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.
Find Out More
We regularly run events where you can find out more about the department and tips for the application and interview process. You can sign up for upcoming events here: https://forms.office.com/e/pqUhdr3L72
You can also follow our LinkedIn Careers Page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/desnz-careers/
Job Description
The role and our team
The Energy Security and Resilience Directorate protects energy security in the short- to medium-term, driving cross-Government efforts to ensure gas and electricity supply and demand are balanced, the energy system is resilient and downstream fuel infrastructure is resilient. Our work is exciting, fast-paced, and high-profile.
The Successful Candidate Will Be
- Collecting and analysing data to understand how the UK’s energy infrastructure works, how to mitigate failures in that infrastructure.
- Developing scenarios and models to understand how risks to energy security might change as the UK transitions to a net zero carbon energy system.
There are several challenging but interesting work streams across the team that will require analytical input including relating to energy security, critical national infrastructure and contingency planning.
In this role you will develop strengths in data collection, data analysis and scenario and model building. In the role you will work alongside the policy team and your analysis will be used by decision-makers in DESNZ and across government. Much of your work will be delivered at pace.
You will be joining a friendly and close-knit analysis team with diverse skills and experience. We are embedded in the Energy Security & Resilience directorate and work alongside our policy colleagues on real world challenges. Our team would be a great fit if you’re looking for a dynamic role that gives you ownership, opportunity to work on high-profile projects, and build experience working across DESNZ and externally.
As further roles in the team may arise in the near future, we are looking to maintain a reserve list of candidates. Therefore, if you demonstrate the required skills at interview but are not the preferred candidate for the posts, you will be kept on the reserve list for up to twelve months.
Person specification
Key Responsibilities
Your key responsibility will be to collect data to understand how fuels flow into the country and around it and assess how we might deal with any disruptions. Most importantly, you will be capturing data, turning it into knowledge and use that knowledge intelligently to support your policy colleagues.
Specifically, You Will
- Work closely with stakeholders in DESNZ, other government departments, and industry to ensure that we continue to get the data we need to understand fuel flows and vulnerabilities. This will require industry engagement.
- Undertake analysis of data to support policy. You will be working with rich data sources, and you will use these to help understand the risks to the UK’s fuel distribution and to help develop policy to mitigate those risks.
- Assess impacts of potential energy disruptions. You will have the opportunity to work on existing models predicting the impacts of supply or demand disruptions and to further develop and refine the models, and you will work with policy to understand real world implications.
- With the support of your team, you will be part of the analytical response in the event of a significant disruption to fuel supply and you will train other analysts to assist the team. As part of that you may be asked to work outside of hours during (rare) periods of fuel disruption.
- Disseminate outputs, both through published official Statistics outputs and via setting up and maintaining new and innovative ways for dissemination.
- Work with data scientists and statisticians in the department to help modernise our data collections, pipelines and products.
Skills And Experience
The role would suit an individual who:
- Has proven quantitative analytical skills, particularly around data acquisition, modelling, and dissemination. The success of the role lies not only in having the data but in putting it into the hands of decision makers in a way that they can be used. Having core programming skills (including, but not limited to, R or Python) is desirable but is not essential and training can be provided.
- Is able to work at pace in an evolving environment whilst maintaining high standards, is resilient to uncertainty and able to progress multiple strands of work with sometimes conflicting priorities to demanding timescales.
- Understands how to build new knowledge. You will need to have knowledge of traditional data collection techniques, and have the ability to learn other non-traditional ways to obtain data (for example leveraging in private sector data) and overcome challenges.
- Has good communication and interpersonal skills and enjoys working collaboratively. You will need to work with the policy team and a range of other internal and external stakeholders, including industry to understand their needs, collect data, and communicate complex analysis to decision-makers.
Professional Requirements
The successful candidates will need to be or become a member of a government analytical profession: The Government Social Research (GSR), the Government Statistical Service (GSS) or the Government Operational Research Service (GORS).
The hiring team will be aiming to assess applications as promptly as possible to meet timelines indicated in this advert, but delays are possible. To avoid undue delays, we urge candidates already member of a governmental analytical profession to indicate their current profession, and external candidates should clearly indicate for which profession they would like to be assessed for membership clearly as part of their personal statement for this application.
Government Social Research
To be eligible to apply for the Government Social Research profession you will need to hold an undergraduate degree at a minimum of 2:2.
- The degree must contain substantial social research methods training (comprising around one third of modules taken on the course) including quantitative research methods and at least three of the following: systematic/literature reviews; qualitative methods; interpretation of data and presentation of results; study design, hypothesis testing and application of ethics to research.
- OR hold an undergraduate degree at a minimum of 2:2, in any subject, or a degree equivalent (e.g. an advanced Certificate or Diploma from MRS), plus have at least 4 years’ social research practice experience.
