Government Relations Senior Adviser - 32536

ENVIRONMENT AGENCY; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A government agency in the UK seeks a Government Relations Senior Adviser to enhance its reputation and manage stakeholder relationships. Ideal candidates will possess strong political judgment, an understanding of government processes, and experience in strategic engagement. This role involves working closely with senior leaders and leading national engagement initiatives. Flexible working arrangements are available, with a focus on delivering high-quality results under pressure. Applications are encouraged from a diverse range of candidates.

Benefits

Flexible working patterns

Diversity and inclusion initiatives

Guaranteed interview policy for applicants with disabilities

Qualifications

• Good political judgment and awareness are essential.
• A strong understanding of parliamentary and government processes is needed.
• Experience in engaging strategic activities is desirable.
• Ability to foster a network of contacts quickly.
• Flexibility in high-pressure situations is required.
• Strong written and verbal skills are necessary.
• Attention to detail and the ability to present information clearly.
• A good understanding of the environmental sector is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Protect and enhance the Environment Agency's reputation.
• Provide expert advice on stakeholder handling.
• Lead preparation for inquiries by select committees.
• Support local and national engagement campaigns.
• Maintain relationships with key stakeholders.
• Provide updates on relevant parliamentary processes.

Skills

Good political judgment and awareness

Understanding of parliamentary and government processes

Experience in strategic engagement activities

Ability to work with senior managers

Flexible approach and ability to meet deadlines

Excellent written and verbal communication

Attention to detail

Understanding of environmental sector

Job description

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Government Relations Senior Adviser – 32536

Number of jobs available: 1

Region: London, National

City/Town: London

Building/Site: DEFRA GRP MARSHAM STREET, SW1P 4DF

Grade: Staff Grade 6

Post Type: Fixed Term

Role Type: Business Management & Improvement

Working Pattern: Full Time, Part Time

Salary Minimum: £54,940 Pro‑ra

Closing Date: 17/12/2025, 23:55 hours

The Environment Agency (EA) is fully committed to having an inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. We don't just talk about diversity; we seek it, embrace it, and live it, for the benefit of our staff, our communities, and our environment.

Responsibilities

In this role you will protect and enhance the Environment Agency's reputation by working flexibly within the Government Relations team and responding to work pressures. The role works across the organisation, which may range from issues of flood risk, climate change, environmental protection and circular economy, planning to water resources and quality.

You may lead on the following areas of work:

• Support our work with ministers, politicians and our top stakeholders and partners.
• Maintain relationships with key departmental teams, including Defra.
• Provide expert advice on political and strategic stakeholder handling to Chair, Chief Executive, senior leaders, and the organisation.
• Lead on the preparations for the Environment Agency's input to select committee inquiries.
• Support local engagement with elected representatives and plan national engagement campaigns when appropriate.
• Maintain positive working relationships with internal and external contacts for sharing advice and intelligence.
• Keep the business updated on relevant parliamentary processes and sentiment.
• Play an active role in incident response, including during major flooding.

The role may entail line management.

The Government Relations Team

• Brings together the information from across the business to respond to parliamentary scrutiny mechanisms such as parliamentary questions, debates, select committee and ministerial briefings.
• Advises the business, including Areas, on political engagement and provides political intelligence.
• Oversees EA's sponsorship relationship with Defra.

Experience and Skills Required

• Good political judgment and awareness.
• A good understanding of parliamentary and government processes.
• Experience in delivering and advising on strategic engagement activities and campaigns. Experience in delivering engagement events is desirable.
• The ability to work closely with senior managers and foster a network of contacts, building rapport and relationships quickly.
• A flexible approach and the ability to deliver high quality work to tight deadlines and work well under pressure, knowing when to refer to colleagues for guidance and support.
• Excellent written and verbal skills.
• An attention to detail and capable of presenting information in a clear style and format.
• A good understanding of the environmental sector is desirable.

Contact and Additional Information

Please submit a maximum of 800 words to demonstrate how you meet each of the competencies listed below, answering the questions posed. Please send your completed application to [e-mail] by 17 December. Applications will be sifted by the recruiting manager and an independent reviewer outside of the line management chain. Interviews are not a required part of the EOI process but if there is more than one suitable candidate you may be invited to have a short discussion with the recruiting manager.

London is the preferred location for this post.

Any queries, contact [e-mail]. Applications are "blind" assessed using your answers to the questions asked. Interviews will be held via MS Teams within two weeks of the closing date.

Length of contract

Up to 6 months

Competence 1: Builds and Sustains Relationships

Building effective relationships with people inside and outside the organisation is critical in this role. Using examples, tell us how you go about doing this.

Competence 2: Manages Self

The work of the team can sometimes be highly reactive and variable, often with urgent deadlines. How do you manage yourself so that you are best placed to support your team and deliver results? Please use examples.

Competence 3: Influences and Persuades Others

In this role you will frequently need to convince colleagues that a particular course of action is right. Often they will be very senior colleagues. Drawing on examples please demonstrate how you go about doing this effectively.

Competence 4: Delivers Results Through Others

This is a busy role with multiple portfolios and you will need to deliver results for senior customers through your team and through colleagues across the organisation. Drawing on examples please demonstrate how you go about that.

Note for Civil Service Applicants

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.

Inclusive Workforce Statement

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.

Guaranteed Interview Policy

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.

Procurement and Supply Statement

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 for more information.

Artificial Intelligence Guidance

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Although the Environment Agency is a non-departmental public body sponsored by Defra, we subscribe to and align with the candidate guidance on the use of artificial intelligence found on the . Please review for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.