Deputy Director, Nuclear Decommissioning
Department for Energy Security & Net Zero
Apply before 11:55 pm on Monday 2nd December 2024
Details
Reference number
Salary
Job grade
Contract type
Business area
Type of role
Senior leadership
Other
Working pattern
Number of jobs available
Contents
Location
About the job
Job summary
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is a major DESNZ arms-length delivery body, responsible for the safe and secure clean-up of the UK’s 17 legacy nuclear sites. The NDA represents approximately 30% of the annual departmental budget and also manages some of the department’s most significant risks. The NDA has approximately 17,000 employees across the NDA group uses several subsidiary ‘operating companies’ to manage its 17 sites, including Sellafield Ltd which manages the largest and most complex part of the NDA’s mission.
The Deputy Director for Nuclear Decommissioning is a weighty role that is responsible for the delivery of the sponsorship function that coordinates the NDA’s relationship with central government by delivering and supporting the operating framework for the NDA, while also monitoring, scrutinising and reporting on the NDA Group’s delivery and financial performance. DESNZ works with UKGI on the delivery of this function.
Due to the nature of the NDA’s work this role involves a significant amount of interaction with senior leaders within the NDA, with DESNZ Permanent Secretaries and with DESNZ Ministers.This role also interacts with the wider nuclear cluster and its new nuclear power and nuclear system development objectives and includes a fair amount of associated policy work with respect to the domestic regime for nuclear decommissioning and radioactive materials management. Ongoing issues include:
- The policy options for methods to dispose of radioactive waste;
- Ensuring new nuclear power generation and other nuclear licensed sites have adequate funding arrangements to support decommissioning requirements;
- Ensuring the regulatory regime to justify new uses of radioactive materials (which include the policy justification for new designs for nuclear power stations) is fit for purpose;
- Ensuring the UK only supports appropriate novel types of nuclear fuel;
- Ensuring we are appropriately maintaining our international treaty obligations when it comes to nuclear decommissioning and radioactive waste.
Job description
The Deputy Director for Nuclear Decommissioning is a weighty role that is responsible for the delivery of the sponsorship function that coordinates the NDA’s relationship with central government by delivering and supporting the operating framework for the NDA, while also monitoring, scrutinising and reporting on the NDA Group’s delivery and financial performance. DESNZ works with UKGI on the delivery of this function.
Due to the nature of the NDA’s work this role involves a significant amount of interaction with senior leaders within the NDA, with DESNZ Permanent Secretaries and with DESNZ Ministers.
This role also interacts with the wider nuclear cluster and its new nuclear power and nuclear system development objectives and includes a fair amount of associated policy work with respect to the domestic regime for nuclear decommissioning and radioactive materials management.
This role is also responsible for the oversight and sponsorship of the Nuclear Liabilities Fund; a £21bn fund that is managed by a Trust. Ensuring the NLF has fit for purpose arrangements to manage the drawdown of funds by the NDA and ensuring the fund remains sufficient.
This role sponsors a scientific advisory body called the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM), which has 12 members and provides advice on aspects of the NDA and DESNZ objectives with respect to nuclear decommissioning and the management of radioactive materials.
There will be an information dial in to be held on Tuesday 19 November 09.15 -10.15 with Chris Heffer. If you are interested in attending this, please reach out to Sandra.Gordon@energysecurity.gov.uk
Person specification
- A strong corporate and team leader with a proven track record of leading teams, providing leadership in a dynamic environment, and with a proven ability to build high performing, inclusive teams.
- Managing and leading a team to prioritise tasks, dealing with conflicting priorities and delivering to tight deadlines in order to deliver high quality regular outputs.
- Experience of sponsorship of a delivery body and/or experience of major project and programme delivery for infrastructure and with strong project delivery skills to successfully manage an important project to deliver benefits to tight timescales in a complex and fast-paced environment. Critical to this will be designing ambitious but deliverable solutions.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with demonstrated experience working with senior leaders and managing senior stakeholder engagement across the public and private sector and with a proven ability to present complex issues simply and effectively at senior levels.
- Financial management and working with government major projects approvals and familiar with operating a delegation framework. You will be able to spot connections across different workstreams and ensure the HMG portfolio of interventions with NDA is delivering improvements.
- Good analytical skills and strategic judgement Policy development and delivery - skilled in being able to weigh up a range of evidence and use sound judgement to inform effective advice. Ability to understand and interpret complex problems and policy issues. Being comfortable analysing data to reach conclusions and translating this into credible and deliverable options and advice to Ministers.
- Ability to see the bigger picture and understand how your work supports wider objectives and meets the diverse needs of stakeholders.
Desirable
- Knowledge of nuclear or energy and industry stakeholders, across Whitehall and Parliament, and with the Devolved Administrations.
- Ideally, you should have successfully completed the Civil Service PLP or MPLA course.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Communicating and Influencing
- Making Effective Decisions
- Delivering at Pace
Benefits
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.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
To apply for this post, please send us the following documents no later than 23:55 on 2nd December 2024 via the Civil Service Jobs portal.
- A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you provide employment history that relates to the essential and desirable criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained. The CV should not exceed more than 3 x A4 pages and you should insert your CV into the "Job History" section on Civil Service Jobs on the Civil Service Jobs application form.
- A Statement of Suitability (1250 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the essential requirements highlighted. You may also choose to reference the desirable skills listed.
For the shortlist, we will assess your experience and select applicants demonstrating the best fit for the role by considering the evidence provided in your application.
In the event of a large number of applicants, an initial sift will be conducted on the statement of suitability. Those who are successful in the initial sift will then be scored on all elements of the application.
Should you encounter any issues with your online application please get in touch with: scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.
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 : SCS Candidate
- Email : scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
