Head of Excise
HM Treasury
Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 6th October 2024
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About the job
Job summary
About HM Treasury
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
The aim of the Business and International Tax (BIT) Group is to provide strategic oversight of business, environmental, transport, property, VAT, excise taxes and customs duties that together raise revenue of over £400 billion a year. The Group works closely with other government departments and is outwards facing towards key stakeholders, including business, industry, interest groups and international counterparts, and there are opportunities to be part of this engagement at all levels.
The work of the Group is vital to fund essential public services, while working with other Treasury Groups to support the government’s wider agenda – including supporting business investment and economic growth, developing and negotiating new customs arrangements following the UK’s departure from the EU; levelling up opportunities across all parts of the United Kingdom; and delivering “Net Zero” carbon emissions by 2050. The Group’s high-profile portfolio make it a highly dynamic, flexible and interesting place to work.
About the Team
The VAT and Excise team is a busy, flexible, friendly team at the heart of HM Treasury's tax agenda. The team is responsible for providing ministers with advice on VAT, insurance premium tax (IPT), alcohol duty, tobacco duties, vaping duty, gambling taxes and the Soft Drinks Industry Levy. Together, these raise around £200 billion a year. The team contributes significant numbers of measures to fiscal events and generates a large amount of Chancellor and external interest.
About the Job
The team is recruiting for a new Head of Excise. This role will sit alongside two other E2 roles in the team (Head of Domestic VAT, and Head of International VAT and Excise), helping to lead a team of around 20 and ensuring that the VAT and Excise Team is a great place to work.
This is an exciting, varied and high profile role, which will involve policy development, delivery and strategy across broad portfolios, working closely with key partners such as HMRC. It will involve significant engagement with Ministers, senior officials within HMT, other government departments and senior stakeholders from businesses, advisory firms and academia.
The role would suit an individual who can grasp complex policy issues, think strategically and creatively about how to resolve them, deliver effectively through others and skilfully manage relationships with a broad range of different stakeholders.
Key responsibilities are set out below.
- Providing leadership to the Excise Branch of 2 Range Es, 1 SEO and 2 HEOs, setting clear strategic priorities for the branch and providing excellent management to support staff development, delivering high quality work for Ministers and helping the branch to succeed.
- Advising and supporting the Chancellor and other ministers on all issues related to alcohol duties, tobacco duties, gambling taxes, Vaping Products Duty and the Soft Drinks Industry Levy. This will include leading and shaping the government’s policy agenda on excise duties, working collaboratively with HMRC, delivering large packages of measures for fiscal events and supporting Ministers in Parliament and in their engagement with stakeholders.
- Overseeing the development and delivery of the new Vaping Products Duty, including engaging with HMRC, DHSC, businesses and public health stakeholders to inform the final design of the duty and advising Ministers on the right strategy to ensure the duty best meets their public health and fiscal objectives.
- Developing and advising ministers on the case and options for strategic reform to excise taxes, and how they can contribute to the government’s fiscal objectives as well as its broader missions (in particularly supporting health). Among other issues, this could include: overseeing the remaining elements of the alcohol duty reforms; the future of SDIL; how to tackle revenue sustainability issues in relation to tobacco; and reform of the remote gambling regime.
- Building collaborative relationships with counterparts and seniors in HMT, HMRC, DHSC and other government departments, businesses, experts beyond Whitehall and other interested parties to ensure HM Treasury’s decision-making is informed by robust evidence and that the government’s objectives and policies are communicated clearly.
The role is likely to require regular travel to London to support Ministers in person in Parliament.
Candidate Drop-In Session
The hiring manager will be running a candidate drop-in session for this role to give you greater insight about the role as well as the chance to learn more about HM Treasury and ask any questions you may have. If you would like to join us, then use the appropriate link below to join the call at the right time.
26th September 2024 13:15 - 14:00
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, please contact Scarlett Graham (scarlett.graham@hmtreasury.gov.uk)
Person specification
Your application will consist of a CV and a 1000-word personal statement.
Your CV should consist of your career history, including any key achievements in each role. Your CV will not be scored, but instead will be used to provide further context on your personal statement, and support conversations at interview.
Please provide a personal statement of no more than 1000 words setting out how you meet the following criteria:
- Ability to provide effective, inclusive and supportive leadership to a group of staff to deliver high quality work at pace and under pressure, building capability and motivating staff, while contributing to making the wider team a great place to work.
- Comfortable operating at a strategic level – balancing fiscal, economic and political objectives – and being able to grapple with highly technical policy issues without losing sight of why they really matter within the broader context and drawing links with other priorities beyond those within your remit.
- Ability to lead work on complex policy issues that develop creative solutions and balance competing objectives, and make evidenced-based, impactful recommendations, even with imperfect information.
- Ability to communicate effectively with senior decision-makers and influencers internally and externally, breaking down complex information into clear policy choices, flexing communication style, and advocating and influencing against challenge.
These criteria have been identified as the essential skills or experience for the role, so it is important that you include evidence to demonstrate you have the skills or experience we are looking for. You should not include any personal identifying information within your CV or personal statement.
Please review the Candidate FAQ document that is attached to the advert for more guidance on how to complete your application form.
Candidate Guidance Support Session
We will be running an overview of Success Profiles and the STAR approach; top tips for the application and interview process and an opportunity to ask general questions around our recruitment practices. If you would like to join us, then use the link below to join the call at the right time.
Thursday 19th September at 12:30: Join the meeting now
Thursday 3rd October at 12:30: Join the meeting now
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
- Communicating and Influencing
- Seeing the Big Picture
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 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 be able to move your role to another location.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Recruitment Timeline
- Closing date: 6th October 2024
- Shortlisting: From 7th October 2024
- Interviews: W/C 11th November 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.
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.
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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 : Scarlett Graham, Deputy Director, VAT & Excise
- Email : scarlett.graham@hmtreasury.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : hrrecruitment@hmtreasury.gov.uk
Further information
