About the job

Job summary

If you’re interested in making a difference to people’s lives, the Treasury can offer you an exciting opportunity to influence decision making that affects the whole of the UK. Working at the heart of government, we collaborate across government to promote responsible public spending and drive strong and sustainable economic growth.  

Our work ranges from protecting customers through the regulation of the financial sector, helping to reduce carbon emissions and creating a greener economy, to promoting British trade around the world and supporting people across the country on jobs, growth and more.  

We are part of the Darlington Economic Campus, a pioneering new cross-government hub which brings people together to play an active role in the most important issues of the day whilst working closer to the communities we serve. The campus provides the opportunity for people from all over the UK to help shape the future of the country, and our flexible working practices ensure you can collaborate effectively with our partners. It’s central government, made more accessible to you! 

Job description

Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) 

The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) has been operational since March 2016 and has quickly established itself as a world-leader in financial sanctions, a key area of foreign and national security policy.

OFSI is the UK’s Competent Authority for financial sanctions. It leads on the implementation of UN and UK financial sanctions and domestic terrorist asset freezing, providing a high-quality service to the private and third sector, and guidance to help them follow the law.

We work closely with law enforcement, intelligence agencies and strategic policy colleagues across Government to help ensure that financial sanctions are accurately understood, implemented and enforced.

We are a diverse and friendly team, offering an outstanding environment to broaden your experience and develop new skills, whilst working on some of the highest profile international issues the UK faces.

About the Teams

We are recruiting multiple roles across three key branches within OFSI:

• The Counter-Terrorism Sanctions Team is responsible for the administration of terrorist asset freezes in the UK. We are recruiting for two roles based in London and two roles based in Darlington.
• The Intelligence Operations Team leads on the development of OFSI’s use and analysis of intelligence. We are recruiting for one role based in London.
• The Threat Assessment Team uses its analysis and reporting to inform both OFSI and Government’s operational strategy for implementing sanctions. We are recruiting for one role based in Darlington.

The Counter Terrorism Sanctions Team is responsible for the administration of terrorist asset freezes in the UK. The key CT sanctions regimes implemented in the UK are The ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida (United Nations Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, The Counter-Terrorism (International Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 and The Counter-Terrorism (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.

The Intelligence Operations Team leads on the development of OFSI’s use and analysis of intelligence. The job holder will assist in the assessment and progress of intelligence-led casework to assist with OFSI financial sanctions investigations.

The Threat Assessment Team uses its analysis and reporting to inform both OFSI and HM Government’s operational strategy for implementing sanctions and supporting a more intelligence led, proactive compliance and licensing stance within OFSI. 

About the Jobs 

Please review the attached role profile for full information on the roles available. If you have any difficulty opening this document, please email HRRecruitment@hmtreasury.gov.uk. 

Across all three teams, strong communication will be a really important part of your role. Every day you will be communicating with different people, internally and externally. You will need to distil complex detail into clear recommendations and be able to explain and defend those recommendations in writing and verbally. This could be as part of casework decisions or in operational policy work. You will be expected to work closely with colleagues in other branches to provide casework and intelligence input to cross-branch work.

Successful candidates will have the ability to develop and analyse information, think creatively and independently to arrive at supportable conclusions when sometimes data is incomplete. Previous experience of financial sanctions, counterterrorism and/or intelligence or analytical experience is desired, but not essential for these roles. Most important is the ability to quickly gain an understanding of a range of competing complex issues and the ability to make evidenced recommendations and astute judgements under pressure, deploying evidence and information across a range of sources.

We are looking for people who have the right set of skills for the role, who demonstrate the values of our organisation, who are motivated to come and work with us, and who can demonstrate an ability to quickly develop an understanding of a complex and sensitive area.

Overall, these roles are an excellent opportunity for ambitious individuals to take ownership of high profile, and high risk internationally focussed work, and to develop a large network of stakeholders inside and outside of government.

If you would like to speak to the hiring manager informally prior to the closing date for applications to find out more about the job, please contact the HR recruitment team on HRRecruitment@hmtreasury.gov.uk

Person specification

About your Application 

We are looking for the below skills, experience and behaviours and we will ask you to demonstrate these in your application form. Please review the Candidate FAQ document that is attached to the advert for guidance on how to complete your application form.  

