Overview

About the job

Are you looking for an exciting new opportunity working in the Treasury’s Enterprise and Growth Unit (EGU), working to promote sustainable economic growth and higher productivity for the UK? If so we’d love to hear from you!

The group provides analysis and advice on enterprise, innovation, private sector investment and a cost-effective transition to a low-carbon economy. Within the group is the Energy Response Team.

For the past year the UK has been experiencing a prolonged and severe energy price shock. Prices for gas and electricity have risen to historic highs, placing great pressure on household energy bills in an already challenging macro environment. These trends have been exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine which has increased volatility in energy markets and pushed wholesale energy prices still higher.

The Energy Response was set up in Autumn 2021 to advise ministers on how to address the challenges emanating from this price shock. The team has a high degree of exposure to the Chancellor and the most senior HMT officials. We are recruiting up to two E2 / Grade 6 roles in the team, to lead on Household Support and Energy Market Stability respectively.

Within the team, the Households Unit is responsible for advising on government interventions to support households through the crisis. It has played a critical role in all of the major fiscal events in 2022 and is likely to continue to do so in 2023 and beyond. The team is responsible for considering the impacts of the energy price shock on households and designing policies to mitigate them. To date, these have included very high-profile interventions such as the Energy Bill Support Scheme, which will pay £400 to every household in winter 23/24, and the Energy Price Guarantee, which caps the unit price households pay for their energy.

The team’s Energy Market Stability Unit, on the other hand, is responsible for advising ministers on developments and risks in the energy market and in relation to market participants such as suppliers. It also advises on handling live cases and contingency planning. The Unit works closely with senior officials at BEIS, Ofgem, the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority. Its advice is highly sought after by the most senior HMT officials, and it has an active forward agenda.

This role can be located in London or Darlington, United Kingdom.

What you will bring to the team:

These roles provide an opportunity to lead on a very high-profile and important policy portfolio, with lots of interaction with ministers and the most senior HMT officials. The government’s interventions to support households with their energy bills have rarely been off the front pages in recent times, and that looks set to continue with high energy prices forecast to persist. The outlook for prices also means that it is critically important that the government is monitoring risks in the sector and planning for contingencies. These roles are heavily loaded with high profile policy, and also offer the opportunity to guide a unit through a fluid and demanding set of challenges.

These roles involve working closely with a range of stakeholders, including at senior level, both within HMT and externally with BEIS, Ofgem and others. Key responsibilities include:

1. Provide strategic oversight and direction to the unit’s work, and ensure policy is aligned with HMT objectives.

2. Ensure there is a clear work programme for the unit, in line with HMT and group objectives, and that there is sufficient resourcing to deliver.

3. Build capability within the unit to ensure unit members develop expertise in this policy area, as well as developing generalist policy skills.

4. Build and maintain positive relationships with a range of partners, including BEIS and Ofgem, to ensure excellent collaboration and advance HMT’s objectives.

5. Provide leadership and management to a unit of senior policy advisers and policy advisers.

HM Treasury is proud of a diverse and inclusive work environment, committed to fairness and the promotion of equality of opportunity for all. We know that having a range of experiences, ways of working and thinking makes us a stronger organisation, better at developing policy that is reflective of the communities we serve. We embrace different views and experiences and value the fresh perspective that people from a variety of circumstances bring to the work we do. We welcome applications from candidates who have not previously worked for the Civil Service, mid- and late-career changers with transferrable skills, people from all backgrounds and circumstances regardless of disability, ethnicity, LGBT+ identity and socio-economic status.

Some of the Benefits our people love!

  • 25 days annual leave (rising to 30 after 5 years), plus 8 public holidays and the King’s birthday (unless you have a legacy arrangement as an existing Civil Servant). Additionally, we operate flexitime systems, allowing employees to take up to an additional 2 days off each month
  • Flexible working patterns (part-time, job-share, condensed hours)
  • Generous parental and adoption leave packages
  • Access to a generous Defined Benefit pension scheme with employer contributions.
  • Access to a cycle-to-work salary sacrifice scheme and season ticket advances
  • A range of active staff networks, based around interests (e.g. analysts, music society, sports and social club) and diversity (e.g. women in the Treasury, ethnic minority network, LGBT* network, faith and belief network)

For more information about the role, salary, benefits and how to apply please follow the “Apply” link.

If you would like to speak to the hiring manager informally prior to the closing date for applications to find out more about the job, their contact details can be found on the role profile.

If you need any reasonable adjustments to take part in the selection process, please tell us about this in your online application form, or speak to the recruitment team.