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

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.  

This post sits in the Economic Crime and Sanctions (ECAS) Group, which is comprised of 2 teams, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) and Sanctions and Illicit Finance (SIF):

The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI)

OFSI sits within HM Treasury, has been operational since March 2016 and in its first six years quickly established itself as a world-leader in financial sanctions, a key area of financial, foreign and national security policy. It remains front and centre of an unprecedented financial sanctions response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

HM Treasury implements financial sanctions in the UK, and OFSI fulfils this role on its behalf. 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 charitable sectors, and guidance to help them follow the law. It works closely with law enforcement, intelligence agencies and strategic policy colleagues across Whitehall and beyond to help ensure that financial sanctions are accurately understood, implemented and enforced. OFSI has important partner relationships in the regulated financial services sector, the primary implementers of financial sanctions, and is an integral part of the sanctions community worldwide.

Robust enforcement of financial sanctions helps to maintain the integrity of and confidence in the UK financial sector, a priority for the Prime Minister and the Chancellor. We have strong powers, including to impose monetary penalties, and is in the front line in the fight against this serious crime.

OFSI is a diverse and dynamic team of over 130 people, from a variety of backgrounds and professions. We offer an outstanding environment to broaden your experience and develop new skills, whilst working on some of the highest profile international issues the UK faces. We strongly support a good work-life balance and flexible working is actively encouraged.

You can read more about OFSI on our gov.uk page here: https://www.gov.uk/ofsi

The Sanctions and Illicit Finance (SIF) Team

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 Job 

This is an exciting role at the heart of our work to combat economic crime and enforce financial sanctions. The role holder will sit at the centre of our work, as the main liaison between our Director and the Group (Economic Crime and Sanctions – ECAS), leading an Office Management Services team that is vital to our success. The host holder will be the Private Secretary to our Director, who leads HMT’s work on Economic Crime and Sanctions. The Director leads a busy policy & implementation agenda, covering a range of issues from the Russian invasion of Ukraine to domestic anti-money laundering rules. You will help them manage their time and inbox, and ensure their priorities and steers are actioned. You will also line-manage the 2 PAs supporting our 3 other SCS and work flexibly with them to ensure all our SCS are supported. You will ensure that the Senior Management Team, who help the Director run the group, works effectively and takes the decisions it needs to take. This role also includes oversight of our Group’s staffing – tracking how many staff we have, where they sit and how they are financed. The post holder will implement our recruitment strategy – making sure we are using graduates, interns and apprentices in line with that strategy. You will oversee our annual appraisals round ensuring our diversity & inclusion targets are met. Key responsibilities will include: 1)             Private Secretary to the Director: a.     Link the Director to the Senior Management team and to ECAS – ensure their steers are acted on and enable them to best support the teams and other SCS. Organise regular stand-ups (etc) to ensure they are visible. b.    Manage their diary to ensure their time is well spent – prioritise meetings, commission briefing, ensure readouts/actions are produced where needed. Organise their travel and expenses. c.     Coordinate and collate briefing for the Director, intelligently commissioning and following-up based on their priorities. d.    Manage the Director’s inbox to ensure urgent emails are prioritised and important emails flagged 2)             ECAS Group staffing: a.     Have oversight of the status and assessment of the 175+ staff currently in the Group. Monitor our staff numbers and headcount against our targets. Ensure we are reporting accurately to the central teams. Challenge and be challenged on our performance. Assist the Director in their quarterly reports on our headcount. b.    Implement our Darlington recruitment strategy and report regularly on it c.     Lead on managing and recognising performance in the Group including ongoing talent management and the end-of-year process (organise our approach, communicate to our staff, work with HR, coordinate diaries and ensure the right procedures are followed). Throughout the year, help ECAS staff access in-year rewards for their staff, in a way tailored to each team’s needs; process bonus letters and reward vouchers. d.    Lead bids for graduates, apprentices, interns, summer students etc – help the management team prioritise where to place these new starters 3)             Line management of 2 Range C PAs to our DDs (one in London, one in Darlington) – ensuring a high standard of management leading to a high standard of support for our SCS. Help them problem solve and help cover any absences or issues. Ensure any performance issues or concerns are quickly and effectively addressed. 4)             Support the Senior Management Team: a.     Identify and prepare the chair for each ECAS Senior Management Team meeting. Set the agenda for each meeting and organise a forward look for the agenda. Attend each meeting to ensure any actions are logged, communicated and acted on – spot where actions overlap or relate to each other b.    Support your managees to provide similar support for other Senior Management Team meetings. c.     Organise (with your manageees) Senior Management Team Away Days, including ensuring they have readouts and agree actions (and those actions are followed-up on) d.    Lead on Business Continuity Planning for the Group 5)             Review and redesign our current corporate priorities, ensure each has an lead and support them once they are up-and-running. Ensure they regularly report to SCS. 6)             Work flexibly across the Governance, Operations and Strategy Unit to assist in other areas where needed. This role requires a Security Check (SC) level clearance before starting in the post and the successful candidate may be required to obtain Developed Vetting (DV) clearance whilst in post (if not already held). Candidate Drop-In Session    The hiring manager 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 ask any questions you may have. If you would like to join us, then use the appropriate link below to join the call at the right time.  Tuesday 23rd July 12:30 – 1pm Join the meeting now 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 laura.harbidge@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.   

• Ability to muti-task, react quickly to changing events & priorities, and think on your feet to solve issues quickly (Delivering at Pace)
• Ability to run a service to a high standard and maintain that service even with multiple conflicting priorities and demands on your time. (Managing a quality service)
• A proven ability to work with others even in a busy or high-pressure environment. (Working Together)
• Ability to get the best out of individuals, developing them and supporting them to develop in their role. (Developing self and others)

The lead criterion is: Ability to muti-task, react quickly to changing events & priorities, and think on your feet to solve issues quickly (Delivering at Pace)

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 including top tips for the application and interview process and an opportunity to ask general questions around our recruitment practices. Please note that this session is not role specific, so we will be unable to answer specific questions about roles we are advertising. If you would like to join us, please use the link below to join the call at the right time.  

Thursday 18th July at 12:30: Join the meeting now

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £31,710, HM Treasury contributes £8,878 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 July

Shortlisting: w/c 29th July

Interviews:  w/c 5th August

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.