Policy Adviser: Smart Energy Systems

at  Department for Energy Security Net Zero

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

To meet net zero, decarbonise our power system by 2035 and address the UK’s contribution to climate change, we need to change how we use energy for travel, heating and in our daily lives. By using electricity at times of lower demand or higher renewable generation, we can help consumers save money, make best use of renewables, and reduce the need for costly new infrastructure – delivering benefits of up to £10bn a year in system costs by 2050.
The Smart and Secure Electricity Systems Team is responsible for ensuring smart technologies, such as electric vehicles and heat pumps, integrate into the energy system in a way which protects consumers, unlocks the benefits of flexibility, and mitigates cyber security risks. Our ambition is to put in place the major reforms to deliver this change from 2026, meaning now is a critical time as we transition from policy proposals to delivery of a significant enabler of the government’s Clean Power 2030.
We are looking to recruit SEO policy adviser to join us in developing the policy and regulatory frameworks to deliver on the ambition and potential of this fascinating policy area, while protecting consumers and the energy system. We will also hold a reserve list as other opportunities may arise in this area.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

We would love to hear from you if you can demonstrate:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work with other teams and build positive relationships across a variety of stakeholders.
• Ability to plan and organise your work effectively to deliver both short-term and long-term goals.
• Good decision-making skills, and ability to provide clear, concise and evidence-based justifications to senior management.
• Adaptability, flexibility, and appetite to get stuck in and help shape our work as we grow as a team.

This is an exciting and stretching policy role. Successful candidates will be confident working in a complex and technical policy environment, and passionate about delivering real-world change to help make the Clean Power 2030 a reality.
Prior experience working on energy policy and/or in a technical area is desirable but by no means essential, as you will have access to learning and development opportunities and coaching to support you to upskill and succeed in the roles.

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)

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

We are recruiting for someone to lead on developing key elements of the technical and regulatory frameworks for energy smart technologies. This is an opportunity to gain experience in delivering policies with direct real world impact, as well as to gain exposure to management of internal and external technical experts, and work on the development and deployment of innovative digital standards. Working closely with policy teams across the SSES programme and wider government (including Ofgem and DBT), you will lead on key elements of the SSES programme in a technically challenging but also highly supportive environment.
You will support development of the technical and regulatory framework to ensure energy smart appliances can integrate seamlessly into the energy system, ensuring that consumers can use any EV chargepoint or heat pump with any energy supplier tariff or service. This will improve consumer protections and also enable greater uptake of the smart tariffs and services that are essential to underpinning a more decentralised and clean electricity system.