International Biodiversity

**Details**:
**Reference number**:

- 324555**Salary**:

- £25,915 - £30,402- National: £25,915 - £27,116 London: £29,082 - £30,402 For details of our pay on appointment policy, please see below under the heading ‘Salary’.- A Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%**Job grade**:

- Executive Officer**Contract type**:

- Permanent**Business area**:

- DEFRA - Environment - International Biodiversity & Climate - International Advisory Panel for Biodiversity Credits Secretariat**Type of role**:

- Administration / Corporate Support**Working pattern**:

- Flexible working, Full-time, Job share**Number of jobs available**:

- 1Contents

Location

About the job

**Benefits**:
Things you need to know

Location
- Bristol, London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, YorkAbout the job

**Job summary**:
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, sustaining a thriving rural economy, and supporting International nature climate and biodiversity agendas.

We are a dynamic and friendly directorate, offering varied and rewarding roles with the opportunity to make a real difference to the long-term future of our planet. We are focussed on driving a shift to a nature-positive world: reversing biodiversity loss, restoring ecosystems, tackling climate change and contributing to global poverty reduction. Examples of work our include:

- Negotiating, agreeing and delivering effective global frameworks for protecting and promoting nature and biodiversity through the UN system and multilateral environment agreements
- Protecting endangered plants and animals from the threats of international trade
- Mobilising finance for nature and shifting the international finance system to be nature positive
- Promoting a move to sustainable supply chains and production to end commodity driven deforestation and reduce the UK’s global environmental footprint
- Supporting developing countries to achieve positive impacts on climate, biodiversity, health and poverty through Official Development Assistance (ODA) funds

**Job description**:
Working in a Business Support role for the Deputy Director and their team, you will be responsible for providing comprehensive support to one (or more) deputy directors, making sure their divisions in the IBC Directorate run effectively and efficiently. The role will be to provide Executive Assistant support to the Deputy Director and Business Support to them and their wider team. In many instances you will be the first point of contact for the Deputy Director and their team. This team is delivering an exciting new international initiative and you may be working with people in other countries and timezones. Some of the activities that this role will be delivering include:

- Organisational support and ensuring the smooth running of the Deputy Director’s day to day business and engagement across the Division, creating activity and project trackers as appropriate
- Managing all meetings and diary requests for the Deputy Director/s and any associated meetings they are chairing/organising
- Working with Deputy Directors to ensure they are adequately prepared for meetings (e.g. preparing briefing packs)
- Providing expert insights to the Deputy Director’s preferences in terms of time and workload management, working with multiple contacts to ensure that expectations are met
- Maintaining membership lists for several working groups and providing administrative support for their meetings such as managing the circulation of invites, agendas and papers and proactively monitoring RSVPs
- Support with maintaining online filing systems to facilitate effective knowledge management across a multi-location team
- Logistics support including booking meeting rooms, travel and accommodation for Deputy Director and wider team as appropriate
- Proactively working with colleagues internally and across Government on delivering other tasks, actions and commissions, ensuring successful and timely delivery as requested
- Working effectively as a member of the wider Executive Officers Team supporting colleagues through sharing of experience best practice and providing cover when required

This is not an exhaustive list but gives a good feel for the role. You may be asked to work flexibly and deliver work outside of the above job description to support the Deputy Director as well as the wider team. There is an opportunity for the successful post holders to shape their role and to contribute to team and directorate level initiatives.** **In this role you will be an important member of the wider team who will both support you and rely on you as a valuable colleague. Further you will be expected to promote civil service values and will be encouraged to take part in directorate and department-wide initiatives.

**Person specification**:
Key responsibilities