Isaac Verkaik

Water Strategy, DEFRA

London, England, United Kingdom

About

A Strategy lead in Defra's Delivery Unit (DU), responsible for ensuring that policy teams deliver the Secretary of State’s key priorities. The DU provides the Secretary of State independent advice and evidence to inform decision-making and assure delivery. I am the Strategy lead for the Department's water priority. I have previous experience across Civil Service: Delivery, policy development, Government regulation, legislation, leadership, project management and analysis.

Experience

  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Full-time · 4 yrs 1 mo)
    • Team Leader, Water Strategy
      Oct 2025 - Present · 9 mos

      Following publication the Government's Water White Paper - A New Vision for Water - my team own cross-cutting themes and strategic priorities across future water reform.

    • Strategy Lead - Secretary of State’s Delivery Unit
      May 2024 - Feb 2026 · 1 yr 10 mos

      Grade 7 Strategy lead in Defra's Delivery Unit (DU), responsible for ensuring that policy teams deliver the Secretary of State’s key priorities. The DU provides the Secretary of State independent advice and evidence to inform decision-making and assure delivery. I am the Strategy lead for the Department's water priority.

    • Team Leader, Water Policy
      Mar 2024 - May 2024 · 3 mos

      Policy specialist in water, water services and government regulation of water. Working closely with the water companies and industry regulators - Ofwat, the Environment Agency and the Drinking Water Inspectorate - to improve outcomes for customers and the environment.

  • Cabinet Office (Full-time · 2 yrs 10 mos)
    • Transformation Lead, Corporate Services
      Sep 2021 - Jun 2022 · 10 mos

      Supporting the Deputy Director for Transformation in Cabinet Office HR, this is an engagement and project management role, working closely with Cabinet Office Strategy and across corporate services. Senior Executive Officer.

    • Policy Adviser, Registration Policy Team
      Oct 2020 - Sep 2021 · 1 yr

      Working in the Registration Policy Team, I led on the Electoral Registration element of the "Overseas Electors" policy, a 2019 Manifesto commitment to introduce "Votes for Life", getting rid of the arbitrary 15-year limit on their voting rights. In this role I led on the development of Overseas Electors legislation, preparing this Policy, and supportive documentation (Equalities Impact Assessment and Explanatory Notes) for inclusion in the Elections Bill. The Elections Bill was introduced to Parliament in July 2021.

    • Diversity and Inclusion Lead
      Sep 2019 - Oct 2020 · 1 yr 2 mos

      The Cabinet Office Diversity and Inclusion team support the Permanent Secretary in shaping the Cabinet Office to be more reflective of modern Britain, and to contribute to the Civil Service ambition to be the most inclusive employer in the UK by 2020.

  • Recruitment Assistant at Open Society Foundations
    Jun 2018 - Sep 2018 · 4 mos

    Summer Internship as a Recruitment Assistant at Open Society Foundations.

  • University of Bristol (2 yrs 9 mos)
    • Student Recruitment Ambassador
      Sep 2016 - Aug 2018 · 2 yrs

      We are required to inspire and encourage students from all backgrounds to come to University. Roles include: attending educational fairs, UCAS events and school across the country, promoting the University, encouraging and inspiring prospective students.

    • Biomedical Science Ambassador
      Jan 2018 - Apr 2018 · 4 mos

      As part of the Outreach Inspire Roadshows, Biomedical Science Ambassadors target primary and secondary schools in the south and west of the UK. The roadshows are aimed at informing and inspiring young students, in the hope that they will consider pursuing a career at University, especially in the biomedical sciences. We aim to encourage widening participation and therefore will visit state schools with lower university attendance records. The roadshows provide hands-on, interactive science activities that supplement their curriculum knowledge and inspire a new generation of scientists.

    • Science Communication & Engagement Internship- Plant Science.
      Jun 2017 - Sep 2017 · 4 mos

      Research, Science Communication and outreach for Alistair Hetherington's 'Guard Cell Group'. The group characterises the molecular pathways within guard cells (paired cells bordering leaf pores that control pore size) in response to environmental stimuli; namely drought. I spent three weeks in the laboratory, supervised by senior researcher Deirdre McLachlan, ‘phenotyping’ (record the physical attributes of), mutant Arabidopsis plants: the model plant for laboratory studies. Additionally, I produced three outreach pieces: two posters, one for scientists and one for children, alongside a article on my internship experience.

  • STEM ambassador at STEMNET
    Aug 2016 - Jul 2018 · 2 yrs

    My job is to inspire those from a range of ages and backgrounds, to apply themselves to STEM activities; in the classroom and their future careers. Specific training in communication & organisation was provided for this volunteer position