About the job

Job summary

Are you looking for an opportunity to work in an interesting and challenging area of stakeholder management whilst directly supporting the delivery of our ambitious net zero targets and associated energy security requirements.?

 

If you do, we have an opening for a Team Leader to join us in our high-profile operational team of the Energy Consents Unit (ECU). 

 

ECU is a branch of the Energy and Climate Change Directorate of the Scottish Government and is a high profile area, which attracts a significant level of media and ministerial interest.

 

As the Team Leader within ECU, you will be leading a team responsible for processing applications for energy infrastructure development to be determined by the Scottish Ministers.  The projects you may work on includes grid infrastructure, onshore wind, solar, storage, nuclear, coal, oil, gas and biomass.

 

The ECU is responsible for processing applications for energy infrastructure to be determined by the Scottish Ministers.  In Scotland, any proposal to construct, extend, or operate an onshore electricity generating station with a capacity of over 50 megawatts (MW), or to install and keep installed an overhead electric line, requires the consent of Scottish Ministers under sections 36 and 37 of the Electricity Act respectively.  Such applications are processed on behalf of the Scottish Ministers by ECU.  Additionally, applications for rights to place or retain infrastructure on private land, or for compulsory purchase of land or rights over land connected with energy infrastructure, are processed by the ECU.

 

Bringing a working knowledge of consenting processes and legislative frameworks and having experience in understanding complex policy issues, ideally within the energy policy landscape and working with consenting frameworks, is essential as you will be responsible for managing stakeholder relationships and the progress of casework within your team.  

 

The ECU Team Leader will report to Head of Energy Consents Unit who will allocate workloads and also provide any technical assistance required to determine all relevant applications. You will also have responsibility for line management of case managers.

Job description

This will include, but not be limited to, delegating tasks, answering any queries on projects the line reports are working on and ensuring all direct line report’s performance is assessed in line with the performance management policies of the Scottish Government.

 

The specific duties associated with this role are to:

• manage the case load of the ECU to ensure applications are dealt with in the appropriate timelines;
• review, quality assure and where necessary draft, recommendations and draft determinations of energy consents applications to the Scottish Ministers in line with The Electricity Act 1989 and The Electricity Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017;
• advise Case Managers (and their relevant teams) on how to achieve conflict resolution in relation to complex matters associated with the case work of the ECU;
• provide monitoring and training to all relevant members of staff within the ECU in relation to energy infrastructure project consenting as required;
• input into documentation on matters that have a direct consequence on the case work of the ECU

Person specification

1. Strong leadership skills and experience of leading a team covering a range of high profile issues with a significant degree of autonomy.
2. Demonstrable understanding of managing planning applications/legislative processes and working knowledge of environmental legislation
3. The ability to collate and analyse complex evidence and information from a wide range of sources to develop recommendations and options for Ministers.
4. Strong organisational skills and experience of delivering successful outcomes using proportionate project management techniques.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £56,020, Scottish Government contributes £15,125 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

Sift and Interview dates TBC
Please apply using the link provided

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.