Policy Adviser – Defra branch - Environment and NetZero

HM Treasury; Tees Valley; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A government department in the UK is seeking an individual to lead on environmental policy initiatives, engage with stakeholders from Defra, and oversee significant spending related to climate and environmental goals. This role does not require specific qualifications or prior policy experience; instead, it emphasizes values and motivation to contribute to the UK’s economic resilience. Excellent benefits are provided, including annual leave, flexible working patterns, and a generous pension scheme.

Benefits

25 days annual leave plus public holidays

Flexible working patterns

Generous parental leave packages

Defined Benefit pension scheme with employer contributions

Cycle-to-work scheme

Qualifications

• Demonstrate values of the organisation and motivation to work on key economic issues.
• Develop expertise within relevant policy areas.

Responsibilities

• Lead on the delivery of the Environment Act Framework and engage with Defra.
• Scrutinise and provide spending control for Defra’s green finance package.
• Promote HMT interests across multiple environmental policy areas.

Job description

Are you looking for a new and exciting opportunity to be at the heart of government policy making giving you the opportunity to lead and shape policy in several areas whilst in a supportive environment that encourages innovation, independent thinking and focus on delivering value for the UK taxpayer? If so, we’d love to hear from you!

About the Team

The Climate and Environment Team (CET) acts as the focal point for HM Treasury’s work on climate change, net zero and nature. The team leads on embedding domestic climate risk, net zero and environmental policy considerations into the work of the department. We work with teams in tax, spending, economics, trade, fiscal, financial services and financial stability to use the range of levers which Treasury controls to ensure the government has affordable and economically efficient plans to achieve its legal commitments under the Climate Change Act 2008 and Environment Act 2021.

We advance Treasury interests across some of the biggest policy opportunities and challenges facing the UK including climate mitigation and adaptation, decarbonising heat and buildings, water company regulation, waste sector reform, implementing England’s agricultural transition plan and reforming our domestic environment policy.

The team leads engagement with and spending control for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and works closely with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), Cabinet Office and No10 on the government’s overall climate change strategy and plan. We also support international colleagues in their efforts to galvanise global action on climate and nature.

About the

In this role, you will:

• Lead on the delivery of the Environment Act Framework and Defra’s contribution to net zero in line with HMT’s objectives. You will lead engagement with Defra to enable the economically efficient and affordable delivery of environmental targets and goals, as well as decarbonisation of Defra sectors within HMG’s carbon budgets, advising on fiscal and non-fiscal levers.
• Lead on a number of environmental policy areas including waste and circular economy, trees and peat, air quality, and biodiversity. You will identify and promote HMT interests across a range of policy areas, with spending responsibility for £100s of ms. This will involve developing and maintaining relationships with colleagues in Defra and across Whitehall, working through spending and/or policy issues with autonomy and advising HMT ministers.
• Lead on scrutinising and supporting Defra’s work to increase private finance into nature and adaptation. You will scrutinise and lead on providing spending control of Defra’s green finance package and engage with Defra green finance leads to support the mobilisation of additional private finance into nature to support delivery of environmental targets and goals.
• Responsibilities may evolve in response to business needs, and team members are expected to be flexible to respond to evolving work priorities.

About You

You do not need to be a policy professional, have any specific qualifications, or prior experience/knowledge of these policy areas to apply for this role. We are looking for people who have the right set of skills for the role, who demonstrate the values of our organisation, and who are motivated to come and work with us on a range of issues that are key to the UK’s economic prosperity and resilience. These are stretching posts that will require you to develop expertise within the relevant policy areas.

Some of the Benefits our people love!

• 25 days annual leave (rising to 30 after 5 years), plus 8 public holidays and the King’s birthday (unless you have a legacy arrangement as an existing Civil Servant). Additionally, we operate flexitime systems, allowing employees to take up to an additional 2 days off each month
• Flexible working patterns (part-time, job‑share, condensed hours)
• Generous parental and adoption leave packages
• Access to a generous Defined Benefit pension scheme with employer contributions of 28.97%
• Access to a cycle‑to‑work salary sacrifice scheme and season ticket advances
• A range of active staff networks, based around interests (e.g. analysts, music society, sports and social club) and diversity

For more information about the role and how to apply, please follow the apply link.

If you need any reasonable adjustments to take part in the selection process, please tell us about this in your online application form.