About the job

Job summary

About 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.  

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

Personal Tax, Welfare and Pensions 

We work to create a tax and welfare system which supports the government’s goals of fiscal sustainability, economic growth and fairness. We look after high profile areas including personal taxes, labour markets, welfare, tax administration, pensions, tax avoidance, and savings. We also coordinate spending controls for both HM Revenue & Customs and the Department for Work and Pensions. The Group is responsible for over £400bn in tax receipts and £300bn in welfare spending, impacting the lives of millions of citizens across the UK. 

Our work means that we are often at the centre of ministers’ decision making, and we play an important part in the Budget and the Spending Review. Our group works closely with colleagues at HMRC, DWP and the Prime Minister’s office, and with a wide variety of external stakeholders. 

PTWP is a friendly, diverse, and inclusive Group, with a wide range of backgrounds and specialisms. We have an active ‘Wellbeing Plan’ focused on learning and belonging.  

About the Team 

Personal Tax

The team covers a very broad range of exciting policies that are important across the population. The size and influence of these policies means that they are always of interest to ministers, and the post holder will have the chance to work closely with seniors, SpAds and ministers. 

We play an active role in making sure that PTWP has an inclusive, positive working environment. We are committed to ensuring a good work-life balance and currently have people with a variety of working patterns, including part-time roles.  

The Personal Tax (PT) team is responsible for income tax, National Insurance contributions (NICs), inheritance tax and other aspects of the personal tax system, including longer-term strategy and linking up with other areas of tax and welfare. Total personal tax receipts exceed £400bn so our policies are fundamental in fiscal and economic importance to the Treasury - and of significant interest to the Chancellor and other ministers. For example, over the past few years this has included reducing the main rate of NICs, changes to the taxation of non-UK domiciled individuals, freezing NICs and income tax thresholds, and more.  

We work with teams across HM Treasury, HMRC as well as other government departments and Number 10. We also engage with a range of external stakeholders. 

About the Job

The Personal Tax team is looking for a new member who will lead on a key set of policy issues relating to the taxation of employment intermediaries and support on wider priorities relating to the personal tax system.  

The UK labour market has seen firms and individuals adopt a wide range of ways of working. One such shift over the last decade has been the growth in the use of labour market intermediaries. Taxation of employment intermediaries is therefore a dynamic and high priority policy area and has attracted significant ministerial interest.  

The post-holder will line manage a Higher Executive Officer (HEO) and support the E2 in leading the wider National Insurance contributions, Benefits in Kind / Expenses and Intermediaries (NBI) branch. They will have a broader team leadership role in maintaining the positive and inclusive culture of the Personal Tax team and the wider group.   

Key accountabilities for this role are: 

- Lead on policy development and delivery on the taxation of employment intermediaries. 

- Provide clear and credible advice to ministers and senior officials a throughout the year and at fiscal events, specifically on:  Off-payroll working; umbrella companies, including advising ministers on policy options as follow up to a previous consultation; and policies related to tax avoidance. 

- Ensure that written advice, briefing and correspondence by your branch is completed to a high standard. 

- Build and maintain quality relationships with key partners across Government - primarily HMRC policy partners and relevant labour market policy leads in Department for Business and Trade – as well as with other teams in HMT. 

- Line-manage an HEO, setting clear roles and objectives for your branch, as well focusing as well-being and development.  

- Support the wider leadership of the branch, team and corporate priorities across the group, helping to make PT and PTWP a great place to work. 

PT operate a flexible approach to working across policy areas – and there is also scope for the portfolio for this candidate to adjust in response to ministerial priorities and/or other staffing changes. 

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 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 9th July 2024 @ 16:00 - 16:45 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 alex.nevitte@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.  

The below criteria will be assessed in your application form. 

1) Making Effective Decisions: The ability to develop policy and make evidenced based decisions in a complex, fast-paced, and technically demanding area.  

2) Working Together: Excellent stakeholder management skills, with a proven ability to build strong internal and external relationships within a sensitive environment, and use those relationships to influence policy direction. 

3) Communicating and Influencing: The ability to communicate with clarity, conviction and influence on complicated and sensitive issues, including being able to tailor communication style to different audiences. 

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. 

Thursday 4th July 2024 @ 12:30 Join the meeting now

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £52,960, HM Treasury contributes £14,299 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: Monday 15th July 2024 

Shortlisting: From 16th July 2024 

Interviews: weeks commencing 22nd and 29th July 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. 

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 Counter Terrorist Check (CTC)   

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 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.