About the job

Job summary

HM Treasury

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.  

HM Treasury is proud of a diverse and inclusive work environment, committed to fairness and the promotion of equality of opportunity for all. We know that having a range of experiences, ways of working and thinking makes us stronger and better at developing policy that reflects the needs of every community. We embrace different views and experiences and value the new perspective that people from a variety of circumstances bring to the work we do. We welcome applications from candidates who have not previously worked for the Civil Service, mid- and late-career changers with transferrable skills, people from all backgrounds and circumstances regardless of disability, gender, age ethnicity, LGBT+ identity and socio-economic status.  

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

About the Group    

The Public Spending Group is a high-profile and rewarding place to work.  We help the Chancellor decide what to spend £1.2 trillion a year on and ensure government delivers value for money for the taxpayer. We are responsible for reporting to Parliament and the public on how taxpayers’ money is spent. We drive forward improved outcomes and efficiency in public services and make sure value for money is at the centre of decision-making through better evaluation, data and analysis.  

The Group advise on overall government policy on public sector pay and pensions, the biggest single driver of public spending. We collaborate with and directly support departments to deliver the Government Finance Function strategy, building finance, debt and risk capability across government and developing the management information, tools and frameworks to better understand and ensure value for money. 

About the Team

The Cross-Cutting Strategy, Insight and Reform (CSIR) team works on some of the most challenging policy issues facing government today.

CSIR exists to improve value for money by working across government to lead change through cross-cutting reform, productivity and efficiency and enabling the centre of government to achieve these aims via excellent spending control.

About the Job 

This is an exciting and stretching HEO role for an ambitious policy official with the opportunity to work directly on setting the strategic direction for encouraging and incentivising cross-cutting and preventative spending. The successful candidate will need to quickly grip the main issues in complex areas and work closely with their management chain to drive forward work to evaluate and ensure the spending framework aligns with government priorities.  

You will support on work to examine opportunities for creating the right incentives and processes to enable internal and external stakeholders to develop cross-cutting spending bids. This will involve working close with internal teams to drive forward HMT efforts to enable change through fiscal events (including the upcoming Spending Review) and ongoing engagement. The successful candidate will need to communicate with a variety of audiences to ensure that they are able to engage effectively with the spending framework and processes, including through facilitating and delivering verbal briefing sessions to upskill and provide clear information to stakeholders.

Key accountabilities for this role include:

1. Contributing to the development of the cross-cutting spending approach at the next Spending Review, supporting cross-departmental and preventative spending bids and implementing agreed processes. 
2. Engage with key stakeholders to ensure processes for delivering cross-cutting bids are understood and that departments have the required information to engage effectively and efficiently throughout the fiscal events process.  
3. Work with relevant teams to ensure government guidance effectively reflects and incentivises cross-cutting and preventative spending priorities, setting clear expectations and support for departments to work across boundaries. 
4. Provide briefing and support for senior officials and/or Ministers to enable them to clearly set out and articulate the governments approach to cross-cutting spending decisions when appearing in front of relevant committees and/or other fora. 
5. Build strong partnerships and relationships with officials across government in order to deliver HM Treasury’s objectives in reform policy areas.

A background in or understanding of public spending is desirable, but not essential, for the role.

Candidate Drop-In Session 

If this sounds like the role for you, or you have any questions, we would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact the hiring manager Garret Norwood (garrett.norwood@hmtreasury.gov.uk).

We will also be running a candidate drop-in session for this role to give you greater insight about the role as well as the chance to learn more about HM Treasury and the recruitment process. If you would like to join us, then use the appropriate link below to join the call at the right time. 
 
Wednesday 29th May at 17:00: Click here to join the meeting

Person specification

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.    Changing and improving: engage with stakeholders to propose and implement changes which add value and achieve cross-departmental priorities. 
2.    Seeing the big picture: ability to navigate a complex policy and political landscape and set direction, demonstrating strong strategic thinking skills.
3.    Communicating and influencing: sophisticated stakeholder management and influencing skills, with a proven ability to quickly inspire confidence and build strong and open relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
 
The lead criterion is: Changing and Improving

If we receive large volumes of applications, we will conduct an initial sift on the lead criterion only.
 
Candidate Guidance Support Session 
 
We will be running an overview of Success Profiles and the STAR approach; top tips for the application and interview process and an opportunity to ask general questions around our recruitment practices. If you would like to join us, then use the link below to join the call at the right time. 
 
5th June at 12:30hrs Join the meeting now

At interview stage, you will be assessed on the below criteria: 

• Strengths
• Behaviours:
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Changing and Improving
  • Seeing the Big Picture  

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: 5th June 2024

Shortlisting: From 6th June 2024

Interviews:  w/c 17th June 2024 

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.

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. 

Individuals appointed to the Treasury Group will be subject to National Security Vetting. To allow for meaningful checks to be carried out applicants will normally need to have lived in the UK for at least 3 out of the past 5 years. A lack of UK residency in itself is not always a bar to security clearance but the Department will need to consider eligibility on a case by case basis using all information that can be obtained following a successful application. 

Everyone working with government assets must complete Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks.  

For many roles, security clearance is also required. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements of the role before they can be appointed. The level of security clearance required for this role is Counter Terrorist Check (CTC)  

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 counter-terrorist 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.