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

About the Group: International Group 

Do you want to advise ministers on promoting and protecting the UK’s economy and its competitiveness internationally in a fast-changing environment?  If so, read on!

International Group provides opportunities to work on areas including - spending control on international development, trade policy, climate change, health, cooperation on Ukraine, economic security, financial sanctions and tackling illicit finance.  We also manage economic relationships with Europe, US, China and other advanced economies and emerging markets.

We build relationships with external and international partners and represent the UK in a range of international groupings and institutions, including the G7, the G20, the International Monetary Fund and at some of the Multilateral Development Banks. We also analyse international comparisons and the wider global economic context, including for fiscal events.  Although international travel is an important part of some roles, it is not required for every role in the group and will be specified if required.  

About the Team: The Sanctions and Illicit Finance (SIF) Team

Based in HM Treasury's International Group, the Sanctions and Illicit Finance team (SIF) develops policies and legislation to address economic crime and illicit finance in the UK and overseas, to help protect the stability of the global financial system.

The team is made up of 5 branches, which work closely together: 

1. Sanctions and Counter Terrorist Financing branch, which works with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) and others to craft financial sanction regimes.
2. Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and International branch. This branch leads the UK’s strategy towards meetings of FATF, which sets global anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing standards, and peer reviews countries against them.
3. Technical Assistance Unit, which works with developing countries to assist their compliance with international standards on countering illicit finance.
4. Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Unit, which owns the Money Laundering Regulations and the supervisory system which oversees compliance with them.
5. Economic Crime Strategy Unit, which works with other departments such as the Home Office and the Department for Business and Trade, law enforcement agencies and the private sector to coordinate the Government’s approach to tackling economic crime. 

SIF encourages flexible working arrangements. We put a high importance on wellbeing and a good work-life balance, with regular team social activities. We are committed to being an open and inclusive team, please speak to the hiring manager about our approach to fairness and diversity in recruitment.

About the Roles

We are happy to be able to offer two SEO roles in the Anti-Money Laundering Unit, covering all aspects of this essential, high-profile and rapidly evolving policy area.

Certain types of businesses are required to follow the Money Laundering Regulations, for which HM Treasury (and specifically the Anti-Money Laundering Unit) has overall responsibility. The Regulations are legal obligations which set out rules that these businesses must follow (such as carrying out “Know Your Customer” checks) to detect and prevent customers from laundering money or financing terrorist organisations. Around 100,000 businesses are subject to the Money Laundering Regulations including banks, casinos, lawyers, accountants, estate agents and art dealers. Each regulated sector also has a supervisor which oversees their work and issues penalties for any non-compliance with the rules.

HM Treasury has recently consulted on improving the effectiveness of the regulations, alongside options for more fundamental reform of the supervision regime. Both roles will involve advising on and delivering the Government’s response to these consultations. They will also support overall preparations for a major review of the UK’s Anti-Money Laundering/Counter-Terrorist Financing regime by the global standard-setter – the Financial Action Task Force – which will begin formally in the next couple of years.

The profiles for each role are as follows:

SEO Policy Adviser, Domestic Anti-Money Laundering/Counter-Terrorist Financing Policy

We are recruiting an SEO policy adviser for an exciting role shaping the future of anti-money laundering legislation in the UK. As the post-holder, your main objective will be to deliver a wide-ranging package of reforms to improve the effectiveness of the Money Laundering Regulations.

This is a high-profile policy area, and you will need to maintain momentum on detailed policy development while responding to regular interest in the real-world impact of the Regulations from the public, regulated firms, multiple departments and regulators, international bodies, and Parliament. You will lead the response to the consultation, directly analysing the policy options available and providing strategic advice to Treasury ministers, while also ensuring high-quality input from across the public and private sectors to produce impact assessments, prepare formal legislative changes, and update associated guidance.

Indicative responsibilities are set out below, but these can be discussed further after appointment and may need to change to meet the team's needs.

