Location
Central London

Hours
Full Time

Salary
£81,000 per annum

About the Role
Join the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and play a pivotal role in shaping global environmental and development policy. Defra is responsible for England’s environment, countryside, rural economy, food and farming sectors, and leads on protection from natural threats and hazards. As an important international department, Defra leverages domestic expertise to drive transformational change worldwide.

As the International Nature, Climate and Development Deputy Director, you will lead the International Nature, Climate and Development Division, initially managing a team of approximately 25 staff, growing to 45 FTE by 2027. You will provide visible global leadership on nature finance (including blue finance from 2027), supply chains, and the bioeconomy, overseeing policy, strategy, and delivery programming.

Your responsibilities will include leading international nature finance policy, working with multilateral systems, businesses, and the private sector to increase the volume, accessibility, and equity of nature finance flows. You will develop and implement a nature finance strategy in collaboration with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), covering nature risk, natural capital valuation, and private investor engagement.

You will provide leadership and oversight of Defra’s valuing nature and sustainable agriculture Official Development Assistance (ODA) programming, managing approximately £300 million of live programming to ensure strong results, value for money, and alignment with Defra policy objectives, including leveraging private sector finance.

From April 2027, you will take responsibility for the international sustainable blue finance team and marine ODA programmes, managing a portfolio of approximately £315 million, primarily focused on East Africa, Small Island Developing States (SIDs), and South East Asia.

Additional duties include policy leadership on nature security, building on the Global Ecosystems Assessment, and guiding your team through organisational change.

Experience
- Strong leadership experience in a global, multilateral context with an understanding of political, economic, and financial systems related to the nature crisis.
- Proven track record working with partners across diverse cultural and geopolitical settings.
- Knowledge of green finance and international green finance architecture, including deploying ODA alongside private finance.
- Experience leading large, complex ODA portfolios with strong delivery, value for money, risk management, and oversight of diverse delivery partners.
- Ability to deliver at pace in a changing political context, managing risks in overseas delivery portfolios and leading teams through organisational change.

About you
- Strong interpersonal skills and empathy to build senior relationships across a range of contexts and organisations.
- Emotionally intelligent influencer and communicator.
- Excellent strategic thinker with sound judgement on deploying ministers and political capital to build bilateral relationships and influence multilateral systems.
- Ability to articulate a compelling global vision and encourage creativity, diversity of thought, and constructive challenge.
- Adaptable and resilient with excellent communication skills for impactful external engagement and holding delivery partners to account.
- Willingness to travel internationally.

Qualifications
- Understanding of government operations and international working environments.
- Experience relevant to international nature or climate finance and international development.
- Open to applicants from a wide range of backgrounds, including those who may not traditionally see themselves in the Senior Civil Service.