About the job

Job summary

As Deputy Director, Smart Metering Delivery, you will lead the development, maintenance and, eventually, transition to enduring government of the Smart Metering Implementation Programme (SMIP) technical, security, business process, innovation and regulatory frameworks and functions.

This role is critical to the delivery of SMIP’s £6 billion of net benefits to society through enabling consumers to reduce their energy use, industry to reduce costs and providing the platform for a smarter and more flexible energy system – delivering to the Department’s promises in reaching Net Zero.

You will lead a highly capable and engaged team of over 20 people, made up of a mix of civil servants and embedded industry experts covering a range of professions including policy delivery, project delivery, engineering, security and digital, data and technology. The team’s latest people survey results were significantly higher than the civil service average across the board.

You will be responsible for the successful assurance and delivery of £billions of technical infrastructure projects by industry, and in particular the Data Communications Company (DCC), to maintain and improve the next generation device, data and communication systems upon which the ongoing successful delivery and operation of smart metering depends. This includes using innovation funding to test new technology and data approaches to maximise and increase long-term smart metering benefits.

The Delivery Team is also responsible for discharging government’s smart metering accountabilities for smart metering security, technical specification issues management and regulatory responsibilities. Over the coming months and years, a key aspect of your role will be to define and then successfully implement a successful handover of these as well as your DCC project assurance responsibilities to enduring governance (Ofgem and the Smart Energy Code (SEC) Panel) ahead of SMIP Programme closure.

You will be part of the SMIP senior leadership team, which encompasses four Deputy Director (DD)-led teams (including your own). The teams work closely together and with the Programme Director and Senior Responsible Owner in a highly integrated and collaborative manner to deliver overall Programme objectives given many are cross cutting across the DD teams.

Job description

Key responsibilities

As Deputy Director Smart Metering Delivery, you will be responsible for:

• Leading assurance and approval of £billions of long-term smart metering infrastructure development proposed by DCC, including moving to next generation communication (4G) and data processing technologies.
• Defining with Ofgem an enduring Target Operating Model for future DCC project assurance and approval and implementing it alongside Ofgem’s DCC price control reforms, new DCC Licence appointment, Smart Energy Code (SEC) reform, and SMIP Programme completion.
• Leading the smart metering innovation team, which is sponsoring exciting innovation projects such as a smart meter data repository and supporting governments Smart Secure Electricity System (SSES) Programme, to deliver enhanced smart metering benefits.
• Discharging government’s accountability for maintaining smart metering security, including working with industry and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to implement an enduring Target Operating Model for smart meter device security assurance.
• Representing government at the SEC Panel, which is the industry governance forum for the SEC (an Energy Code that acts as a multi-party contract setting out the respective rights of DCC and its Users in the provision and operational of smart metering services).
• Driving successful industry delivery of existing, government-initiated technical change Programmes, namely: the enrolment of first-generation, SMETS1 meters on to the DCC network; implementation of an enduring change of energy supplier system; and the production of ‘Alternative-HAN’ devices to enable all properties to enjoy smart services.
• Management of Smart Metering Technical Specifications issues – discharged by the SMIP CTO who is part of your team – and defining arrangements for the handover of this function to enduring governance ahead of SMIP Programme closure.
• Chairing SMIP’s Technical and Business Design Group (which brings together industry technology stakeholders) and also chairing a smart meter infrastructure Scaling and Optimisation Group.
• SMIP’s regulatory expertise, including leading on any necessary changes to the SEC or DCC Licence.

Person specification

Skills, experience and qualifications (Essential)

It is essential in your application you provide evidence and proven examples in each of the following selection criteria below:

• An outstanding leader and manager with a track record of developing inclusive, high-performing teams that harness the benefits of diversity. You will be effective at ensuring technical specialists work well together and with policy and project delivery functions.
• Able to think and act strategically and across a complex and evolving system, and to draw out and act on opportunities, risks and issues to meet organisational objectives. You can set out a clear and compelling vision for a Target Operating Model that achieves the buy-in of stakeholders and then makes it a reality.
• Experience delivering large projects ideally within a complex stakeholder framework and through the full project lifecycle, including the development of business cases.
• Experience of infrastructure delivery.
• A track record of making evidence-based, deliverable strategic decisions. You will be commercially and politically astute, with a track record of confidently working with technical and regulatory subject-matter experts and able to clearly explain such matters to senior stakeholders. You will be familiar with business cases and cost-benefit analysis.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement skills to set the direction of travel and ensure successful delivery, across commercial/financial analysis and policy development and including through expert collaboration and influencing. You will be able to support other projects or programmes that contribute to or enhance benefits.
• A strong communicator, capable of being able to influence external and internal partners successfully and in a way that secures mutually beneficial outcomes.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £75,000, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero 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

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

To apply for this post please follow the instructions on the CS Jobs website by no later than 23:55, 9th January 2024. As part of the application process you are asked to complete the following:

1. A CV setting out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role, relevant achievements in recent posts, together with reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
2. A Statement of Suitability (no more than 1250 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria in the person specification.
3. Shortlisted candidates may be invited to undertake a series of psychometric assessments including a Staff Engagement Exercise (SEE) and Individual Leadership Assessment (ILA) as part of the recruitment process prior to the final interview. This assessment will not result in a ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ decision. Rather it is designed to support the panels decision making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview. 
4. Final Interview which may include a presentation exercise.

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.