About the job

Job summary

DESNZ

The responsibilities for the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero for 2023 are as follows: 

• Delivering security of energy supply
• Ensuring properly functioning energy markets
• Encouraging greater energy efficiency
• Seizing the opportunities of net zero to lead the world in new green industries 

For 2023, our priorities are: 

• Ensure security of energy supply this winter, next winter and in the longer-term – bringing down energy bills and reducing inflation.
• Ensure the UK is on track to meet its legally binding Net Zero commitments and support economic growth by significantly speeding up delivery of network infrastructure and domestic energy production.
• Improve the energy efficiency of UK homes, businesses and public sector buildings to meet the 15% demand reduction ambition.
• Deliver current schemes to support energy consumers with their bills and develop options for long-term reform to improve how the electricity market works for families and businesses.
• Seize the economic benefits of Net Zero, including the jobs and growth created through investment in new green industries.
• Pass the Energy Bill to support the emerging CCUS and hydrogen sectors; to update the governance of the energy system; and to reduce the time taken to consent offshore wind. 

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

You will lead and manage policy on some of the Government’s top national security priorities, working with industry partners and colleagues across government to ensure that robust security and resilience measures are in place across Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) in the Downstream Gas and Electricity sectors.  This is a high priority area, commanding Ministerial interest from across HMG.

About the Team:

The State Threats, Energy Resilience and Cyber team ensures the risks of significant disruption to energy supplies and CNI are understood and effectively handled. We work across Whitehall and industry on the mitigation, prevention and reduction of risks, including severe weather (floods, storms, space weather), technical failure, cyber-attacks, terrorism, state actors, industrial action, and economic shocks. Our team works reciprocally to improve the resilience of sectors, in particular the oil, gas and electricity sectors, leading on the development of contingency plans and mitigation policies.

Key Responsibilities:

This is an exciting and challenging role, in which you will:

• Lead key elements of security policy for critical national infrastructure in the downstream gas and electricity sectors, providing direction and oversight of physical and personnel security programmes for critical national infrastructure in the downstream gas and electricity sectors.
• Lead the development and implementation of a new Security Strategy for the downstream gas and electricity sectors as they transition to Net-Zero.
• Own relationships with key industry stakeholders and security teams across DESNZ and HMG, working collaboratively on risk identification and development of mitigations.
• Likely have opportunities to task manage colleagues to deliver key projects and policies in your portfolio.
• Form part of the team’s emergency response function, regularly exercising to prepare for emergencies in the gas and electricity sector and responding when they do occur.
• Represent DESNZ at external meetings, conferences etc. as required.
• Help to promote a positive culture of diversity, inclusion and collaboration within the team.

Person specification

Do you thrive working on constantly evolving priorities, working with colleagues and industry partners in an exciting area of energy policy? Then we could be the team for you! The successful candidate will:

• Be dedicated and have a hardworking, flexible approach to work.
• Enjoy developing good working relationships with colleagues at all levels, and own relationships with key industry stakeholders.
• Be able to adapt to constantly changing priorities, with good project management skills and the ability to prioritise multiple workstreams.
• Have strong policy skills and an interest in deploying these to develop pragmatic solutions to risk management, strategy development and implementation.
• Have excellent communication skills and be able to interpret and consolidate information from multiple sources into clear briefings, reports and recommendations.
• Be keen to build your subject matter expertise in energy policy, security and crisis management to provide support and advice to colleagues.
• Be able to clearly advise senior staff and ministers on complex risks and issues, to support decision making, and translate technical information into an accessible form for a non-expert audience.
• Be ready to support our crisis response work – thriving in a fast paced, uncertain environment

Experience of security, resilience or energy policy and/or emergency response is desirable but not essential.

Emergencies can occur at any time. You will be a member of the Out of Hours Emergency Rota (roughly 1 week in 7), providing a 24hr/7days a week capability. An additional allowance is provided for this function.

Please note that whilst existing DV clearance is not required to be appointed to these roles, successful candidates must be willing to obtain SC and then DV. It is the responsibility of the applicant to have completed and returned an SC security questionnaire to United Kingdom Security Vetting as part of the onboarding process, otherwise a start date cannot be provided.

Benefits

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero offers a competitive mix of benefits including:

• A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
• Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an average employer contribution of 27%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
• An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
• Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.
• A hybrid office/home based working model where staff will spend a norm of 40-60% of their time in the office (minimum of 40%) over a month with flex dependent on balancing business and individual need.

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, personal statement  and a number of behavioural statements.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please use your personal statement (in no more than 500 words) to outline your suitability for the role, with reference to the skills and experience listed in the job advertisement.

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 behavioural statement (Making Effective Decisions). 

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.  

Sift and interview dates

Expected Timeline subject to change

Sift dates: from 3rd January 2024

Interview dates: w/c 15th January 2024

Interview Location: MS Teams.

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

Further Information

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 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. 

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 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.