Senior Evaluator for Environmental Land Management (Science, Monitoring and Evaluation)

Environmental Land Management schemes are a core part of Defras Farming Directorate. They reward farmers and land managers for activities that deliver environmental benefits. ELM is a large and fast-paced area, bringing together policy, delivery and evidence teams to develop, monitor and evaluate the schemes.

We are recruiting a Senior Evaluator to join the Environmental Land Management Science, Monitoring and Evaluation team. The team is multi-disciplinary, with natural scientists, social scientists and analysts working together to understand how schemes are performing and how they can be improved. This role will strengthen our monitoring and evaluation capability, working closely with colleagues across the Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier schemes.

The team works at the intersection of government policy, land manager behaviour and environmental outcomes. We use a range of monitoring and evaluation approaches to assess scheme implementation, understand impacts on people and nature, and generate evidence to support policy development.

Staff are geographically dispersed and work in a mix of office and home-working arrangements. We use a range of digital tools to collaborate day to day across locations.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and capable Senior Evaluator with strong technical, communication and coordination skills. The post holder will lead and deliver monitoring and evaluation activity for the Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier schemes.

The role will contribute to the assessment of environmental outcomes, scheme impacts, value for money and participant experience. The evidence generated will help Defra understand whether schemes are delivering their intended benefits and inform future policy development.

The post holder will work closely with analytical, policy and delivery teams, and engage effectively with external stakeholders where needed, to support high-quality scheme monitoring and evaluation.

Responsibilities

The post holder will lead, coordinate and present analysis; develop monitoring and evaluation approaches; produce analytical outputs and technical documentation; manage projects and contracts; quality assure evidence; and present findings to influence policy design. They will also provide specialist advice in their areas of expertise.

• Develop, coordinate, quality assure and manage monitoring and evaluation of scheme outcomes, including progress against targets, alignment with scheme objectives and value for money.
• Conduct, coordinate and deliver monitoring and evaluation of scheme processes, including farmer and land manager experiences of taking part in schemes.
• Develop and maintain up-to-date knowledge of socioeconomic and environmental monitoring and evaluation approaches.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with policy teams, provide updates, run specialist evaluation workshops such as theory of change sessions, and sustain support for monitoring and evaluation activity.
• Work closely with economics, monitoring, social research, modelling and policy colleagues on responsive analysis and contribute to ministerial briefings where needed.
• Promote and share research, evidence and analysis across policy and delivery teams, the wider Department and other government departments so that learning informs current and future policy development.
• Manage externally commissioned monitoring and evaluation projects end to end, including developing specifications, drafting invitations to tender, overseeing delivery, managing budgets and performance, and providing technical leadership.
• Lead or oversee primary research activity where required, including research design, delivery and quality assurance.

Essential criteria

The following criteria apply to this role:

• A degree in a relevant scientific discipline, social science discipline, or equivalent professional experience.

• Specialist knowledge of, and experience in, socioeconomic research and/or monitoring and evaluation in one or more of the following areas: environment, food and farming or agriculture, nature restoration, nature-based solutions, or land use.

• Ability to lead a complex portfolio of work and manage priorities flexibly, maintaining long-term delivery while responding to emerging short-term demands.

• Experience of communicating complex research findings to diverse and non-specialist audiences using clear written, verbal and interpersonal skills.

• Experience of partnership working, negotiation and balancing competing priorities with strong attention to detail.

• Demonstrable knowledge of socioeconomic and/or environmental monitoring methods.

• Strong analytical skills, including evidence synthesis, qualitative and quantitative methods, and an understanding of economic research methods where relevant to monitoring and evaluation.

• Demonstrable knowledge of key environmental concepts such as ecosystem services and natural capital.

• Experience of commissioning and contract management.