Senior Lead, Infrastructure Funding, Finance and Regulation
National Infrastructure Commission
Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 17th November 2024
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Salary
G6 National range - £68,183 - £74,284
Job grade
Contract type
Loan
Secondment
Length of employment
Type of role
Strategy
Working pattern
Number of jobs available
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About the job
Job summary
About the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC)
The new Government plans to bring the NIC and the Infrastructure Projects Authority together under one body, the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), to bring both strategic and delivery expertise closer to decision making and focus on enabling delivery. The NIC’s second National Infrastructure Assessment outlines the need for a significant increase in infrastructure investment from c£50bn pa now rising to c£80bn in the next decade, in order to deliver NetZero and other government objectives. This secondment is a unique opportunity to genuinely shape the policy agenda on infrastructure funding, finance and regulation by taking leadership of the brief within NIC as the two organisations come together.
The National Infrastructure Commission was established in 2016 to provide government with impartial, expert advice on major long-term infrastructure challenges. The Commission advises government on all sectors of economic infrastructure (energy, transport, water and wastewater, waste, flood risk management and digital communications), as well as on cross-cutting issues, including planning, regulation and financing/funding.
The Commission’s objectives are to:
- support sustainable economic growth across all regions of the UK
- improve competitiveness
- improve quality of life
- support climate resilience and the transition to net zero carbon emissions by 2050
In fulfilling our purpose and objectives, we:
- set a long-term agenda – identifying the UK’s major economic infrastructure needs, and the pathways to address them
- develop fresh approaches and ideas – basing our independent policy recommendations on rigorous analysis
- focus on driving change – building consensus on our policy recommendations, and monitoring government progress on their delivery
The Commission has developed a reputation for effectively tackling the hardest policy issues facing infrastructure and building consensus around robustly evidenced recommendations that government can readily accept. Following the first National Infrastructure Assessment, around 80 per cent of its recommendations have been adopted. This expertise has been publicly acknowledged by the new government, who are looking to bolster the Commission’s impact further via NISTA.
The Commission is an Executive Agency of HM Treasury. It is chaired by Sir John Armitt, with eight other Commissioners currently in post. The Commission is governed by a Charter and Framework Document.
The Commission is based in London and Leeds.
Job description
The National Infrastructure Commission is looking for an exceptional infrastructure/capital financing expert and/or regulatory specialist to develop cross-sector advice on infrastructure funding and finance, for (up to) a 12 month secondment. The role will take advantage of renewed interest in policy reform around funding, finance and regulation to ensure strategy and policy drives the investment needed to effectively support economic growth and Net Zero.
This is a new role in the NIC and was created to reflect the unprecedented pressure and pace required to enable delivery of the UK’s pressing economic infrastructure needs over the coming decades against headwinds of tight public budgets and volatile investor sentiment. It will build on the Commission’s reputation for robust and innovative analysis of strategic infrastructure issues, working closely with policy, analysis and strategy professionals within multidisciplinary project teams.
The expert secondees likely priorities to start with will be to deliver advise on:
-The potential use cases for existing and new public-private funding and financing models, drawing deeply on evidence and evaluation from previous UK and international experiences, and inform how such models could be delivered effectively in policy, programme and project delivery.
-The potential range of revenue streams (eg. Land value capture) that could play a role in funding transport schemes, at national and local level, focusing on their potential scope and scale and how they could fit effectively into the wider funding picture.
The post holder will also be feeding significantly into the commission’s work on infrastructure costs, following up on a recent publication on the drivers of infrastructure costs in the UK; wider commercial advice in the context of economic regulation in infrastructure; and the commission's work on its fiscal remit and public funding. The post holder will work closely with the NIC’s Chief Economist and Deputy Chief Economist, as well as Commissioners (the NIC’s ‘Board’) and colleagues at the Infrastructure and Projects Authority. The role will likely involve lots of external engagement at the most senior levels.
The post holders will reporting to the NICs Chief Economist and will be expected to provide impactful strategic, analytical and policy insights across all economic infrastructure sectors and related funding and financing business models; leveraging industry/expert insights, evidence and cutting-edge thinking to support scoping and direction-setting; be strategic and consider wider political, economic and social solutions; taking charge of rigorous quality assurance processes for their own and others work; and collaborating with regulators, infrastructure delivery and financing organisations and colleagues from other disciplines/backgrounds to ensure evidence is visible, relevant and impactful.
