Location
Aberdeen, Birmingham, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, London, Salford
About The Job
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
We are seeking candidates with a track record of delivery, preferably as part of a major infrastructure project. The role will suit someone with experience in major project development and/or delivery, strong project management skills, an understanding of cost estimating of complex engineering and infrastructure projects, an understanding of the design and engineering processes and the ability to lead and manage engineering consultants.
We have one role that will be based within the Power CCUS (including Bioenergy with Carbon Capture & Storage - BECCS) team. This role will require close collaborative working with DESNZ analysts, technical advisers, policy and negotiations teams, commercial and technical advisors, HM Treasury and the Infrastructure and Projects Authority.
Person specification
Key Responsibilities
The role will include the following:
- Leading systematic review of the project submission to assess it’s technical deliverability in terms of project schedule, technical readiness, engineering design and sustainability review, project safety, implementation measures during construction and commissioning.
- Day-to-day work will include project planning, analysing issues, managing external consultants through management of contracts and work packages.
- Evaluation of
- Commercial and procurement strategies
- Supply chain contracts
- Schedules, consenting and deliverability aspects of projects
- Project risks (via a risk management tools such as risk registers and Quantitative Schedule Risk Analysis QRSA)
- Project costs and benchmarking
- Technical configuration of the project.
- Management process, governance and resources.
- Lead the design and execution of technical due diligence with developers, including providing technical input to the wider CCUS programme and processes where required.
- Support engagement with the CCUS industry on wider policy development.
- Providing high quality advice and briefing to Ministers, Senior Civil Servants and CCUS Policy and cross-Whitehall Steering Boards. Representing DESNZ in external meetings with project developers and cross-Whitehall. This includes providing technical input into negotiations and clear advice on these discussions to senior managers and external organisations.
Skills And Experience
Candidates should therefore be a relevant degree educated engineer and have equivalent relevant experience in the following areas:
Experience And Essential Skills
- Engineering experience of CCUS, thermal power generation, hydrogen plant, oil and gas, and/or analogous industrial experience. This could be experience in areas such as project due diligence, techno-commercial, engineering design, cost assessment, risk analysis and/or delivery of major energy infrastructure projects.
- An understanding of the design and engineering processes and familiarity with project lifecycle stages such as feasibility, pre-FEED (Front End Engineering Design), FEED studies; and/or experience of Engineer Procurement Construction (EPC) or EPC management (EPCM).
- Good project management skills and ability to deliver against challenging deadlines.
- An effective collaborator able to take account of different views and opinions.
- An analytical thinker able to identify and evaluate trade-offs that may be required.
- A strong communicator able to articulate and defend the views of the team.
- Strong analytical skills with demonstrated ability to think critically, validate and analyse complex data and to challenge and sense check results both quantitatively and qualitatively. https://sciencecouncil.org/web/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Matrix-grid-of-competencies.pdf
Desirable Skills And Experience
- Experience working with external advisors (e.g. technical, engineering consultants, commercial).
- Chartered Engineering status through an approved professional body would be an advantage.
- Experience of participating in/ supporting negotiations would be an advantage.
- Experience in providing technical input to negotiations for large infrastructure projects.
- Experience in working on large government projects or programmes. As this post qualifies for a Science & Engineering Specialist allowance, the post holders will be required to possess a valid (and registered if applicable) academic or professional qualification relevant to the role and be able to demonstrate core engineering and scientific competence.
Qualifications
relevant degree-educated engineer or scientist and equivalent relevant experience
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Delivering at Pace
- Communicating and Influencing
Technical Skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Application of knowledge & understanding
- Engineering experience
- Project management
- Technical and commercial leadership
We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:
- Application of knowledge & understanding
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £55,105, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero contributes £15,963 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero offers a competitive mix of benefits including:
- A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
- Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme , with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
- A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
- An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
- Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.
- Engineering Profession Pay Enhancement - up to £4,250.
Office attendance
The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period.
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, personal statement, behavioural statements, and technical skills. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Please use your personal statement (in no more than 750 words) to explain your suitability for this role, focusing specifically on your technical qualifications and experience.
Applications will be sifted on CV, behavioural statements, personal statement, and any technical skills required.
In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the personal statement.
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.
Interviewees will be asked to deliver a presentation; further details will be provided nearer the time.
Sift and interview dates
Expected Timeline subject to change
Sift dates: w/c 06/01/2025.
Interview dates: 20/01/2025.
Interview Location: MS Teams.
Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.
Further Information
Reasonable Adjustment
We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.
I nformation about the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) and some examples of adjustments that we offer to disabled candidates and candidates with long-term health conditions during our recruitment process can be found in our DESNZ Candidate Guidance . A DESNZ Plain Text Version of the guidance is also available .
We encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicants section.
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 t o Disclosure and Barring Service / Disclosure Scotland 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.
For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk
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.
Diversity and Inclusion
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 (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window) .
Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window) .
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Kusum Trikha
- Email : kusum.trikha@energysecurity.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : desnzresourcing.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance DESNZrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission/Complaints
