The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) are recruiting "talented and imaginative free thinkers" to help shape the UK’s post-Brexit farming policy.
Ministers at Defra are looking for "talented, imaginative, free-thinking and orthodoxy-questioning advisers" to help shape and implement agricultural policy after the UK leaves the EU.
The advert, on the government’s Civil Service Jobs website, states that the single most important quality that is being sought is a determination to use this "unfrozen moment" to leave the British environment in a "better state than it was inherited".
The department are looking for a six Policy Advisers (Grade 6) and two Senior Policy Advisers (SCS 1 Level) roles on two-year contracts to work within the Strategy Directorate.
As the UK leaves the EU, the roles are seen as an opportunity to enhance the work of the Defra group with additional thinking, which will provide a rich set of insights in how government policy affects farming.
Defra is the department most affected by the UK’s departure from the EU. The job advert says that because of this, there are "many exciting opportunities" to develop new and fresh approaches to policies which affect the lives of everyone, including food and the countryside.
The advert says: “The single most important quality we are looking for is a determination to use this ‘unfrozen moment’ to leave our environment in a better state than we inherited it.”
“Whether you are coming from industry, a think tank, another government department, an NGO or a different sector altogether, we want to hear from you.”
The appointments will be for a time-limited period of up to two years and will offer the ability to shape a specific policy area.
The advert explains that the roles will provide policy advice directly to Defra Secretary Michael Gove, have involvement with experienced policy professionals and an opportunity to shape the future of farming policy.
Applications close on 22-23 November. The Policy Adviser and Senior Policy Adviser jobs can be viewed on the Civil Service Jobs website.
