About the job

Job summary

The Integrated Corporate Services (ICS) is a new shared corporate service, launched in July 2023. It will provide corporate services (HR, Finance, Digital, Commercial, Security and Estates) across the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ) and the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT).  

Our team of just over 300 professionals will be leading the way in how these functions will be delivered in the future. Our ambition is to be the leading provider of integrated corporate services for government and set the standard for quality, efficiency, and innovation in our field. 

Our Inclusive Environment 

We are building an inclusive culture to make the Department a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued, have a voice and can be their authentic selves. We value difference and diversity, not only because we believe it is the right thing to do, but because it will help us be more innovative and make better decisions.  

We offer first-class flexible working benefits, excellent employee well-being support and a great pension. We are fortunate to have a range of excellent staff networks and are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We will support talented people from all backgrounds to build a career and thrive. 

We actively welcome applications from anyone who shares our commitment to inclusion. We will fully support candidates with a disability or long-term condition who require adjustments in our recruitment process. 

Find Out More 

We regularly run events where you can find out more about the department and tips for the application process. You can sign up for upcoming events here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/departmentforenergysecurityandnetzero?  

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

Job description

The Central Grants and Loans (CGL) Team exists at the cutting edge of Government priorities, providing a centralised grant delivery function across two departments (namely: Department for Energy, Security & Net Zero and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. The CGL team currently manages the delivery of 27 different schemes, representing in excess of £200bn of investments across a very diverse portfolio of work undertaken, including managing and maintaining previous award schemes, through to designing, developing and delivering new grant and loan schemes across a wide spectrum of the departments remit, including such things as Pharmaceutical, Energy and Net Zero and many more. The Team is acknowledged across Whitehall as being a centre of excellence, providing a joined up and agile approach to supporting businesses and is crucial to ensure HM Government continues to meet its objectives. This role sits within the CGL Finance & Governance Team, providing an exciting opportunity to support the wider team in delivering an excellent service by leading on Governance & Grant Support, performance management, knowledge management and providing a critical analysis of forecasts and claims submitted by the wider CGL team. You will be working with supportive and truly collaborative colleagues located across the UK. We are a friendly, diverse, and inclusive team of energetic and creative individuals based in locations across the UK and welcome those who can bring their talents and fresh perspectives. We place a real emphasis on work-life balance. You will enjoy flexible working, learning and development opportunities and our commitment to equal opportunities. This role offers an excellent opportunity for you to be involved in a highly visible area of work that is highly rewarding and strategically and politically important. As a Department, we are fully committed to the development of our staff. The successful candidate will be supported to undertake the Level 3 Business Administration apprenticeship, if eligible to do so.

Person specification

Key responsibilities

Working within a friendly team:

Review the Grant Management System (GMIS) for relevant enhancements and quality control.

Ensure information on GMIS is updated to make sure accurate information is available on all relevant cases; maintaining comprehensive and accurate SharePoint files to demonstrate an appropriate audit trail.

Administrative support to the Central Grants & Loans (CGL) Secretariat, including the Finance Investment Review Board, booking meetings, preparing draft agenda, commissioning papers, numbering papers, and carrying out basic format, spelling etc. checks on papers, issuing papers to meeting attendees and preparing hard copy of CGL attendees.

Prepare, review and issue via KOFAX Grant Offer Letter’s and send to Case Officer for final approval prior to sending to beneficiaries.

Undertake the required upload for the Spotlight report and then circulate the results to relevant Case/Monitoring officer.

Manage the relevant team “Functional Mailboxes” and other directorate mailboxes on a rota basis, providing standard replies as appropriate and referring more complex queries to the relevant team lead.

Provide support to Deputy Director, including diary and email management and arranging appropriate cover when they are absent.

Provide administrative support across CGL, arranging for meeting rooms, booking travel tickets and hotels, provision of stationery and equipment to support home working/working at non-HQ offices.

Skills and experience

We'd love to hear from you if you can demonstrate the following: Problem solving: Identify problems quickly to find the root cause of issues and propose improvements. Decision making: Pay attention to detail and make timely, accurate decisions. Escalating and involving others as appropriate. Working flexibly and adapting to change: Frequently adapt and respond to evolving user needs and be able to support improvements to processes and ways of working. Collaboration: Communicate effectively, engaging well with team members. Can establish and maintain working relationships with other teams and stakeholders. Prioritising a workload and ensuring visibility: Manage a varied workload and prioritise tasks effectively, bringing visibility to the greatest needs. Computer literacy: Strong computer literacy skills.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £27,800, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero contributes £7,506 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 and behavioural statements. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Applications will be sifted on behavioural statements and CV. 

In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the lead behaviour statement Communicating and Influencing.

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 10/06/2024

Interview dates: 18/06/2024

Interview Location: MS Teams.

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

Further Information

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.

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 /Disclosure Scotland 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. 

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk 

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.

Who can start an apprenticeship

To start an apprenticeship, you’ll need to be:

• 16 or over
• living in England
• not in full-time education

You can apply for an apprenticeship while you’re still at school but you’ll need to be 16 or over by the end of the summer holidays to start the apprenticeship. Please note if successful you must be 16 or over to undergo the relevant security checks.

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.