In addition to the above, experience in the following areas is desirable though not essential.

• Integrated and cross-cutting assessments that analyse issues within and across the different areas of the environment and over past, present and future timescales.
• Synthesis of policy relevant science particularly in the areas of nature conservation, planning and engagement with the natural environment.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Collection, interpretation and presentation of evidence.
• Developing independent research and insights to inform analysis.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £42,665, Office for Environmental Protection contributes £12,360 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

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