About the job

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Safer Greener Buildings Group. The aim of the Group is to deliver an ambitious system of reform, as well as a historic cladding remediation programme, with the aim of ensuring high-rise buildings are safe, and that residents feel safe in them, now and in the future. Our work involves a high level of Ministerial engagement, public and media interest.

The department relies on building physics methodology to help to deliver key policies including the Future Homes Standard and Energy Performance Certificates. In this role you’ll be key to how the Home Energy Model (HEM) will help to shape the energy assessment industry as the nation moves towards Net Zero.  

DLUHC are responsible for many policy areas with a high reliance on HEM, and other building science methodologies including; Building Regulations for compliance and for the production of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs). Furthermore, 2025’s Future Homes Standard will see the introduction of new regulations which will demand a higher level of energy efficiency in domestic buildings and a new version of SAP will be critical to the successful rollout of this transformative new standard. DLUHC is also investigating new ways of delivering building methodology calculations to software suppliers via bespoke cloud services to ensure that there is a robust body of building data that will be used to feed into evidence used to create better energy efficiency and net zero policy.

Job description

• Be a main point of contact for queries about the SAP and RdSAP building methodologies including responding to ministerial and parliamentary questions 
• Propose changes to approach so that building methodology reflects departmental objectives
• Be the main DLUHC point of liaison for other departments for policy areas impacted by changes to the building methodology
• Providing expertise when changes to building methodology are being delivered

Person specification

• Day-to-day you’ll provide expertise on building science and methodology to a range of policy and technical teams. You’ll be a point of liaison with other government departments and bodies to ensure that DLUHC’s policy requirements of building science methodology is reflected in the working versions used in industry. You’re understanding of the industry and technical and technology changes will be key to this work.
• You’ll be able to interpret the data generated by building methodologies to give the insight that’s needed to improve policies with a reliance on building science.
• You’ll own the building methodology conventions groups and the relationships with stakeholders that empower these groups. You will help assessment schemes and their assessors to understand how new industry circumstances should be reflected in the methodology and will use evidence to support these changes. You will carry out work to prove that changes to conventions will have the required impact.
• Your SAP knowledge will be invaluable as DLUHC look to change the way that building methodology is delivered to users and you will work closely with DLUHC digital teams to ensure that robust calculation services are offered to users. You will be keen to increase your learning about the building methodologies and will have ideas about how to improve delivery.

What experience do you need? 

We are looking for someone with the following essential skills, experience and knowledge: 

• Experience of SAP and RdSAP building methodologies either as an expert user or someone who has been involved in delivering or maintaining the methodology
• Desirable capabilities, skills and experience
• Being able to interpret SAP and RdSAP from code
• Experience working with XML schemas and data 
• Experience with other building physics models including SBEM and ORCalc

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,000, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities contributes £15,390 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

We are for everyone 

At DLUHC we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce. We promote equality of opportunity in all aspects of employment and a working environment free from discrimination, harassment, bullying and victimisation. 

Please contact the vacancy manager if you have any questions about the role.   

As part of our pre-employment checking process we will be using your CV to confirm your job history. Please note that by providing us with your CV you are consenting to us using the information enclosed as part of the checking process. 

We are for everyone 

CV and Cover Letter Declaration 

We recruit based on your knowledge and skills, and not background, gender or ethnicity - this is called name blind recruitment. 

Please remove references to your: 

• name/title
• educational institutions
• age
• gender
• email address
• postal address
• phone number
• nationality/immigration status

You will need to merge your CV and covering letter into one document. When submitting your application Applied will ask you to upload a CV, when doing this you should upload your merged document of your CV and covering letter. 

Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that your application would be viewed by different assessors. 

At sift, through your CV and covering letter we will be assessing: 

Experience 

Technical  

In your CV and covering letter, please include:  
 
a. why you are interested in the role; 
b. how you meet the essential skills and experience required 

The interview will be of a blended nature consisting of experience, technical and ability  based questions as listed in the advert.

Presentation: Candidates will be expected to prepare a presentation, details of which will be sent on invitation to interview.  

In full the campaign will test the below Success Profile Elements: 

Experience: Yes - Experience questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the job description 

Technical: Yes – Technical questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the job description.  

