International Evironmental Negotiations Evidence Specialist

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

- 427884

**Salary**:

- £41,220 - £49,020
- National: £42,655 - £46,765
London: £46,060 - £50,495
In addition this role offers a non-pensionable, non-consolidated Specialist Skills Supplement of £3000 per annum (pro rata as appropriate).
For details of our pay on appointment policy, please see below under the heading ‘Salary’.
- A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

GBP

**Job grade**:

- Senior Executive Officer

**Contract type**:

- Permanent

**Business area**:

- DEFRA - Environment - International Biodiversity & Climate - International Science, Evidence & Analysis

**Type of role**:

- Analytical
Policy
Science

**Working pattern**:

- Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time

**Number of jobs available**:

- 1

**Contents**:

- Location
- About the job
- Benefits
- Things you need to know

**Location**:

- Bristol, London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, York

**About the job**:
**Job summary**:
In Defra, we deal with a vast range of issues that profoundly affect people’s lives. We are responsible for England’s environment, countryside and rural economy, the food and farming sectors and have a lead responsibility for protection from a wide range of natural threats and hazards. Defra is also an important international Department, and we leverage our domestic expertise and learning to drive transformational and systemic change globally.

Over the next five years, the International Biodiversity and Climate Directorate will work to deliver the Global Biodiversity Framework and its vision to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. This includes policy development and implementation, preparing legislation, Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme delivery, international negotiations, evidence and analysis, and engagement with national and international partners. Our work will enable you to develop a wide range of skills, with a particular emphasis on working collaboratively, influencing others and thinking creatively.

As part of the International Environment Negotiations Evidence Team, you’ll join a dynamic group of scientists and economists working to make sure the UK’s international environmental policies are built on the strongest possible evidence.

We work side by side with policy and negotiation colleagues to shape the UK’s voice in major global forums—from the Convention on Biological Diversity and the UN Environment Assembly to the Ramsar Convention, the G7, the G20, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Our aim is simple but powerful: to ensure the UK’s positions in these negotiations are informed, effective, and backed by world-class evidence.

To achieve this, we bring together a wide range of approaches: carrying out tailored evidence reviews and analysis, commissioning cutting-edge research, collaborating with external experts and funders, and influencing the agendas of multilateral organisations.

We also coordinate the UK’s engagement with the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services (IPBES). This includes organising its 12th Plenary meeting—an international event coming to Manchester in February next year—as well as a range of activities designed to amplify its impact and reach.

Joining this team means being at the heart of the UK’s efforts to tackle global environmental challenges—helping to turn evidence into real-world impact on the international stage.

**Job description**:

- ** Be a trusted advisor to negotiators and policymakers**. You will act as the main point of contact for one or more negotiating teams—anticipating evidence needs, providing clear analysis and advice, and keeping on top of policy developments. Depending on your expertise and the team’s priorities, this could mean researching and advising on proposed UN Resolutions or Decisions, shaping Ministerial Declarations, or providing input on documents under major agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity or the UN Environment Assembly.
- ** Shape the UK’s contribution to global science-policy platforms.**You will take the lead on aspects of the UK’s engagement with the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services (IPBES). This may involve drafting formal UK submissions, coordinating reviews across government, and ensuring that science-policy assessments are robust, accessible, and relevant to UK priorities. You’ll work on reports aligned with your expertise and interests—whether that’s the next Global Assessment or specialised work such as spatial planning and ecological connectivity.
- ** Represent the UK on the international stage.** You will take part in global science and policy forums as a negotiator on technical and scientific topics. You could be involved in shaping the future IPBES work programme, negotiating how its findings feed into the Convention on Biological Diversity, or tackling cross-cutting issues such as biodiversity