Person specification
We are looking for experienced capital infrastructure finance analyst and/or regulatory economist with experience of a range of financing models and transactions and crucially who is able to stand back, be strategic and challenge the status quo. You need to have the ability to break down complex real-world problems into practical advice and analysis, and experience of delivering high quality and impactful quantitative insights at pace. The successful candidates will provide high-quality analysis, policy insights and advice to the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC).
Essential behaviours, experience and technical skills:
Please note that you will need to refer to the below in your application form.
1. Form expert strategic views, appreciating detail but being able to stand back and see the bigger picture, to drive direction and advise policy and analysis. This includes being able to follow closely, understand and quickly adapt to how wider changes in the economy, markets and political landscape and how these impact infrastructure investment and advice of the NIC.
2. Communicate with others in a clear, honest and enthusiastic way. Explain complex issues in a way that is easy to understand and communicate effectively in writing.
3. Form effective partnerships and relationships with people both internally and externally, from a range of diverse backgrounds, sharing information, resources and support.
4. Deliver timely and quality outcomes across sometimes competing priorities through identifying the right resource to do the job, setting realistic plans, reviewing and adjusting plans and performance expectations.
- Evidence of substantial experience working in a capital/infrastructure financing facing role and/or in a economic regulatory capacity, preferably with some application in a strategic and policy context. You will have the ability to set direction and deliver high quality influential quantitative analysis and be able to distil into strategic insights and recommendations.
Qualifications
We welcome applications from a range of relevant backgrounds and with experience in regulatory economics, major projects analysis and/or infrastructure funding and financing. Qualifications will include a degree in a relevant subject such as economics, finance and/or equivalent quantitative subject or professional qualification.
To those internal to government, this role is open to those who have exceptional policy and strategy experience from the following government professions: Government Economics Service, Commercial & Procurement Profession, Project Management and Delivery Function and Government Finance Function.
The sift will be based on the candidates CV and will be assessed against the essential behaviours, experience and technical skills which are outlined above.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
- Delivering at Pace
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Evidence of a high level of skill in an analytical subject relevant to the role, including but not limited to: regulatory economics, major projects analysis and/or infrastructure funding and financing
- Evidence of substantial experience working in a capital/infrastructure financing facing role and/or in an economic regulatory capacity, preferably with some application in a strategic and policy context.
- Evidence of the ability to set direction and deliver high quality influential quantitative analysis and to distil information into strategic insights and recommendations
Benefits
Benefits
- 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)
- Flexible working patterns (part-time, job-share, condensed hours)
- Access to a generous Defined Benefit pension scheme with an employer contribution of 28.97%
- Access to a cycle-to-work salary sacrifice scheme, season ticket advances and payroll giving
- Access to a retail discounts and cashback site
- A Rental Deposit Advance Scheme to help meet the total costs of deposits for privately rented homes
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Recruitment Timeline
Closing date: 17th November 2024
Shortlisting: Week of 18th November 2024
Interviews: Week of 2nd December 2024
This timeline is indicative and may be subject to change. We will inform you if there is a substantial change to the recruitment timeline.
Please note that only applications submitted through our recruitment partner's website (Michael Page recruitment) will be accepted.
Eligibility Statement
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role in the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government. Checks will be performed as part of pre-employment checks in line with this.
Everyone working with government assets must complete Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks. Additionally, individuals appointed to the Treasury group will be subject to National Security Vetting. The level of security vetting required for this role is Counter Terrorist Check (CTC)
To allow for meaningful checks to be carried out, applicants will need to have lived in the UK for at least 3 out of the past 5 years. In exceptional circumstances, a lack of residency would not be a bar to security clearance however the Department will need to consider eligibility on a case by case basis once the advert closing date has passed.
As part of our pre-employment security checks, if you are invited to interview and are not a current NIC member of staff, you will need to bring:
• Proof of identity, e.g. your passport or driver’s license. Documents must be in date and valid.
• Proof of address, e.g. a utility bill or bank statement issued within the past 3 months.
• Proof of your National Insurance (NI) number, e.g. letter from DWP confirming your NI number, or P60.
• If you do not bring a UK or EU passport, you will need to bring other documentation of your right to work in the UK, e.g. your visa, biometric residence permit or birth certificate.
Further details regarding acceptable documents will be provided in the invitation to interview.
Please let us know if your contact details change at any time during the selection process.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
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).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Kas Rothwell (Michael Page recruitment)
- Email : kasrothwell@michaelpage.com
Recruitment team
- Email : hrrecruitment@hmtreasury.gov.uk
Further information
