About the job

Job summary

Safer & Greener Buildings’ was established to implement our learnings following the tragedy at Grenfell Tower. We work to improve the impact that buildings have on citizens and the environment.​

The creation and management of buildings is a complex system of systems, with a huge, diverse range of actors and influences. The built environment impacts a broad range of outcomes for citizens - their safety, health and wellbeing, financial security, community, and family. It also impacts and is impacted by the climate, with a significant role to play in tackling climate change, with industry becoming increasingly focused on resilience and better use of resources.​

​We are responsible for the health of this system, and for delivering improved outcomes for citizens. As part of this a regulatory reform programme was started through the Building Safety Act (2022) and will continue through the reform of construction products. This role will seek to take the next step in this reform journey and consider what more needs to be done to improve the system. The reform will in the main be driven by the findings and recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry and will also use intelligence gained from across the department and stakeholders.

Job description

In leading this new policy division of some 25 staff, you will be responsible for developing and implementing a strategy for reform of the building sector through a Grenfell Bill. You will lead our work on the regulations that protect leaseholders from remediation costs and will develop policy for enforcing remediation. The central objective of this role is to lead the process of getting a Bill ready and through Parliament that responds to the recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. ​

​You will sit within the reform directorate and will work closely with the directorate establishing the stewardship approach of the built environment system, ​

The successful applicant will provide high quality, inspirational policy leadership and will support the wider Group and Department to develop a compelling response to the Public Inquiry. The role provides a rare opportunity to lead on reform of a system working closely with other leaders across the Department. As with all roles in the Group, flexibility will be essential, as we deliver for the elected Government.​

​This is an exciting opportunity to lead an inclusive and innovative team where you will be supported to challenge yourself in often ambiguous circumstances. The directorate works in a flexible, collaborative manner to learn and support each other as we undertake one of the challenging reform programmes in Government.​

​As a member of the Group’s senior leadership team, you will share aspects of the leadership for the Group and the department. You will be a team player who is prepared to jump in and collaborate with your colleagues to make sure the Group delivers. Working closely with Ministers and their political team means that you will need to be able to establish trust quickly and be able to influence across Whitehall.​

Person specification

Essential criteria:​

The essential criteria for this role are:​

• ​A track record of solving complex strategic challenges, turning strategic solutions into policy that can be delivered through legislation and on the ground.    ​
• Experience of gathering and using evidence and insight from a wide range of sources to support policy decision-making.   ​
• Can demonstrate great judgement, credibility and the ability to gain the trust of - and influence - senior partners, both within and beyond the organisation.​
• You will need to demonstrate that you are an inspiring, confident and empowering leader, who can set strategic direction and lead effectively through ambiguity. ​
• Experience of developing and leading a diverse and inclusive team successfully; motivating and engaging people to perform to high standards and develop themselves; promoting equality and inclusion and leading people through change.​
• Ability to work in partnership and deliver through others, including working confidently with a range of experts, as well as across wider DLUHC, Government and industry partners.

Desirable criteria:​

• ​Experience of working with ministers: securing their confidence and supporting your team to deliver against their priorities.​
• The ability to work across government departments and influence effectively to deliver.​
• Experience of having taken legislation through Parliament

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £75,000, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities contributes £20,250 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

How to apply
Please click the Be Applied link to provide the required information and complete your application through the Be Applied website by 23:55 on Sunday 17th December 2023.

You will be asked to enter some personal details, upload your CV and to provide your responses to the role’s advertised essential criteria.​

When prompted to upload your CV, please upload a single document consisting of: ​

• a CV (including the names of 2 referees and your current remuneration) setting out your career history, with key responsibilities, achievements and your relevant qualifications. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years. ​
• a statement of suitability explaining how your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria provided in the person specification. (max. 2 pages)​

Please remember to save these two items in one document.​

Please note that only completed applications through the Be Applied route will be considered and that any further progress updates will be sent through Be Applied.

The hiring manager, Chandru Dissanayeke, would be happy to have informal discussions with candidates who would like further information about the role before submitting an application. If interested, please contact scs.recruitment@levellingup.gov.uk 

The selection panel will be made up of:

• Chandru Dissanayeke - Director, Building Safety Reform​
• Catherine Adams - Net Zero Director​
• 1 other panel member TBC

Additionally, the panel will be joined by one of our staff representatives from a pool of volunteers as part of our commitments to diversity and inclusion.

Selection process and assessments

Candidates that are shortlisted may be invited to attend a staff engagement panel. 

At DLUHC we hold staff engagement panels as an integral part of the recruitment process for Senior Civil Servants (SCS) – they are designed to help us build up a rounded picture of each candidate and give us an insight into how you might engage and interact with your team should you be successful. The purpose of the session is to help us assess your engagement and communication skills and is not about testing your subject knowledge or expertise for this particular role. Feedback from the session is passed onto the selection panel for consideration alongside the final interview.

Candidates may also be invited to a meeting with a Minister or the Secretary of State, and/or other senior stakeholders. This is not a formal part of the selection process but an informal chance for candidates to find out more about the role and the organisation.

Shortlisted candidates will also be invited to give a short presentation or complete an exercise at the beginning of their final interview. Further details will be provided to shortlisted candidates when invited to interview. 

All of the evidence presented as part of the process will be considered in the final assessment.

Security Clearance

All DLUHC colleagues must meet the Baseline Personnel Security Standard. This is a series of basic security checks to confirm identity and employment history.

In addition to the BPSS, the level of security clearance required for this role is Security Check (SC) and the process can take up to 8 weeks to complete. For more details of vetting levels and requirements please refer to the Cabinet Office HMG Personnel Security Controls.

Salary

For external appointments, remuneration for this role will be circa £75,000 pa plus a bonus opportunity depending on performance (within the normal Civil Service pay arrangements) and attractive pension.​

For existing civil servants, the usual policy on level transfer and promotion will apply and is non-negotiable. If appointed on promotion you would get the higher of 10% uplift or the new minimum for Deputy Director.​​

Future pay awards will normally be made in line with current SCS performance-related pay arrangements.

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 security 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.