About the job

Job summary

Do you want a career where you can make a real difference? Do you want to work in a government department that is at the forefront of current policy making decisions that will impact the UK and beyond? If yes then a career at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) could be for you.   

Here at DESNZ we are securing the UK’s long-term energy supply, bringing down energy bills and halving inflation. We are seizing the opportunities of Net Zero to lead the world in new green industries and encouraging greater energy efficiency across the UK. The work of the department has never been more timely or relevant, and by joining us you will be part of making that difference. 

Our work is varied, interesting and most importantly it's impactful. Our DESNZ Values are interwoven into everything we do; we are Bold, we are Collaborative, we are Inclusive and we Learn. As a department we are committed to these values to build a culture where everyone can thrive.    

We offer great working benefits including a world-class pension, flexible working options and a career where your learning and development is taken seriously. We are enormously proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We support candidates with adjustments throughout our recruitment process. Information about disability confidence and just some examples of the adjustments that you can request can be found in the reasonable adjustment section below.  

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy. 

Find Out More 

You can also follow our LinkedIn Careers Page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/desnz-careers/  

Job description

DESNZ is a department with an incredible mission, focused on delivering security of energy supply, ensuring properly functioning markets, greater energy efficiency and seizing the opportunities of net zero to lead the world in new green industries. The department is delivering against complex and vast challenges, and is strengthening the organisational capabilities it needs for the future.

The DESNZ Organisational Transformation & Change Directorate are defining what our department needs to look like in the immediate and longer term – through its operating model, the organisational capabilities it needs, the systems, processes, and structures. We ensure that departmental change is coherent and manageable for our workforce, balancing competing demands on resources and allowing senior leaders to make informed decisions. Through all of this, we play an active role in leading delivery, providing expertise and insights to the Department and its senior leadership, and managing change.

The Directorate is divided into two programmes, each led by a deputy director. There is one G7 role available per area.

- The Departmental Operating Model team provides an ‘air traffic control’ of how DESNZ works and takes a strategic view of how it needs to change. This involves managing the current DESNZ operating model, assessing its strengths and weaknesses and designing ways to improve it against central design principles.  

- The Organisational Capabilities and Functions team looks at specific organisational capabilities identified across DESNZ, and lead or oversee detailed review and improvement work. They are closely involved in the regular assessment our corporate functions and work with function leads to develop and implement improvement activity – both small and major reforms. 

We are looking for two excellent G7 candidates who excel in change management, and delivering in complex organisations for each area. Please specify in your application if you have a preference.

The Organisational Transformation and Change Directorate is dedicated to providing fulfilling and balanced roles, and we prioritise learning and professional development. All staff are expected to undertake development activities and share their skills with their colleagues. We have team members on different work patterns (compressed hours, part time, etc) and welcome applicants with alternative working arrangements.

Person specification

Key responsibilities:

Both roles will require:

• Leadership, ownership and delivery of specific change projects / workstreams, reviews, and activities across the department.
• Being a critical part of a small expert team, leading and support colleagues at all grades.
• Building strong and effective relationships and networks across the department’s functions and organisational groups.
• Providing leadership and developing change management capability within the team, and across the Department.

Specific responsibilities for Operating Model role:

• Leading projects and reviews aimed at improving components of the Departmental operating model, its processes and efficiency. Early activity will be focused on organisational ‘operating principles’ that will underpin target operating model design.
• Leading Departmental wide discussions and planning to agree new projects and initiatives, utilising best practice and working closely with organisational design experts.
• Support the Deputy Director in managing the departmental Change Plan, managing, supporting, and challenging workstream leads collectively and individually to deliver high quality outcomes. Includes identifying new interventions required and commissioning activity.
• Support the Deputy Director in overseeing the Departmental Design Authority secretariat and support the ongoing maturation and improvement of the Design Authority.

Specific responsibilities for Organisational Capabilities and Functions role:

• For specified priority capabilities and functions, oversee a small portfolio of detailed reviews, operating model design, and improvement activities. Directly lead the most challenging/sensitive, ensuring high quality outputs and stakeholder engagement throughout.
• Oversee a process for regular review and improvement of Departmental Functions’ performance and compliance with Government Functional Standards.
• Oversee and improve the running of organisational capability maturity assessments.
• Become an expert as part of the department’s Machinery of Government (MOG) change capability and MOG centre of excellence. (No previous MOG experience is required, but the successful candidate will be expected to build their expertise within the first few months).

These are both varied and challenging roles, and would suit someone ambitious who wants to develop their career in organisational strategy and transformation. 

Skills and experiences:

The individuals in these roles would need to demonstrate experience and skills in the following:

• Successful delivery in complex organisations and managing the change process end-to-end through to delivery.
• Engagement and delivery with senior stakeholder, multi-disciplinary teams, and functions.
• Development and analysis of complex organisational data to present clear recommendations and messages.
• Application of business process improvement and innovation in organisations.
• Taking ownership and accountability for delivery of work.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £52,985, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero contributes £14,305 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.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, personal statement and one 250 word behaviour statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please use your personal statement (in no more than 750 words) to explain how your skills and experience are relevant to the role, and your leadership style.

Candidates will be sifted on behavioural statements, CV, and personal statement. 

In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the personal statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

The interview will consist of behaviour questions.

Sift and interview dates

Expected Timeline subject to change

Sift dates: w/c 05/08/2024

Interview dates: w/c 12/08/2024

Interview Location: MS Teams.

Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.

Reasonable Adjustment

We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.

We fully support adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicants section.

We do not have an exhaustive list of adjustments that we support but just some examples include additional time to complete your application form, behaviour questions up to 72 hours prior to interview and having extra time at interview. 

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Further Information

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

A location based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position.

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Any move to the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero  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 https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

DESNZ does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home). 

DESNZ cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. DESNZ holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. 

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Feedback

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. 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.