About the job

Job summary

The Integrated Corporate Services (ICS) is a new shared corporate service, launched in July 2023. It will provide corporate services (HR, Finance, Digital, Commercial, Security and Estates) across the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ) and the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT).  

Our team of just over 300 professionals will be leading the way in how these functions will be delivered in the future. Our ambition is to be the leading provider of integrated corporate services for government and set the standard for quality, efficiency, and innovation in our field. 

Our Inclusive Environment 

We are building an inclusive culture to make the Department a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued, have a voice and can be their authentic selves. We value difference and diversity, not only because we believe it is the right thing to do, but because it will help us be more innovative and make better decisions.  

We offer first-class flexible working benefits, excellent employee well-being support and a great pension. We are fortunate to have a range of excellent staff networks and are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We will support talented people from all backgrounds to build a career and thrive. 

We actively welcome applications from anyone who shares our commitment to inclusion. We will fully support candidates with a disability or long-term condition who require adjustments in our recruitment process. 

Find Out More 

We regularly run events where you can find out more about the department and tips for the application process. You can sign up for upcoming events here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/departmentforenergysecurityandnetzero?  

You can also follow our LinkedIn Careers Page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/desnz-careers/  

Job description

The Counter Fraud Expert Services (CFES) team is looking for a counter fraud professional with the experience, skills and personal qualities for a Senior Executive Officer. The individuals will be part of the team managing the delivery of counter fraud activities across various schemes including, but not limited to, the Energy Schemes, COVID19 schemes, Local Authority Grants Schemes as well as managing Arms Length Bodies and a range of internal and external stakeholders.

The individual will engage with a wide range of stakeholders both inside and outside the Department to help CFES and our delivery partners identify and develop effective counter fraud policies and processes.

The post holder will join a small friendly team working at the forefront of the Government’s Counter Fraud Profession. As the key link between policy teams, delivery organisations and law enforcement, these roles will suit those who excel at team working and influencing to deliver through others.

Person specification

Key Responsibilities

• Leading on discrete areas of work to develop and implement policies and procedures to manage potential for fraud, bribery and corruption.
  Proactively raising the profile of counter-fraud work to support policy teams across CFES and its  arms-length bodies.
• Contribute to improvements in performance reporting and accountability for counter-fraud performance across the CFES portfolio, working closely with internal and external Grants teams, the Public Sector Fraud Authority, arms-length bodies and other government departments to deliver maximum value from current activities and achieve best practice. 
• To support the development and implementation of professional standards in counter fraud and grant administration in Departments and its partner organisations.
• To advise colleagues on the management of fraud and abuse of taxpayer support through well designed policies and lessons learnt.
• Develop, project manage and deliver discrete strands of counter-fraud policy development work as directed, quality assuring your contributions. This work may involve working with other government departments to deliver legislative change and delivering bespoke recommendations reports and support to policy teams in across departments.
• Contributing to briefings for Ministers, senior officials, internal and external stakeholders and providing high quality written and oral presentation of policy options and counter-fraud advice, based on the best data and intelligence available.
• Prepare timely, accurate and well drafted responses to PQs, Parliamentary briefing, Freedom of Information requests and Ministerial correspondence, liaising with stakeholders as appropriate to produce accurate and comprehensive responses.
• Contributing to requests for evidence from the National Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee inquiries as appropriate.
• Building and maintaining strong working relationships with policy colleagues, analysts, other government departments, and external stakeholders.
• Delivering a programme of counter-fraud awareness-raising and training events, guidance materials, use of internal/external communications and culture change activities.
• Identifying lessons learned arising from fraud issues identified and sharing best practice

Skills and Experience

Essential Criteria:

• Recent experience of working in a counter fraud environment, particularly in the areas of fraud risk assessing, raising fraud awareness.
• Experience of drafting high quality, accurate reports.
• Experience of stakeholder management and evidence of networking across teams.
• Experience of designing and delivering a programme of training events, guidance materials, use of internal/external communications and culture change activities.

Desirable Criteria:

• Understanding of Government functional standards.
• Member of the government counter fraud profession or;
• Experience of writing fraud risk assessments and initial fraud impact assessments.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £40,950, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero contributes £11,056 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.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, behavioural statements and a personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please use your personal statement (in no more than 750 words) to provide evidence against the essential criteria.

Please note - the CV incorporated into the application form is for information purposes only and will not be scored.

Applications will be sifted on behavioural statements and personal statement. 

In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the lead behaviour statement (Delivering at Pace). 

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

The interview will consist of behaviour and strength based questions.  

Interviewees will be asked to deliver a presentation; further details will be provided nearer the time. 

Sift and interview dates

Expected Timeline subject to change

Sift dates: w/c 20th May 2024

Interview dates: w/c 3rd June 2024

Interview Location: MS Teams.

Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.

Further Information

Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

Reasonable Adjustment

We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.

We fully support adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicants section.

We do not have an exhaustive list of adjustments that we support but just some examples include additional time to complete your application form, behaviour questions up to 72 hours prior to interview and having extra time at interview. 

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

A location based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position.

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Any move to the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero  from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

DESNZ does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home). 

DESNZ cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. DESNZ holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service/Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading. 

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk 

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. 

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. 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.