About the job

Job summary

The Local Government Finance (LGF) directorate is responsible for ensuring that the core elements of the local government finance system operate effectively and that councils have the funding they need to deliver the services that local residents rely on.

This key role sits in the local taxation and pensions team, at the heart of the Local Government Finance (LGF) directorate in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC). This is a politically high-profile role, responsible for making sure that DLUHC’s policy objectives are delivered in the policy areas of local taxation and providing effective stewardship of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). ​

Job description

The division is split into three areas, business rates, council tax and local government pensions. Together, the council tax and business rates systems generate over £60bn of tax income and provide the majority of revenue that local authorities need in order to deliver local services. The LGPS is the largest public service pension scheme in the UK and has assets with a total market value of £364bn and over 6 million members. The asset base makes the LGPS collectively the seventh largest pension scheme in the world, and a significant global investor.​

On business rates, the post-holder would be expected to lead the team in feeding into the development of business rates policy by HMT and the policy making process of fiscal events, as well as leading on business rates legislation, both primary and secondary, regularly taking bills through Parliament. The team manage the business rates system which is forecast to raise around £25 billion in 2023-24, as well as the supporting system of business rate reliefs worth £8bn, delivered on behalf of HM Treasury, and work across central and local government to ensure the effective oversight and implementation of key reforms. The team also work with local authorities to ensure the tax is operated effectively and provide guidance to councils following fiscal events.​

On council tax, the post-holder would be expected to take a more active policy leadership role, with more licence to develop policy on council tax. A critical part of the role is feeding into the annual Local Government Finance Settlement on the relevant council tax aspects and working with local authorities to ensure the tax is operated effectively. The team is responsible for a policy that delivers over £35 billion of funding to local councils to provide services, from adult social care to repairing potholes. The importance of the tax means that the team reflect on it from a number of perspectives – from protecting households from excessive increases, through to recognising the importance of council tax revenue on the sustainability of local councils. It attracts significant interest from Parliament, No.10, HM Treasury, and the general public.​

On local government pensions, the post-holder would be expected to lead the team and have responsibility for the stewardship and oversight of the LGPS England and Wales, setting the legislative framework and guidance for the scheme’s governance, administration and investments to support the aim of achieving a sustainable, affordable and efficiently run LGPS. The scheme supports the provision of local services across England and Wales as a key part of the reward package for staff working in local authorities, service providers, and schools. The team are also responsible for policy on LGPS investments, working closely with HMT.​

The division works collaboratively with HMT, the Valuation Office Agency, local revenue stakeholders, the Government Actuary’s Department, the Local Government Pension Scheme Advisory Board, and the Pensions Regulator, and Local Government, and sponsors the Valuation Tribunal Service. ​

​The division is a well-established team with 25 members, including a number of long-standing subject matter experts and policy professionals.​

Person specification

The responsibilities of this role will include, but not be confined to the below:​

• Delivering an expert service to ministers and other departments by successfully leading and managing a division made up of a diverse group of people, including subject matter experts and policy professionals and ensuring your diverse team is engaged, motivated and delivering at its best, with a commitment to continuous improvement. ​
• Being part of the senior DLUHC leadership team, acting as a visible SCS leader in Darlington and helping to establish LGF’s presence in the DEC.​
• Collaborating with HMT on the development of business rates policy and Council Tax, ensuring that the policy remains up to date and considering stakeholder views on taxes.​
• Overseeing work in relation to and feeding into the policy making process of fiscal events.​
• Overseeing delivery of primary and secondary business rates legislation and regularly taking bills through Parliament.​
• Maintaining strong relationships with stakeholders, particularly local government, and holding responsibility for the implementation of business rates taxes.​
• Setting the framework of law and guidance for the Pension scheme’s governance, administration and investments.​
• Guiding the team on work to reform the Pension system and improve governance and administration standards.​
• Forging links with wider LGF priorities and working with others to ensure join up between other areas.​
• Build and maintain relationships with senior stakeholders inside and outside Government, e.g. HMT, the Valuation Office Agency, local revenue stakeholders, the Government Actuary’s Department, the Local Government Pension Scheme Advisory Board, the Pensions Regulator and Local Government.

The Person

You will have strong leadership skills, which you will use to lead and guide your teams, ensuring they have a clear understanding of the Division’s role and objectives within LGF and within DLUHC, and their roles within their teams, taking into account the diverse needs of the team. You will provide strategic policy direction, constructive advice and challenge and give your team confidence in their work, as well as acting as a trusted adviser. You will strive to create a positive team culture in the division, with a focus and priority on greater diversity and inclusion.​

​You will be able to think strategically and analytically, taking on board complex information about a wide variety of topics and be able to form a policy view and explain complex issues in a clear manner. You will be able to synthesise what you hear from experts and form a broad strategic policy direction, which you can then communicate confidently in order to deliver DLUHC’s policy objectives.​

​Strong relationship skills are key to this role - you will build a network of relationships both within DLUHC, with OGDs, and with external stakeholders. You will establish your credibility with key stakeholders at all levels so you can work effectively across the different areas. You will be a strong collaborator, working closely with and influencing policy professionals to ensure sound policy is developed. ​

​As one of the Department’s senior leaders, you will also be a visible role model for the Civil Service leadership behaviours. These can be found in the Civil Service Leadership Statement which is available here.    

Essential Criteria

• A track record as an exceptional leader. You will need to demonstrate that you are an inspiring, confident and empowering leader, who can set strategic direction for your policy area despite ambiguity and uncertainty.​
• The ability to build and nurture a fun, welcoming, inclusive, and high-performing team, bringing together people from different professional and personal backgrounds to achieve demanding ​
• Excellent stakeholder and relationship skills, with a strong ability to work confidently through and with others, partnering both within DLUHC and the local government sector with a range of key partners and stakeholders and building credibility and influence with local ​
• The ability to influence and make positive impacts through excellent interpersonal and communication skills at all levels, including with senior stakeholders such as ministers or equivalents.​
• You will have excellent strategic thinking skills, good judgement and the proven ability to identify and weigh up a range of policy options and make clear and well-evidenced decisions at pace, as well as taking into accounteconomic, political and social factors and wider high-level priorities.​

Desirable criteria​

• An understanding of parliament and taking primary and secondary legislation and bills through parliament.​
• Knowledge of and/or experience working on tax policy.​
• Knowledge of and/or experience of working with local government.

Darlington Drop-In Session

A drop-in session hosted by Nico Heslop will be held at the Darlington Economic Campus (DEC), where this role will be based. This session will be a valuable opportunity for interested candidates to speak to Nico and learn more about the role.

The session will be held on Wednesday 31st January, 10:30-11:30 am. If you are interested in booking a 1:1 slot with Nico, please contact scs.recruitment@levellingup.gov.uk and we will confirm your timeslot and send you further details.

For those unable to attend the office, Nico will also hold a virtual session over MS Teams. We will update this posting once timings have been confirmed, so please be sure to save the Civil Service Jobs advert and check again soon for further details.

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 Wednesday 7th February 2024.

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, Nico Heslop, 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:​

• Nico Heslop, Director, Local Government Finance, DLUHC​
• Marianne Allison, Deputy Director, Workforce Strategy and Management, DLUHC​
• Helen Dickinson, Director, HM Treasury

​​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.

Nico Heslop would be happy to have an informal discussion with candidates who would like further information about the role before submitting an application. If interested, please contact scs.recruitment@levellingup.gov.uk ​

​​

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.