Ability: Yes

We do not consider direct CV applications – you must apply for this role via the application link on Civil Service Jobs: 

Please note that near miss offers may be made at the lower grade to candidates who do not meet the grade criteria for this campaign 

Grade 7 salary 

• The salary for this role is circa £62,000 (London) or circa £57,000 (National). 
• For existing civil servants, the usual policy on level transfer and promotion will apply and is non-negotiable. If you apply for a role that requires a transfer of location, for example if you are transferring from London to a National location, your salary will be adjusted in accordance with our policy on transfer between HQ pay ranges. 
   

Please note that the average employer pension contribution is based upon the National minimum salary for this role. Should your agreed starting salary for this role be different, the average employer pension contribution will be calculated accordingly. If you are a Secondee, this will not apply as you will remain on your home organisation’s terms and conditions.   

Benefits 

Transfers across the Civil Service on or after 4 October 2018: 

Any move to DLUHC from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk. 

For further information about the benefits available to DLUHC employees, please see the attached Candidate Pack. 

Location 

• London 
• Wolverhampton 
• Darlington*
• Bristol
• Birmingham
• Leeds
• Manchester 

*Please note: The Darlington Economic Campus is a pioneering new cross-government hub which will bring together people across departments and public organisations to play an active role in the most important economic issues of the day. The work of the Campus will make a real difference to people both across the UK and internationally. There will be substantial career opportunities and exciting prospects - a career at the Campus means you will be working at the heart of Government, with access to the benefits and fantastic opportunities offered by the civil service.   

For further information on the DEC, please take a look at the attached DEC candidate pack. 

At present, a minimum of 60% of your working time will be spent in your contractual office location. Requirements to attend other office locations or off-site meetings will be counted towards this. You will be asked to express a location preference during the application process. There may be opportunities for candidates to work flexibly depending on the business needs. This will be discussed with the vacancy manager on a case-by-case basis, if you are successful for the role. 

Sift and Interview dates 
 
We will be sifting applicants as we go – so please don’t wait until the deadline to submit your application. Interview dates will be confirmed at a later stage, all interviews are currently being held remotely via videocall. 

Reserve List 

In the event that we identify more appointable candidates than we currently have posts available, we will hold applicant details on a reserve list for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made. This may include roles at a lower grade. Candidates placed on a reserve list will be informed of this. Those candidates who do not wish to remain on the reserve list should contact recruitment@levellingup.gov.uk to be removed from the reserve list. 

 

CTC (Counter-terrorism Clearance): 

Important note 

 
Successful candidates for roles based in our 2 Marsham Street building must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check and the process can take up to 8 weeks to complete. 
 
Please note that successful candidates will need to pass the CTC security checks – this requires you to have been resident in the UK for the past 3 years. Please refer to the DLUHC Notes on Security Clearance section of our Candidate Pack for further information on Counter Terrorism Clearance (CTC).  
 

Candidates should also note that with effect from 1st August 2018 the department will also check all applicants who are successful at interview, against the Internal Fraud Database (IFD) held by the Cabinet Office. In accordance with the Civil Service Internal Fraud Policy, any applicant who is included on the IFD will be refused employment by DLUHC. Please see the Candidate Pack for further information on the Internal Fraud Database. 

Before starting your application it’s very important to make sure that you are eligible to apply and meet the Civil Service nationality requirements. All candidates are expected to read the information provided in the DLUHC candidate pack regarding nationality requirements and rules 

Candidate Pack Information 

Please see attached Candidate pack for further information. 

Internal Fraud Database 

The Internal Fraud function of the Fraud, Error, Debt and Grants Function at the Cabinet Office processes details of civil servants who have been dismissed for committing internal fraud, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned. The Cabinet Office receives the details from participating government organisations of civil servants who have been dismissed, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned, for internal fraud. In instances such as this, civil servants are then banned for 5 years from further employment in the civil service. The Cabinet Office then processes this data and discloses a limited dataset back to DLUHC as a participating government organisations. DLUHC then carry out the pre employment checks so as to detect instances where known fraudsters are attempting to reapply for roles in the civil service. In this way, the policy is ensured and the repetition of internal fraud is prevented.  

For more information please see- Internal Fraud Register 

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.