About the job

Job summary

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

Would you like to learn more about energy?

The Energy Statistics team in DESNZ is offering exciting opportunities for university students completing a UK undergraduate degree with placement year. Never before has energy and climate change been more in the public light and at the centre of government policy. As part of the Energy Statistics team you will work with hardworking statisticians providing data and evidence on energy to support government policy making and monitoring.  We are also responsible for meeting international data reporting requirements, supporting Departmental work to advise and brief Ministers and senior officials, and responding to parliamentary questions and public correspondence about energy information.

This role is only open to undergraduate students for whom this placement forms part of their degree course, e.g.students currently in the second year of a three-year course with a placement year.

Person specification

We will place successful candidates in a team which covers one of the areas below:

•   Analysing electricity generation data for regular publications relating to the security of electricity supply and developing analysis to further the inclusion of renewable generation types.
•  Collecting and analysing oil and gas data, with a focus on helping manage the UK’s emergency oil stockholding system and providing policymakers with data and analysis to support evidence-based decision making.
•  Collecting and analysing data on domestic energy bills, monitoring the impact of consumers switching between energy suppliers and other analysis on the prices paid by industry and households for fuel & energy in the United Kingdom.
•  Analysis of households who are living in fuel poverty to identify the most vulnerable households living in in-efficient homes enabling resources to be targeted to upgrading these.

Placement students are also given the opportunity to write and contribute to published articles in these areas of work, and to contribute to development of code-based production systems.

Further information on these statistics can be found on the team’s webpage using this link: 

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/total-energy-statistics

Please let us know if you have an interest in one of the areas above. There are no guarantees that students are placed according to their area of interest, however, we will certainly take this into consideration.

Please note that the DESNZ Energy Statistics team is based in London. Any successful applicants based in Salford will be managed remotely using Teams video calls and e-mails.

Skills and Experience 

In order to meet the requirements of the role, the student will need to demonstrate the following competencies when completing the application form:

•            Sound analytical skills, along with a grasp of descriptive and inferential statistics;
•            Interpersonal and team working skills;
•            An ability to apply themselves to solving problems, 
•            An ability to work accurately without the need for supervision on some projects; and
•            Demonstrate strong initiative to learn and use new skills rapidly to complete a project or task.

 Desirable experience

•            Experience writing code to manipulate data and/or carry out statistical analysis using Python/SQL/SAS

Essential Criteria

This role is only open to undergraduate students for whom this placement forms part of their degree course, e.g.students currently in the second year of a three-year course with a placement year.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £22,440, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero contributes £6,058 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, Experience and Technical skills.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, behavioural statements and technical statement.

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

Applications will be sifted on behavioural statements, CV and any technical skills required.

In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the lead technical skill (Statistics).

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 technical questions, as well as a written exercise.

Sift and interview dates

Expected Timeline subject to change

Sift dates: w/c 08/01/2024

Interview dates: w/c 22/01/2024

Interview Location: MS Teams.

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

Further Information

Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

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. 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.