Senior Policy Adviser – Covid Strategy and Inquiry
HM Treasury
Apply before 11:55 pm on Wednesday 27th November 2024
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About the job
Job summary
If you’re interested in making a difference to people’s lives, the Treasury can offer you an exciting opportunity to influence decision making that affects the whole of the UK. Working at the heart of government, we collaborate across government to promote responsible public spending and drive strong and sustainable economic growth.
Our work ranges from protecting customers through the regulation of the financial sector, helping to reduce carbon emissions and creating a greener economy, to promoting British trade around the world and supporting people across the country on jobs, growth and more.
We are part of the Darlington Economic Campus, a pioneering new cross-government hub which brings people together to play an active role in the most important issues of the day whilst working closer to the communities we serve. The campus provides the opportunity for people from all over the UK to help shape the future of the country, and our flexible working practices ensure you can collaborate effectively with our partners. It’s central government, made more accessible to you!
Job description
About the Group
Strategy, Planning and Budget
Strategy, Planning and Budget operates at the heart of the Treasury to develop the Department’s overall strategy and business plan, assess performance and risk, and help deliver its objectives with a large, flexible project team who work on ministerial priorities across the whole range of the department’s policy responsibilities. We also co-ordinate the Chancellor’s annual Budget, the Finance Bill and the Treasury’s tax strategy, as well as coordinate the Treasury’s responses to the COVID-19 Public Inquiry and provide support to ministers and officials who are Inquiry witnesses. SPB also promotes excellent policymaking across the department and houses the Darlington Leadership Team, which works to ensure the successful delivery of the Darlington Economic Campus (DEC).
About the Team
The Treasury played a central role during the Covid 19 pandemic, and the team sits are the heart of the department leading the Treasury’s response to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry and providing support to high profile witnesses including senior politicians and officials. The team also advises ministers and HMT’s Executive Management Board (EMB) on the reports and recommendations from the Inquiry and work with other government departments to ensure that key lessons are learnt, enabling the government to be better prepared for future crises.
We are a friendly, fun and supportive team of 14 led by a Deputy Director and two E2s (grade 6s). We have a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion – welcoming colleagues from different backgrounds and with different working patterns.
The team also works extremely closely with legal colleagues including the Government Legal Department, Treasury Legal Advisers and our external legal team.
About the Job
The UK Covid-19 Inquiry is an independent statutory public inquiry examining the UK’s response to the pandemic. It is one of the widest-ranging and highest-profile inquiries in UK history. HM Treasury played in a central role in the pandemic response and therefore been closely involved in the Inquiry’s proceedings. We are engaging with the Inquiry openly and constructively and providing high quality support to politicians and officials who are called as witnesses to the Inquiry. In addition, we advise ministers and Treasury’s Executive Management Board on the Inquiry’s emerging reports and policy recommendations and work closely with colleagues in the Cabinet Office, the Department for Health and Social Care and other departments to respond to those recommendations.
The Inquiry is split into ten modules examining different aspects of the UK’s pandemic response. HMT is a ‘Core Participant’ in seven of these modules, reflecting our central role. Investigations in these modules are taking place concurrently and are at different stages, though the Chair of the Inquiry (Baroness Heather Hallett) has committed to completing public hearings by summer 2026. Given the complexity of the Inquiry response programme, we operate a highly flexible and collaborative resourcing model in the team, with matrix management between the two branches an established norm. Although the post holder will have their own management and leadership relationships, the team’s two E2s and the DD work closely together as a collaborative and tight knit leadership team, leading the team and wider department.
Your specific responsibilities will include, but not be limited to:
- Leading and overseeing HMT’s response to the Economic Response Inquiry module (Module 9) – HMT led decision making and overall strategy for the economic response to Covid, including totemic measures such as furlough. As such, HMT are likely to be the key material provider for this module. You would provide direction and oversee the cross departmental effort to:
- Respond to detailed questions from the Inquiry in written corporate statements, ensuring these statements give a clear, comprehensive and compelling account of HMT actions and decision making, supported by documentary evidence. You would lead the team in developing statements with our legal team and seeking input and clearance from the Second Permanent Secretary and current and former senior officials;
- support HMT witnesses including past and current senior officials and former ministers, working with them and our legal team to develop their evidence and help prepare them for giving evidence in oral hearings;
- oversee HMT’s input to public hearings including opening and closing statements and the team’s hearing monitoring and communication plans;
- reflect on the key lessons learnt for HMT in this area and provide timely and robust advice to EMB and ministers on the Inquiry’s recommendations;
- work with colleagues from other core departments to respond to the Inquiry’s report and oversee the implementation of recommendations in HMT and across the government.
- Overseeing HMT’s response to the Inquiry’s reports and recommendations on other modules – The Inquiry published its first report, on Module 1 (Preparedness and Resilience) in July 2024 and the government has committed to responding by mid-January 2025. Further reports will follow through to at least 2027. Oversight of the response on each module will be shared between the two E2s, with the split to be agreed upon appointment. You would bring policy leadership and oversight to HMT’s response, including:
- Preparations for Inquiry reports, including oversight of the response to any warning letters received by HMT in relation to proposed criticisms;
- acting as the lead official in HMT in cross-government discussions to develop government’s response to the Inquiry’s reports. You will liaise with teams across HMT to develop consensus positions on key policy decisions, effectively balancing a complex set of objectives;
- providing quality advice to ministers and EMB on key developments in the cross-government effort to respond to the report, where their interventions are needed and seek their clearance at the appropriate time;
- working with relevant HMT teams to develop and deliver robust procedures for implementing recommendations from the Inquiry, many of which involve complex organisational culture change, to help the department be better prepared for future crises.