Social research practice experience consists of experience working in a research agency, market research agency or specialist research team.
To enter the GSR through this route you must make explicit the breadth and depth of your research experience and skills, which must include quantitative research methods and three of the following: systematic/literature reviews; qualitative methods; interpretation of data and presentation of results; study design, hypothesis testing and application of ethics to research.
In advance of the interview, if you are not an existing member of the Government Social Research (GSR) profession, you will be required to undertake a 45 minute online written “knowledge test”.
This test will be supervised and conducted online over MS Teams and involve you responding to a range of exam questions to test your technical knowledge of social research and statistical methods.
In the interview, we will also assess your technical social research skills by asking you to present on a topic which will be given to you in advance. Additional technical questions will also be asked as part of the interview.
Required
All technical questions will be based on the grade specific skills and knowledge required for the GSR profession set out in the GSR framework – a copy which can be obtained from the link below:
Government Social Research (GSR) Technical Expertise Framework: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-government-social-research-competency-framework.
Government Statistical Service
The Accepted Qualifications For Statisticians Are
- A first- or second-class honours degree in a numerate subject (2:1 minimum for Assistant Statistician; 2:2 minimum for Statistical Officer) containing at least 25% taught statistical content (e.g. Statistics, Mathematics, Economics, Sciences, Business Studies, Psychology, Geography or similar).
- A higher degree, e.g. an MSc or PhD, in a subject containing formal statistical training (e.g. Statistics, Mathematics, Economics, Sciences, Business Studies, Psychology, Geography or similar).
- Have worked in a statistical or data science field and are able to demonstrate continuous professional development (via a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) logbook) in statistics or data science at the same level as a foundation degree or Higher National Diploma (HND) Level 5.
- Have achieved or on track to achieve a level 4 apprenticeship including at least two years in a statistical or data analysis field in government and are able to demonstrate continuous professional development in statistics or data analysis (via CPD logbook signed off by a manager or mentor who are members of the statistical profession).
Once you have submitted your application you will be invited via email to complete the "GSS online multiple choice test". This is a timed test and must be completed and submitted by midday on the closing date to be considered for the next stage of the process. You are encouraged to try the test attached to the advert before attempting the real test. Please ensure you inform us ahead of the test if you require any reasonable adjustments to be considered.
Please note: If you are already a member of the GSG, you are exempt from sitting the GSS online test.
In the interview, we will also assess your technical skills by asking you to present on a topic which will be given to you in advance. Additional technical questions will also be asked as part of the interview.
Further information about the GSG can be found at: https://analysisfunction.civilservice.gov.uk/government-statistical-service-and-statistician-group/
Government Operational Research Service
All candidates applying as operational researchers must meet the external recruitment requirements for operational researchers in terms of academic qualifications (outlined on the GORS website: http://www.operational-research.gov.uk/recruitment):
- High numeracy: You must possess a 2:1 or higher numerate degree, or a 2:2 with relevant work experience or postgraduate qualification.
- Highly numerate degrees include Astrophysics, Data Science, Decision Science, Econometrics, Engineering, Mathematics, Operational Research, Physics and Statistics.
Other numerate degrees, such as Accounting, Biology, Business, Chemistry, Economics, Finance, Geography, IT, Management, Management Science, Psychology, Sociology, Social Sciences and Systems Science, may be accepted if 50% or more of the modules are considered highly numerate.
During the application process we will assess you against the Government Operational Research Professional Behaviours (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/gors-professional-behaviour)
If you are not an existing member of the GORS profession and you successfully pass the sift, you will be asked to choose one of three typical Operational Research problems sent 45 minutes before the interview. At the start of the interview, candidates will be asked questions, to test their skill of structuring the problem and potential approaches to an analytical solution.
In the interview, we will also assess your technical operational research skills by asking you to present on a topic which will be given to you in advance. Additional technical questions will also be asked as part of the interview.
All applicants may utilise AI resources in their submissions; ensuring all information provided is factually accurate, truthful, and original, avoiding any form of plagiarism to maintain the authenticity and credibility of the application process
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Changing and Improving
- Delivering at Pace
- Working Together
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- GSR - analysis and interpretation; GORS - Knowledge and application of OR skills &techniques; GSG - Data analysis
- GSR – Analysis and Interpretation, GORS - Knowledge and application of OR skills & techniques; GSG - Data analysis
- GSR – Knowledge of research methods, GORS – Achieving impact with analysis, GSG – Acquiring data and understanding customer needs
We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:
- GSR - analysis and interpretation; GORS - Knowledge and application of OR skills &techniques; GSG - Data analysis
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £34,815, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero contributes £10,085 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
