Senior Engagement Specialist - 35938

Your ability to work collaboratively, build trusting relationships, influence ways of working and maintain networks will be critical to success.

The environment that we work in can be ambiguous, changing and uncertain, therefore the role will require someone who is curious, resilient and can work autonomously.

Responding to incidents is a central part of what we do. You will be required to have an incident role and make yourself available to respond to incidents or provide business continuity support during an incident. This may attract an additional payment and full training and alternative working arrangements will be available to support you with your incident role.

Job Description

We are looking for a Senior Engagement Specialist to help support the Flood Investment Programme, and deliver our contractual requirements within commercial frameworks, by:

• setting engagement standards and expectations for our suppliers
• defining, reporting and managing engagement risk
• assuring engagement compliance and performance across the Flood Investment Programme
• encouraging consistency by developing and embedding engagement guidance and tools
• facilitating collaboration and engagement networks – sharing best practice and problem solving
• building relationships and providing a link between delivery teams, suppliers and leadership – sharing engagement data and insights to inform decision making
• operating strategically – looking for opportunities to mitigate engagement risks and implement mitigations once nationally, across the business.
  
  
  

Your ability to work collaboratively, build trusting relationships, influence ways of working and maintain networks will be critical to success.

The environment that we work in can be ambiguous, changing and uncertain, therefore the role will require someone who is curious, resilient and can work autonomously.

Responding to incidents is a central part of what we do. You will be required to have an incident role and make yourself available to respond to incidents or provide business continuity support during an incident. This may attract an additional payment and full training and alternative working arrangements will be available to support you with your incident role.

The team

The Strategic Engagement Team, within Flood and Coastal Risk Management, provides leadership, oversight and assurance of engagement across investment programmes. Working collaboratively, we enhance community and environmental outcomes by shaping engagement strategy and standards, building capability and consistency through networks, tools, advice and guidance. We support leadership and delivery teams with data and insights, to help decision making, risk management and the delivery/maintenance of flood and coastal assets, including nature-based solutions.

Experience/skills Required

You’ll be an experienced strategic stakeholder engagement specialist who:

• understands how to influence and take the lead in/manage discussions to ensure that stakeholder management, early engagement and collaborative advantage is built into programmes of work.
• understands how evaluation provides vital intelligence to continually improve efficiency, innovation and quality of engagement
• can spot stakeholder and engagement risks, issues and opportunities and uses evidence and effective communication to raise these with leaders and governance groups, shaping discussions and decisions on mitigations
• quickly forms and maintains relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Is confident facilitating meetings, running networks and empowering others, whilst managing expectations and understanding the boundaries you’re operating within
• operates strategically, considering the bigger picture and interdependencies before delivering
• is confident collaborating with others to make effective decisions that work within established processes
• is resilient, tenacious, adaptable and can work within ambiguous, uncertain, and changing situations.
  
  
  

Contact and additional information

We aim to be a diverse workforce reflecting the UK’s population, particularly welcoming applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, disabled, female and LGBT+ candidates. We offer a range of full, shared or part-time working arrangements.

As this is a national role, we encourage blended home and office working. Occasional travel is required.

Benefits include generous pension provision and leave entitlement. Our flexible working supports a healthy work/life balance. Excellent training and learning opportunities are available.

This role must be undertaken from within the UK and may qualify for sponsorship if certificates are available. Visit https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-immigration to seek professional advice regarding options for obtaining the right to work in the UK. For further information please contact: Lucy Payne, lucy.payne@environment-agency.gov.uk or Kirsty Hardy, kirsty.hardy@environment-agency.gov.uk

Competence 1

Influences and Persuades Others

Description

Competency description: Presenting a case in a convincing and attractive way that will win people over, encouraging them to follow plans willingly; often succeeding where logic and reason alone would fail.

Question: Describe a time when your communication and influencing skills helped shift someone’s perspective or decision. What approach did you take and how did you overcome barriers?

(Please be advised, this will be the lead competency for sifting if we get a large number of applications.)

Competence 2

Engages others

Description

Competency description: Plans, carries out and evaluates effective engagement with internal and external stakeholders following the ‘Working with others’ (or equivalent approach to plan, do and evaluate engagement)

Question: Describe a time when you developed and evaluated a strategic communication and/or engagement approach. How did you take into account factors that may have affected the way you engaged?

Competence 3

Takes Decisions and Solves Problems

Description

Competency description: Finds and delivers optimal solutions by effectively analysing all the information, probing to develop alternatives and taking sound and timely decisions.

Question: Describe a time when you identified a risk and collaborated with others to make a decision or solve the problem. How did you identify the best option, ensuring it worked with established processes and procedures?

If you are applying from the Civil Service please note that the Environment Agency is not a part of HM Civil Service and you would not be a Crown Servant in the event of being appointed. Therefore, you will not be eligible for continuous service. For applicants who currently work in local government or other bodies listed in the Redundancy Payments (Continuity of Employment in Local Government etc) (Modification) Order 1999, you may be eligible for continuous service for the purpose of calculating any future redundancy payment. If you are unsure of your status then you should contact your own HR Team.

We are fully committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. We welcome flexible working patterns for all our vacancies, including job share, so please include clearly any information regarding your preferred working arrangements on your application.

We also have a Guaranteed Interview Policy to support those with a disability who are seeking employment. We have committed to guaranteeing an interview to anyone with a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

The Environment Agency, as a Non-Departmental Public Body, is committed to providing value for money and utilises Central Government frameworks and contracts for all external recruitment needs. For this reason, we are unable to engage with the market directly through post, email or phone calls . Should you wish to become a support supplier on one of these frameworks or contracts please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/become-a-crown-commercial-service-supplier/becoming-a-supplier-through-the-crown-commercial-service-what-you-need-to-know for more information.