1. You will project manage the Government’s response to the recent consultation on Improving the Effectiveness of the Money Laundering Regulations, working across team boundaries to analyse responses and different policy options, recommend a package of options to ministers, and ensure timely delivery of legislative changes.
2. You will be the policy lead on Enhanced Due Diligence measures, with responsibility for deciding how to take forward the changes in this area proposed in the consultation (including on the requirements for transactions involving High Risk Third Countries).
3. You will work closely with Treasury teams on access to banking and wider regulatory strategy, to advise ministers on how to balance economic growth and national security objectives. This may involve, for instance, ensuring that measures to prevent economic crime do not have disproportionate or unintended consequences on the availability of services to legitimate consumers, small businesses and charities.
4. You will lead HM Treasury’s relationship with the Gambling Commission, which oversees compliance with the money laundering regulations by casinos. You will also work closely with the Office for Professional Body AML Supervision (OPBAS), to hold to account the 22 private sector bodies currently supervising the legal and accountancy sectors.
5. You will lead on reviewing and approving relevant sectoral guidance explaining the Money Laundering Regulations, working with lawyers to provide advice to ministers on any areas of legal risk. 

SEO Policy Adviser, Anti-Money Laundering/Counter-Terrorist Financing Supervision Reform

We are recruiting an SEO policy adviser for an exciting role helping us reform the supervision regime. This is a key UK priority reform ahead of our next inspection by the international standard setting body, the Financial Action Task Force.

In 2024 we have a lot of exciting work to do. Our objective is to make a policy decision on the preferred model for reform early in the next parliament, and then proceed swiftly to implement it. As the post-holder, you can expect to see substantial elements of this major reform from start to end. You could be developing our policy to determine exactly what the UK’s new supervision regime will look like, publishing a document responding to our recent consultation, legislating, and implementing the policy. This is a high-profile policy area, facing keen and conflicting interests from hundreds of businesses, multiple departments, international bodies, and Parliament itself.

You will make recommendations to Treasury ministers on the best model for reform, and then plan how to implement the chosen option. Indicative responsibilities are set out below, but these can be discussed further after appointment and may need to change to meet the team's needs.

1. You will analyse evidence from a wide range of sources and use this to formulate your own ministerial recommendations for our detailed policy design, helping ministers decide how to reform the UK’s anti-money laundering supervision regime.
2. You will build relationships with a range of other government departments, other public organisations such as law enforcement agencies, and private sector businesses with strong and contradictory interests in supervisory reform.
3. Specific products you could be leading on include public government policy documents, spending decisions and business cases, and primary and secondary legislation.
4. You will work with stakeholders and the rest of the team to develop detailed plans to implement the chosen policy, and actually carry out the key implementation steps.
5. You will also lead on briefing ministers about the reform programme and drafting communications documents for internal and external use, ensuring all necessary products are prepared promptly to a high standard.

Previous knowledge of anti-money laundering, tackling economic crime, FATF standards, or regulatory oversight would be useful.  However, prior experience is not essential and we would welcome applicants with a diverse range of experience. If the successful candidates do not have relevant knowledge, the postholder(s) will be supported with development opportunities to get to grips with the subject matter and develop core skills.

Candidate Drop-In Session 
 
The hiring managers will be running a candidate drop-in session between 12.30-13.30 on Tuesday 18 June to give you greater insight about the roles as well as the chance to learn more about HM Treasury and ask any questions you may have. If you would like to join us, then use the Microsoft Teams link below to join the call at the right time. 

 If you would like to speak to the hiring managers informally prior to the closing date for applications to find out more about the two roles, please contact:

• ben.young@hmtreasury.gov.uk (for the Domestic Anti-Money Laundering/Counter-Terrorist Financing Policy role); or
• oli.davies@hmtreasury.gov.uk (for the Anti-Money Laundering/Counter-Terrorist Financing Supervision Reform role).

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.  

Essential criteria

1. Ability to undertake detailed analysis of a range of information to support decisions related to policy development, clearly identifying issues, and presenting options, benefits and risks. (Making Effective Decisions).
2. Ability to understand the main factors driving work and ensuring that those are captured in planning and communicated to relevant peers and seniors. (Seeing the Big Picture).
3. Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders, including when they do not share your objectives (Working together)

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.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,500, HM Treasury contributes £11,060 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: Sunday 30th June (23:55)

Shortlisting: w/c1st July

Interviews:  w/c 8th / 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 Security Check (SC) 

To allow for meaningful checks to be carried out, applicants will need to have lived in the UK for at least 3 out of the past 5 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 security 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.