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 Services Group 

The Financial Services Group advises the government on how to promote a stable and efficient financial services sector, to deliver excellent outcomes for consumers and business, enhance the UK’s position as a global hub for financial services and support economic growth across the country.

The financial services sector is important to the UK economy – providing significant numbers of jobs and making a large contribution to the UK’s economic output. It also provides essential services to individuals – for example, helping them to purchase goods with ease, buy their first home, and plan for their retirement. During the COVID pandemic, it played a critical role in supporting individuals and businesses – for example, in providing payment holidays for individuals and businesses affected by the pandemic and working with the government to deliver Bounce Back Loans.

We ensure that financial services businesses such as banks, investment firms, financial advisors and insurers are well-regulated. Ensuring firms treat customers fairly, customers have access to a range of financial services as a result of competition in the market, and there are appropriate remedies in place when things go wrong.

We work on a significant international agenda which includes promoting openness and trading links between the UK and countries all around the world, including through Free Trade Agreements and other international dialogues and negotiations.  To do this we work closely with colleagues in offices overseas from the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office and the Department for International Trade.

Working with stakeholders is key in Financial Services – for example, we work closely with the independent regulators to help them fulfil their roles, consult consumer groups on issues affecting them, and work with the sector on wider issues like the net-zero agenda.

Securities and Markets (SAM)

We develop policy on matters relating to the competitiveness, regulation and, and good functioning of the UK’s financial markets, to support UK growth. The range of our work is wide, from formulating the laws and regulations which govern the behaviour of investment bankers and traders, to ensuring that UK financial markets continue to attract the best UK and overseas companies and are a powerful driver for economic growth.

One of our most immediate objectives is to implement reforms to our capital markets now that the UK has left the EU, to ensure our regime works for UK markets and UK firms. This involves interesting policy work, considering from first principles what is appropriate to meet our goals. As part of this, we work closely with teams across HMT and Government, with industry, think tanks and with the regulators. In particular, the team works closely with colleagues in the Bank of England, the Financial Conduct Authority, and UK missions around the world. We also heavily engage with the financial services sector, from major investment banks to trade bodies representing the interests of small-cap issuers. The team is regularly required to work at pace to provide advice to Ministers on high-profile current issues and high-profile listings.

We are advertising for a Policy Adviser in the Primary Markets branch, joining one other policy adviser working to a Grade 7 and working closely with others from the wider Securities and Markets team. The responsibilities will be wide-ranging and involve driving forward the delivery of several high-profile ministerial priorities to improve UK markets. The main focus of the role in the coming months include working closely with the FCA and lawyers to deliver an overhaul of the UK’s disclosure regime for retail investors and supporting a programme of ministerial engagement with firms seeking to publicly list on UK markets. The branch has a strong focus on personal development, where you will be encouraged to pursue stretching projects to enable you to develop and thrive.

Key Accountabilities – Policy Adviser

Government Policies – the plans we make and actions we take – shape lives. Whether it’s how we fund education, or actions to ensure the health system can deliver during difficult times, the policy we create and implement sets the course of action for all public services.

Great policy making is about understanding what needs to change, what problems need to be solved and supporting Ministers to arrive at the best solution to deliver the change. Policy also means working out how we are going to make the changes or solve the problems, and then delivering on those plans. To do all this, we need to build relationships with Ministers, Civil Service colleagues, groups with expertise and the public. To work on policy as a Policy Adviser, you will need to demonstrate a range of skills, including strong problem-solving skills, the ability to clearly explain your thinking both in writing and in person, and the drive to overcome challenges and see your ideas through into action and delivery.

You don’t need to be a policy professional or have any specific qualifications to apply to work as a Policy Adviser at HM Treasury. We are looking for people who have the right set of skills for the role, who demonstrate the values of our organisation, and who are motivated to come and work with us on a range of issues that are at the heart of how we spend money and deliver public services.

Key accountabilities for this role include:

1. Leading on the response to the review of the UK’s new disclosure regime for retail investors, taking forward the required legislation to implement the new UK policy;
2. Preparing advice for Ministers and seniors on key strategic decisions related to primary markets policy and regulation;
3. Supporting the development of the UK IPO pipeline by developing and delivering a cross-government engagement strategy;
4. Supporting Ministers and seniors across a wide range of industry engagement, including ministerial roundtable and speeches;
5. Representing the interests of the primary markets team across a range of cross-cutting, high-profile issues across Treasury, supporting the strategic direction of wider work;
6. Building and managing relationships across-government, industry and with the independent regulator (the Financial Conduct Authority) on cross-cutting issues related to primary markets.

Given the fast-paced nature of the work involved, the postholder will be required to apply sound judgement to a range of fast-paced policy issues, promoting the objectives of the branch and prepare to be flexible to manage competing priorities.

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. 

23rd February 2024 at 12:30hrs Click to Join

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 Miriam.Bengougam@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.   

1. Making effective decisions – ability to analyse and assess a range of information and evidence to make clear recommendations or decisions
2. Communicating and influencing – experience using a range of communication styles to distilling complex information into clear and simple prose
3. Delivering at pace – demonstrable experience of independently managing competing priorities, through collaboration with others where necessary, to ensure deadlines are met

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.

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. 

Friday 16th February at 12:30hrs Click here to join the meeting

Monday 26th February at 17:30hrs Click here to join the meeting 

Your Interview

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

•    Strengths

•    Behaviours:

-    Making Effective Decisions 
-    Communicating and Influencing 
-    Delivering at Pace 
-    Seeing the Big Picture 

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: 3rd March 2024

Shortlisting: w/c 4th March 2024

Interviews:  w/c 11th / 18th March 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.