- As key member of the Covid Strategy and Inquiry Senior Leadership Team and working with the other E2, you will support the Deputy Director in ensuring strong leadership of the team, maintaining a supportive and proactive team culture, deputising and providing leadership resilience. You may lead on discrete corporate priorities within the Covid Team, and potentially also the wider Strategy Planning and Budget Group;
Responding to the Covid Inquiry is one of EMB’s top priorities and a Labour Manifesto commitment, so you should expect to have significant exposure to EMB and ministers. You will need to be a credible and sensitive communicator, develop a strong grip on HMT’s role during the pandemic, and bring sound strategic judgment to the implications of the Inquiry’s work for HMT now. You will need to build trusted relationships with very senior HMT officials and Ministers (both current and former) as well as with other Government departments and our legal team. The nature of the role will shift as the Inquiry moves through its work, and you will need to be proactive in identifying emerging challenges and opportunities for HMT and adapting your and the team’s role accordingly. Experience working on a public inquiry or other processes requiring a strong understanding of legal concepts (such as legislation or Judicial Reviews) is not required but would be beneficial. As well as experience leading complex change within a large organisation.
Person specification
About Your Application
We are looking for the below skills, experience and behaviours and we will ask you to demonstrate these in your application form. Please review the Candidate FAQ document that is attached to the advert for guidance on how to complete your application form.
The below criteria will be assessed in your application form:
- Leadership – skills in setting direction and motivating an extended and multi-disciplinary team in an evolving environment.
- Delivering at Pace – especially delivering a complex and multi-faceted programme of work, using risk management and problem-solving skills and focusing on continuous improvement
- Making Effective Decisions – in particular, using your strategic and flexible judgement to ensure organisational objectives are identified clearly and then met.
- Communicating and Influencing – especially skills in communicating clearly and sensitively to reassure senior stakeholders through an often challenging and unfamiliar process.
The lead criterion is: Leadership
If we receive large volumes of applications, we will conduct an initial sift on the lead criterion only.
Candidate Guidance Support Session
We will be running an overview of Success Profiles and the STAR approach including top tips for the application and interview process and an opportunity to ask general questions around our recruitment practices. Please note that this session is not role specific, so we will be unable to answer specific questions about roles we are advertising. If you would like to join us, please use the link below to join the call at the right time.
Thursday 14th November at 12:30: Join the meeting now
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Leadership
- Making Effective Decisions
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Delivering at Pace
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Leadership
- Making Effective Decisions
- Delivering at Pace
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)
- Generous parental and adoption leave package.
- A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and average employer contributions of 28%
- Onsite restaurant and coffee bar. The London office also offers a gym, showers and prayer room
- 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
- A range of active staff networks, based around interests and diversity
Flexible Working Arrangements
HM Treasury views flexible working as essential in enabling us to recruit and retain talented people, ensuring that they can enjoy a long-lasting career with us. All employees have the right to apply for flexible working and there are a range of options available including; part-time, compressed hours and job sharing. Additionally, we operate flexitime systems, allowing employees the flexibility to adjust their working patterns throughout the week which is subject to operational needs and line management approval.
At HM Treasury we have an incredibly broad remit; our work touches every citizen of the country. So, it’s important our employees come from the widest possible range of backgrounds, bringing us the widest possible range of perspectives and ways of thinking. We are committed to ensuring that all staff can realise their potential and achieve a healthy work-life balance.
HM Treasury operates an office based working approach across all Treasury sites - Darlington, London, and Norwich, and along with the rest of the Civil Service, has an expectation of a minimum of 60% attendance in the office, along with working remotely. This blended working approach allows you to work collaboratively, meet stakeholders face to face, support others and promotes a healthy work life balance (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review. All our offices have been recently modernised and designed to collaborate and connect with colleagues as well as desk and quiet space to allow a range of ways to work.
The office working expectation is linked to the location of the role. If you apply to a post in a single location, then you will not be able to meet this expectation at any of our other sites or move your role to another location.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Recruitment Timeline
Closing date: 27th November 2024
Shortlisting: From 28th November 2024
Interviews: W/C 9th 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.
If your contact details change at any time during the selection process, please ensure you update your Civil Service Jobs Profile.
Please note that only applications submitted through Civil Service Jobs will be accepted.
Location-Based Reserve Lists
You will be placed on a reserve list if your application is successful, but we cannot offer you a post immediately. Where more than one location has been advertised, candidates will be approached for roles in merit order according to the first preferred location stated on your application form.
Please note that a place on the reserve list does not guarantee an offer. We would still encourage you to apply for other HM Treasury opportunities that you are interested in. If you are offered a role in your first preferred location and you decline the offer or you are unable to take up the post within a reasonable timeframe, you will be removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances.
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. Please refer to the Candidate FAQ document attached to the advert for more information.
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.
Please read the Vetting Charter for information on what to expect during the vetting process and what will be expected from you. Many areas of your life may be explored during your vetting journey, and it is important that every individual, regardless of their background and experiences, should feel comfortable going through this personal process, whilst having confidence that it is fair, proportionate, and inclusive.
These short videos address common concerns and preconceptions which applicants may have about national security vetting. If you have questions relating to security clearances, please contact HMTSecurityVetting@hmtreasury.gov.uk
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 : Catherine Zeng
- Email : catherine.zeng@hmtreasury.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : hrrecruitment@hmtreasury.gov.uk
Further information
