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

Financial Stability Group

The Financial Stability Group advises government on ensuring the stability of the UK financial system and economy. We track new and existing risks to the financial stability of the UK and the global financial system, taking action to mitigate risks and combat these when needed.

We intervene directly to manage any public support for the financial services sector – including stewardship of (and exit from) the government’s interests in NatWest Bank.

We’re also responsible for ensuring that the financial authorities have the appropriate legal powers and resources to deal with future failures in the financial sector, as well as planning for future stability events.

The Group works with the Bank of England, the Prudential Regulation Authority, the Financial Conduct Authority, the intelligence agencies and international partners, to build and maintain systems to monitor assess and deal with financial stability risks.

Resilience and Resolution Team

The Resilience and Resolution Team monitors, prepares for, and mitigates risks to the stability of the financial system. We do this by ensuring the UK authorities have the tools to respond to events in the financial system, such as a bank failure or cyber-attack, in a way that protects the taxpayer and customers who rely on it for their daily banking. This is an active policy area, and the team responds to events in the financial system in real time.

We work closely with the financial sector’s regulators, the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and with partners across Government, particularly the Cabinet Office and the security agencies.

We also participate in international dialogues in the G20, G7 and EU on risks facing the global financial system to shape global policy making.

Resilience Unit

The Resilience Unit is responsible for improving the security and operational resilience of the finance sector to risks. Such as, hostile state activity, cyber-attacks, technological failure, and dependencies on other critical sectors. HM Treasury is the lead government department with responsibility for operational resilience, including cyber resilience of the finance sector. We work closely with the finance sector regulators, the National Cyber Security Centre, the National Protective Security Authority, and other parts of Government to understand threats, to ensure a strong regulatory framework and respond to incidents. The team works with international partners, particularly the US Treasury, the G20 and G7 to shape cyber policy in the finance sector.

We are also responsible for coordinating the financial authorities’ response to operational disruption of the finance sector, and when serious incidents occur in the finance sector we work at pace to manage the response. This is a very outward-facing team: we work closely with the sector’s regulators, the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority; and with partners across Government, particularly the Cabinet Office and the security agencies. We are also building our relationships with critical firms in the sector.

About the Job 

This is a varied and stretching role, with complex policy issues and stakeholder relationships. It offers insight into the UK’s prosperity and security objectives. There will be scope to adjust policy portfolios within the unit depending on the interests and experience of the successful candidate and business requirements. Given the increasing profile of operational resilience, and the finance sector’s leadership in this area, this will involve opportunities to advise senior officials and ministers. 

Key accountabilities include:

1. Lead the scoping and development of an HMT-owned sector security and resilience network. The postholder will work with senior industry representatives, HMT colleagues, Financial Stability Group senior leaders, the National Cyber Security Centre, the National Protective Security Authority, and other departments to design, promote and deliver a novel and impactful board-level network.
2. Commission and provide subject matter expert input into intelligence assessments from the assessment community to aid HMT’s understanding of the threat to the finance sector and policy development. 
3. Work with the intelligence community to enable appropriate sharing of information as part of sector engagement.
4. Develop and own the Resilience Unit’s firm-level engagement strategy, alongside the sector network. The post holder will use their knowledge of the Unit’s priorities and of critical financial institutions to build trusting relationships with industry contacts on national security and resilience.
5. Lead on developing policy to respond to resilience risks in the sector. Working across Government you will produce comprehensive and authoritative advice and recommendations on policy interventions to mitigate risks to critical infrastructure.
6. Effectively represent HMT views externally, such as at coordination groups with senior representatives from financial firms on national security and operational resilience. 
7. Build strong working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders both internally and externally. You will work closely with colleagues across the Bank of England, Prudential Regulation Authority, Financial Conduct Authority, National Cyber Security Centre, National Protective Security Authority, Cabinet Office and other government departments. You will need to leverage these relationships to manage and deliver HMT objectives. 
8. Play an active role in responding to major incidents to minimise negative impacts on the finance sector and consumers. 

Candidate Drop-In Session 
 
We will 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. 

Friday 19 April 2024, 11.00am Join the meeting now

Meeting ID: 330 745 181 269

Passcode: bePCnc

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 Luke Godwin luke.godwin@hmtreasury.gov.uk

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.  

• Experience – Experience of working with, and building strong relationships with, a range of stakeholders both inside and outside of Government, including at senior levels.
• Seeing the Big Picture - Understand how the strategies and activities of the team create value and meet the diverse needs of all stakeholders.
• Communicating and Influencing - Communicate in a straightforward, honest and engaging manner, choosing appropriate styles to maximise understanding and impact.
• Delivering at Pace - Show a positive approach to keeping the whole team’s efforts focused on the top priorities. Regularly monitor your own and team’s work against milestones ensuring individual needs are considered when setting tasks.

The lead criteria is: Experience

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

Your Interview

• Experience
• Strengths
• Behaviours:
  • Seeing the Big Picture
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Delivering at Pace 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,500, HM Treasury contributes £10,665 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: 28 April 2024
• Shortlisting: w/c 29th April 2024
• Interviews:  w/c 6th / 13th May 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.

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. 

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 the last 10 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 Developed Vetting (DV)

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.