Director General, National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority

HM Treasury

Apply before 11:55 pm on Monday 20th January 2025

Details

Reference number

383174

Salary

£200,000

If you’re an existing Civil Servant, your salary will be agreed in line with the Civil Service pay rules in place on the date of your appointment.

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Job grade

SCS Pay Band 3

Contract type

Permanent

Type of role

Senior leadership

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time, Job share

Location

Birmingham, Leeds, London

About the job

Job summary

The role of the Chief Executive of NISTA will advise on the improvement of quality, cost, schedule, performance and project outcomes. The role will be involved in Government’s highest profile infrastructure and transformation programmes, retaining and exercising independent and expert judgement to improve efficiency, assess and escalate risks and take corrective action to maximise success in major project execution, through the Major Projects Review Group and other assurance fora. To drive improvements in the delivery of major projects NISTA will also need to actively identify barriers to infrastructure delivery in the public and private sector and make recommendations to the centre of government and Ministers on how to resolve these barriers. The role holder will be expected to oversee this work and work collaboratively across organisations to unblock these barriers.

The role holder will be expected to build constructive partnerships across Government (including directly with Ministers) and with industry partners and stakeholders. The role holder will work closely with the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury, Accounting Officers, and Ministers across Whitehall to manage the Government Major Projects Portfolio to ensure that there is sufficient capacity and capability on key infrastructure projects, including ensuring that the right leadership is in place.

The role holder is expected to lead high-level external engagement, including with regulators, industry, investors and the broader supply chain. The role holder will also be expected to represent NISTA and the government’s infrastructure strategy in the media. As head of the project delivery function, the role holder will be responsible for building strong project teams, sponsoring the Major Projects Leadership Academy and setting stretching standards for capability in major project delivery.

Job description

For further information please see the attached candidate briefing.

Person specification

For further information please see the attached candidate briefing.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £200,000, HM Treasury contributes £57,940 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Learning and development tailored to your role
An environment with flexible working options
A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Selection process details

To apply please submit the following documents to ApplicationsKF@kornferry.com by no later than midday on Monday 20th January 2025:

▪ Your CV, with educational and professional qualifications and full employment history, including an explanation of any gaps in your employment history, and details where possible of budgets and numbers of people.

▪ A short covering statement of no more than two A4 sized pages (1000 words) explaining why this appointment interests you and how you can evidence your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the criteria section on page 6 of the 'Candidate Briefing document'.

▪ A diversity monitoring form. All applicants are invited to complete this information to assist the Civil Service with monitoring its recruitment process. All data is reported in an anonymous and aggregate format and will not be seen by anyone assessing your application. (Attached at the end of this page.)

▪ A declaration of interest form (Attached at the end of this page.)

We expect the process for this role to be as follows:

▪ The closing date for applications will be midday Monday 20th January 2025.
▪ Longlisted candidates will be invited to meet with Korn Ferry for a preliminary interview.
▪ A shortlist of the applications will take place on 13th February 2025.
▪ Between 13th February 2025 and 10th March 2025 shortlisted candidates will then:

o Participate in a staff engagement panel with a selection of people from across the National.
Infrastructure Commission and the Infrastructure and Projects Authority.
o Undergo an Individual Leadership Assessment (ILA)
▪ Inputs from all of those steps will then form the basis of a panel interview, chaired by Stephen Cohen from the Civil Service Commission on 10th March 2025 or 13th March 2025.

Other panel members at the interview will include but may not be limited to Beth Russell, Second Permanent Secretary to the Treasury, Catherine Little, Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office and Chief Operating Officer of the Civil Service, Sir John Armitt, Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, and Stephen Cohen, Civil Service Commissioner for this role.

Please note that references and open-source due diligence checks (including into social media accounts) will be undertaken for all short-listed candidates.

Full details will be provided to shortlisted candidates and recognising that there are a number of steps in the process, we will do our best to arrange the sessions in a way that works for you. We hope that this process will be conducted in face-to-face sessions, but if you need any adjustments do let us know.

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 developed vetting (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

Open to UK nationals only.

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.

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 : Stephen Crookbain
Email : Stephen.Crookbain@KornFerry.com

Recruitment team

Email : ApplicationsKF@kornferry.com

Further information

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact craig.nannestad@cabinetoffice.gov.uk in the Senior Talent and Resourcing Team.