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Job Summary

DESNZ

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 involves managing the end-to-end procurement process for goods and services, and for supporting cross-functional teams on more complex and strategic procurements by running specific workstreams or undertaking activities such as research, stakeholder engagement, evaluation, eSourcing, etc.

In this role you will work closely and collaboratively with stakeholders, to form and lead cross functional teams to deliver value through the effective management of stakeholders and supplier relationships. You will also have responsibility for all commercial aspects of the spend under management.

Leading the delivery of commercial advice and commercial activity across the full commercial cycle from commercial strategy to contract exit, informed by commercial risks and delivering policy area objectives.

While the job holder is assigned to a procurement role in a specific Business Unit, they will be expected to support other Business Units or to undertake Contract Management responsibilities as required to support fluctuations in workload.

Teams in the Commercial Directorate

Nuclear:

DESNZ’s Nuclear cluster is at the heart of the Department’s mission to make the UK a Clean Energy superpower by turbo-charging the growth, diversification and resilience of the UK’s Nuclear Sector. Without Nuclear power the UK will not be able to achieve its Clean Energy and Net Zero objectives, making our work critical to the Government’s objectives.

Whether it's the construction of new power stations like Sizewell C to their decommissioning; helping industry innovate new, more efficient fuels to the recycling of nuclear waste or driving forward researching into world-changing technology for Nuclear Fusion there isn’t a part of the nuclear lifecycle DESNZ’s doesn’t support.

Our task in the Nuclear Commercial team is to help enable the public and private sector to collaborate as effectively as possible to make this happen. Stakeholders include those within the Department and the wider network of Partner Organisations, such as the NDA, UKAEA, and STEP. The range of work reflects the diversity of the policy area making Nuclear an exciting, challenging and rewarding place to work.

International Net Zero & SICE

These teams lead the Department’s response to the international issue of global climate change and support developing countries in their response to climate change. The focus is on driving climate change mitigation in countries where climate mitigation potential is greatest (e.g., Colombia, Mexico, Viet Nam, South Africa) across key sectors such as energy, urban infrastructure and forests and land use, together with mobilizing private finance and influencing international climate negotiations.

Net Zero Buildings and Industry

The Net Zero Buildings and Industry team contribute to the UK’s clean heat transition and net zero ambitions. They focus on Heat decarbonisation initiatives, working with Clean Heat directorate, supporting the delivery of complex commercial arrangements and ensuring robust contract and supplier management. The team specialise on the commercial delivery of heat network programmes that are central to the UK’s net zero strategy.

Energy Security

Energy Security encompasses a wider range and diverse set of business areas. These include the UK’s first of a kind Carbon Capture and Storage programme, Energy Affordability, Clean Power supporting the 2030 decarbonisation targets and beyond, Electricity Networks and how these operate and support the electrification of our lives, Renewables for On-shore, Off-shore and floating windfarms, solar, wave, even maintaining support for fossil fuels as well as Analysis Directorate that underpins all the decisions we make.

Hydrogen:

We support the Hydrogen and Industrial Carbon Capture Directorate develop of low carbon hydrogen solutions necessary to achieving net zero by 2050, helping to decarbonise vital UK industrial sectors and the long-term competitiveness of the UK.

The role is to support the Commercial team and the policy team in design and implementation investable business models needed to support the deployment of low carbon hydrogen production, hydrogen storage projects, Hydrogen Transport and Hydrogen Power These are all essential to meeting net zero ambitions and supporting UK industrial competitiveness. This includes detailed design of the overall scheme, contract design and legislation to bring the models into force.

Person specification

Key Responsibilities:

Providing advice and guidance for contract managers to deliver best value and quality outputs for contracts and projects.

Strong persuasion skills are required for influencing and engaging senior stakeholders, including presentation skills.

Develop and lead procurements for DESNZ, supporting more complex procurements, that conform to the DESNZ Procurement Policy & Procedures Manual, and which comply fully with EU procurement law, DESNZ and government policy, and assurance processes.

Produce procurement strategies for goods and services collaboratively with Commercial teams and the relevant DESNZ business unit and develop a deep understanding of the supply market, category, and business context for both ongoing business and each specific procurement.

Provide options and opportunities from a commercial perspective looking at aspects such as requirements, solution options, risks, benefits and sustainability.

Build relationships with key internal and external stakeholders to develop a clear and agreed view on the needs of the business and target outcomes, aligning this with government initiatives where appropriate.

Support the delivery of complex procurements through the management of activities such as Production of financial analyses and projections, Appraisal of supplier proposals, Leadership of procurement workstreams, delivering to timescales and Objectives and Running processes such as eSourcing

Deliver Cashable Savings And Other Financial/non-financial Benefits Against Target

Provide commercial advice to peers or senior colleagues that draws on relevant procurement legislation, policy, information, supply market knowledge, and commercial experience. Monitor developments in procurement policy and commercial case law

Select appropriate commercial models using early market engagement and robust data to inform decisions.

Gather lessons learned from procurements and ensure these are documented to inform future projects and influence improvements in commercial processes, systems and skills.

Undertake procurement work in other Commercial Directorate teams, or contract management work as required, to balance workload across the Directorate.

Provide training and coaching to develop staff capability and skills.

Essential Criteria

Experience of managing procurements projects or working in large commercial programmes to set timescales and objectives

Knowledge of EU procurement law, Government Accounting and commercial best practice and experience of applying this to procurement activities

Commercially astute and able to negotiate best value for money with suppliers in contract negotiations.

Experience of drafting commercial cases as part of business cases development.

In depth understanding and knowledge of relevant category, supply market, pricing and commercial practices.

Desirable Criteria

Experience in the management of commercial frameworks which may include contract management, design and/or procurement of a framework.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Delivering at Pace


Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

  • Understanding Needs and Sourcing Options
  • Procurement Process
  • Contract and Supplier Management


Benefits

Alongside your salary of £42,385, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero contributes £12,278 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.
  • A hybrid office/home based working model where staff will spend a norm of 40-60% of their time in the office (minimum of 40%) over a month with flex dependent on balancing business and individual need.


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 and personal statement.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please use your personal statement (in no more than 500 words) to demonstrate how you meet the Essential Criteria requirements listed in the advert.

Applications will be sifted on CV and personal statement.

In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the CV.

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-based questions.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

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.

Information 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; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

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 to 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.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

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 : Jamie Crichton
  • Email : jamie.crichton@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