JOB SUMMARY

Do you want a career where you can make a real difference? Do you want to work at the forefront of current policy making decisions? Do you want to have an impact on the UK and beyond? If yes, then a career at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) could be for you.
Here at DESNZ we are delivering our mission to make the UK a clean energy superpower, with clean electricity by 2030 and accelerating the UK’s journey to net zero. Our work is helping ensure clean energy for all, keep bills down and seize the opportunities to lead the world in new green industries, taking back control of our energy with Great British Energy and encouraging greater energy efficiency across the UK. The work of the department has never been more timely or relevant, and by joining us you will be part of making that difference.
Our work is varied, interesting and most importantly it’s impactful. Our DESNZ Values are interwoven into everything we do; we are bold, we are collaborative, we are inclusive, and we learn. As a department we are committed to these values to build a culture where everyone can thrive.
We offer great working benefits including a world-class pension, flexible working options and a career where your learning and development is taken seriously. We are enormously proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We support candidates with adjustments throughout our recruitment process. Information about disability confidence and just some examples of the adjustments that you can request can be found in the reasonable adjustment section below.
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Are you looking to develop strong policy-making skills in a critical sector to help secure the nation’s energy supplies? The Energy Security and Resilience Directorate ensures energy security in the short- to medium-term, driving cross-Government efforts to maintain a resilient energy system. As part of this multi-disciplinary team, you will lead policy to ensure gas, electricity, and fuel reach where they are needed and shape the resilience of future energy systems as part of Net Zero.
We are recruiting for several policy roles within our National Security and Response (NSR) and Energy Resilience Teams (ERT). Both teams are close-knit, friendly, versatile, and inclusive, with a broad portfolio of work across complementary policy areas.
These roles offer a mix of policy, strategy, and operational components, providing an opportunity to craft priorities and be an integral team member as we grow our capability and influence.
The teams’ work is high-profile, with significant senior and ministerial interest. They handle some of the UK’s most significant risks, as outlined in the National Security Risk Assessment. You will collaborate with industry, regulators, leading practitioners, and governments across the UK and internationally.
The roles are divided between the National Security and Response (NSR) and Energy Resilience (ER) teams:
Both the NSR and ER teams ensure energy (gas, electricity, and fuel) reaches customers, and manage emergencies. They work with stakeholders to ensure the future energy transition as part of Net Zero is secure and resilient. The team is a Centre of Excellence for National Security and Crisis Management, driving cyber security in the energy sector, coordinating responses to threats from hostile states, and assuring our ability to respond to crises affecting the energy and civil nuclear sectors.
The Energy Resilience Team monitors risks to gas, electricity, and oil supplies. They understand the risk to Critical National Infrastructure from hazards and threats now and through to 2050. The team maintains the National Emergency Plans for Fuel and for Gas and Electricity, ensuring ongoing operational readiness. They are developing a Catastrophic Risk Programme to deal with energy-driven system-wide risks, including a National Power Outage. The team responds to energy incidents or emergencies and develops risk-specific plans and operational readiness for specific circumstances.
Occasionally, emergencies within the energy sector occur – this role will provide leadership during responses as a key member of the Energy Security and Resilience Directorate. Depending on the role, there may be an opportunity to join the DESNZ on-call rota, with on-call duties approximately one week out of every six. Training and a small allowance are available. In exceptional circumstances, there may be a requirement to work outside normal hours during emergencies, with additional hours recognized with Time Off in Lieu.
There is an excellent learning and development offer across our crisis management, national security, and energy resilience teams, as well as our wider Departmental Academy and cross-government development programmes. These will help you further develop your skills and experience.
If you want to shape the preparedness of DESNZ and Government to major energy risks, we would love to hear from you! You will have the opportunity to express a preference for available roles during the interview process.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Because we are looking to fill a number of roles through this exercise, we are not looking for a single, fixed set of skills. We encourage applications from people with a diverse set of experience and backgrounds.
Successful candidates will potentially:
Contribute to policy development or delivery, working closely with the rest of our teams across the Directorate.
Work collaboratively with analysts, other specialists and partners to assess the impacts of different policy options and develop delivery plans.
Build specialist expertise for your policy area and help develop advice for Ministers and senior officials on Government policy on Energy Security and Resilience.
Desirable skills will vary by role and not every role will need all of the following, but include:
Experience of solving problems and using evidence to support decisions.
Good communications skills, and able to build and manage relationships with both internal and external partners.
Policy or project delivery experience is desirable but not required, however you will need to demonstrate a desire to develop the right skills for the post.
Most importantly, you should have enthusiasm for this area of work and the desire to work in a team.
Leading on team project management and governance which will include providing secretariat support collaborating closely with industry, energy regulators and other Government departments.
Support across the policy team, including but not limited to developing slide packs for meetings, drafting and finalising minutes and providing lines for briefings.
Contributing to the work of the wider team and department as needed, including building and maintaining strong culture of value for diversity and inclusion.
This is a wonderful opportunity to take up a varied and multifaceted role in a friendly, flexible and inclusive teams, offering excellent and wide-ranging experience.
We would like to hear from you if you have:
The ability to make connections between a wide range of policies and teams, consider issues at the strategic level and translate these insights into practical actions to drive forward an agenda.
Demonstrable experience of delivering through other teams by building mutually supportive relationships where challenge is encouraged. Evidence of working effectively with and confidently engaging senior leaders.
Excellent drafting and verbal communication, with the ability to conceptualise and distil a wide range of information into succinct, robust advice.
The skills to lead your team to deliver under time pressure and ambiguity, while supporting members’ development and wellbeing.
Have the experience and behaviours to work collaboratively with internal and external partners to achieve progress on shared objectives, respecting difference and external experience.
Are committed to ensuring decision making happens at the right level, informed by evidence from a range of sources, and encouraging innovative suggestions and challenge from others.
Knowledge of the energy system or crisis management is valued, but not essential.

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)
• 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

Policy