About the job

Job summary

This role sits at the heart of the newly formed DESNZ Strategy directorate, working closely with the other teams in the directorate and across the department to develop coherent strategies that sit across the department’s priorities.

Major deliverables for the coming months include leading the department’s Strategic Work Programme of long-term policy thinking, publishing an update on the Government’s plans to decarbonise the power sector, developing the Government’s position on strategic spatial planning for the energy system and commissioning the FSO to take forward technical analysis, and more broadly developing the vision for the team and how it can best add value across the department.

This is a significant leadership position, and the post-holder will be expected to provide inspirational leadership for a team of  15-20 people, as well as wider corporate leadership across the directorate and in the department more broadly, for example around the Strategic Work Programme.

Job description

Roles and responsibilities:

1.Leadership of the strategy development team, providing vision and direction for a newly-formed team and shaping its work to maximise impact across the department. 

2.Building and maintaining a strong network across the department of policy and strategy leads, and using this network to drive forward work on the department’s strategic priorities and to identify cross-cutting issues where join-up is needed across teams. 

3.Leadership of the department’s Strategic Work Programme, ensuring progress across all workstreams and regular engagement with the department’s Executive Committee. 

4.Leadership of specific cross-cutting policy issues, including decarbonising the power sector and strategic spatial energy planning. The list of these issues is likely to evolve over time, reflecting where the team can best add value. 

5.Organisational development of the strategy development team and the wider directorate, considering the best shape and role of the team in supporting the department as a whole to think strategically and join up across its work.

Person specification

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

Strategic policy thinking: experience of understanding the big picture, spotting how complex policies interact, and developing cross-cutting approaches to answering strategic questions that sit across policy areas

Building relationships: experience of developing relationships across organisational boundaries and using these to influence outcomes, and of being credible and trusted in relationships with senior leaders

Leadership: experience of providing inspirational leadership and setting direction through ambiguity, particularly to new teams or those going through change and defining/redefining their role

Delivery: experience of leading teams to deliver high quality products at pace, responding flexibly to changing priorities

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.

How to apply

To apply for this post please follow the instructions on the CS Jobs website by no later than 23:55, Sunday 28th January. 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 1000 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.Final Interview which may include a presentation exercise.

Shortlisted candidates may also have the opportunity to speak to a senior leader within the hiring department prior to final interview to learn more about the role and organisation. Please note, this is not part of the formal assessment process.

Indicative Timeline: 

Please note that these dates are only indicative at this stage and could be subject to change. If you are unable to meet these timeframes, please let us know by contacting scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. Please ensure you quote the job title and reference number in your email.

Interviews will be held virtually. Candidates are asked to note the timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process. The anticipated timetable is as follows:

Advert Closing Date: 23.55 Sunday 28th January

Shortlist Announcement: w/c 29th January

Interviews: 7th and 8th February

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.