1. Making Effective Decisions – Ability to digest large quantities of information, recognise and fill gaps in the information, and identify key points.
2. Delivering at Pace – Ability to prioritise tasks effectively and deliver high quality work in a timely manner.
3. Communicating and Influencing – Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing to a wide variety of internal and external partners.

The lead criterion is: Making Effective Decisions

If we receive large volumes of applications, we will conduct an initial sift on the lead criterion only.

We will ask you to provide some CV details during your application; however, these will NOT be assessed during the process, but will be used to support discussions at interview – please ensure you put all information you would like to be scored against in your behaviour statements.

Prior to submitting your application, you will be invited to complete the. Civil Service Verbal Reasoning Test. Once you start your application, you will receive an email invitation with details on how to proceed and you will only be able to submit your application if you meet the pre-defined Civil Service pass mark. 

If you have recently taken and passed this test when applying for another HEO role, you will not need to take the test again. 

For more information on the Civil Service Verbal Reasoning Test, and for guidance on how to practice and prepare for it, please visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/preparing-for-the-civil-service-verbal-and-numerical-tests

Please note, the test is not timed.

If candidates require reasonable adjustments during the application process, or online test process, please allow sufficient time (at least 5 working days prior to the job closing date) to request support, to allow us to support candidates as best as possible. Please note that there is no candidate support from Friday 5pm until Monday 9am.

Role Locations 

As we are recruiting for roles within London and/or Darlington, as part of your application you will be asked for your preference on office location. If you are successful at interview and we offer you a role, please be assured we will only offer you a position that is aligned with the location preference you have given us. Successful candidates will be expected to attend the office for at least 60% of their working week in the location they provide in their application form.

• Candidates based in London will be considered for roles in the Counter-Terrorism Sanctions Team, or Intelligence Operations Team.
• Candidates based in Darlington will be considered for roles in the Counter-Terrorism Sanctions Team or Threat Assessment Team.

We will also ask you if you have a preference for roles we have available, however please note that we cannot guarantee role preferences as candidates will be posted to roles in merit order according to the location preference they have provided in their application form. More information on this point can be found in the Candidate FAQ’s that are attached to the advert on Civil Service Jobs.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £31,710, HM Treasury contributes £8,561 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, Strengths and Experience.

Recruitment Timeline 

• Closing date: 23rd June 
• Shortlisting: w/c 24th June 
• Interviews:  w/c 8th July and w/c 15th July

This timeline is indicative and may be subject to change. We will inform you if there is a substantial change to the recruitment timeline. 

If your contact details change at any time during the selection process, please ensure you update your Civil Service Jobs Profile. 

Please note that only applications submitted through Civil Service Jobs will be accepted.

Location-Based Reserve Lists 

You will be placed on a reserve list if your application is successful, but we cannot offer you a post immediately. Where more than one location has been advertised, candidates will be approached for roles in merit order according to the first preferred location stated on your application form. 

Please note that a place on the reserve list does not guarantee an offer. We would still encourage you to apply for other HM Treasury opportunities that you are interested in. If you are offered a role in your first preferred location and you decline the offer or you are unable to take up the post within a reasonable timeframe, you will be removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances. 

Eligibility Statement  

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role in the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government. Checks will be performed as part of pre-employment checks in line with this. Please refer to the Candidate FAQ document attached to the advert for more information. 

Everyone working with government assets must complete Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks. Additionally, individuals appointed to the Treasury group will be subject to National Security Vetting. The level of security vetting required for this role is Developed Vetting (DV), however, candidates will join HM Treasury on Security Check (SC) clearance in the first instance. 

To allow for meaningful checks to be carried out, applicants typically need to have lived in the UK for the past 10 years. In exceptional circumstances, a lack of residency would not be a bar to security clearance however the Department will need to consider eligibility on a case by case basis once the advert closing date has passed.

Please read the Vetting Charter for information on what to expect during the vetting process and what will be expected from you.  Many areas of your life may be explored during your vetting journey, and it is important that every individual, regardless of their background and experiences, should feel comfortable going through this personal process, whilst having confidence that it is fair, proportionate, and inclusive.  

These short videos address common concerns and preconceptions which applicants may have about national security vetting.  If you have questions relating to security clearances, please contact HMTSecurityVetting@hmtreasury.gov.uk

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

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (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.