Deputy Director - Growth Strategy Unit

Job description

About the job

Job summary

Working at HM Treasury puts you at the heart of government, making a difference to the UK economy and ultimately to people's lives right across the UK.

Jobs at the Treasury are fast-paced, fun and can offer unparalleled perspective - not least the opportunity to advise Ministers on the decisions which directly determine the UK's prosperity. Deep in our DNA is a commitment to empowering our people: maximising individual and collective impact, with interesting work no matter your role or seniority.

Day-to-day you could be supporting Ministers to decide the right level of a specific tax or line of government spending; helping maintain the stability of financial markets; analysing the long-term trends impacting the future of the economy; or enabling this work as part of our vital corporate functions.

We are a high-performing department and proud to have outstanding staff from a wide range of backgrounds. We are also a friendly, inclusive and sociable workplace that prides itself on fostering great team spirit. Our two largest offices are 1 Horse Guards Road in London, opposite St James' Park, and the Darlington Economic Campus, which also contains eight other departments. We work seamlessly across all our sites, including Norwich, Birmingham and Leeds, as one Treasury.

We are both a 1,000-year-old institution and dynamic, forward-looking economics and finance ministry, with a strong direction set by our organisational strategy, the Future Treasury Vision. The 21st century offers huge opportunities and poses new challenges for the UK. Working at the Treasury is your chance to help the country chart the right course.

Job description

The Growth Strategy Unit is a new team in EGU, established earlier this year, tasked with leading HMT's work on growth in support of the Chancellor, in partnership with No 10 including No 10 North.

It does this by developing the overall approach to boosting growth and living standards through supply side reform. It advises the Chancellor, Exchequer Secretary, EMB, as well as the PM, No10 including No 10 North, and the Cabinet Secretary on the drivers of the UK's economic performance, the sufficiency of our existing strategy, and opportunities to go further - including navigating fiscal and wider trade-offs.

It works in close partnership with teams across HMT, No 10 including No10 North and beyond, with responsibility for specific growth policies. GSU seeks to ensure strategic and narrative coherence; and provides constructive challenge to wider policy development injecting creativity and alternative ideas.

It leads external engagement on growth, including with economic commentators, think tanks and academics. This engagement is strategic, and two-way: hearing stakeholders' views, whilst also proactively and confidently setting out the Government's strategy and responding to challenges.

It undertakes strategic growth projects on specific priority areas - for example, where these are crosscutting, or require a new perspective. This currently includes work on economic dynamism.

It leads work on growth economics and analysis for HMT, working across a large, expert analytical community in EGU, Economics Group and beyond.

As head of the Growth Strategy Unit, you will shape and drive the UK's growth agenda and economic strategy. You will work in partnership with No 10 including No 10 North, and the Cabinet Office, to deliver the PM and Chancellor's growth agenda. You will also build and use key relationships across businesses, think tanks, academia, departments and the policy community, and drive ambitious policies that will shift the dial on this country's economic future.

The role involves:

1. Advising the Chancellor and other Treasury Ministers on the government's overall growth and economic strategy, developed in partnership with No 10 including No 10 North. The role involves shaping and synthesising work from teams across HMT, such that the growth strategy is greater than the sum of its parts; and encouraging ambition and innovation. The role also involves bringing this work together at set piece events - the Chancellor has committed to two growth updates a year.

2. Building, maintaining and deploying positive relationships with No 10, including No 10 North, and a wide range of partners, across the centre of government and key growth departments to shape the agenda and ensure alignment and buy-in

3. Proactively shaping and engaging in external research and the debate on growth, working closely with colleagues leading on communications, business engagement and inward investment

4. Embedding economic analysis in strategic policy- making: leading the Growth Economics Branch, and working in partnership with the HMT Economics Group, the AI Economy Institute, and key Chief Analysts in other departments, to steer and support a creative and collaborative analytical work programme that underpins strategic prioritisation and ensures that growth policy development is informed by rigorous, evidence-based analysis

5. Leading the project function within the Growth Strategy Unit comprising cross-functional teams to develop strategic thinking on specific policy challenges. This will include partnering with Direct Ministerial Appointments, external analysts and thought leaders to commission and drive studies that inform strategic policy.

6. Displaying strong leadership and people management skills with the ability to build and develop a diverse, inclusive and supportive team. This includes strong economic/analytical skills to be able to lead the analytical function.

7. Showing a clear commitment to promoting diversity, inclusion and belonging, role modelling excellent behaviours at all times.

Candidate Drop-In Session

We 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 the recruitment process.

If you would like to join us on Friday 25th September 13:30 - 14:00hrs use the link

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 Stuart Glassborow - [email protected]

Visa sponsorship is not available for this role.

Person specification

While in post, the successful candidate will be expected to perform well across the full range of Senior Civil Service behaviours set out in the Success Profile framework and demonstrate commitment to Civil Service values.

The essential criteria for the purpose of selection are:

• Outstanding people leadership skills, with experience of setting strategic direction and leading high-performing teams to deliver at pace and in an inclusive way

• Sound judgement and strong strategic vision, with good knowledge of the various tenets of the Economic Strategy, and a track record of leading in uncertain and complex policy and political environments.

• Excellent influencing and interpersonal skills with a proven ability to gain the confidence and trust of and work effectively with a broad range of senior stakeholders and Ministers, and in proactively driving an agenda

• Ability to absorb and interrogate data, communicate it clearly and credibly to support decision-making, and build an evidence and analysis-led strategy

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Working Together

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £86,000, HM Treasury contributes £24,914 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Generous Annual Leave - 25 days (rising to 30 after 5 years), plus public holidays and the King's birthday.
• Outstanding Pension Scheme - Defined Benefit pension with employer contributions of 28.97%
• Parental Leave Packages - Including 6 months' occupational pay for maternity/adoption, shared parental leave options.
• Advance Schemes & Discounts - Rental deposit, cycle-to-work, SmartTech, season ticket loans, and access to HM Treasury's benefits portal for a wide range of discounts.
• Flexible & Hybrid Working - Options include part-time, job-share, compressed hours, flexitime, and hybrid working.

Hybrid working: HM Treasury operates an office based working approach across all Treasury sites. There is an expectation of a minimum of 60% attendance in the office. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas.

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. Some roles may not be suitable for hybrid working, it will be stated in the role profile if the role cannot accommodate this.

You can review HM Treasury's full offer here.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

How to Apply

Applications should consist of a CV (of no more than 3 sides) and a 1000-word personal statement demonstrating evidence of how you meet the skills, behaviours and experience detailed in the person specification.

Please note that only applications submitted through Civil Service Jobs will be accepted.

Applications will be reviewed by the panel to select those which demonstrate the best fit with the post against the criteria set out in the person specification.

Interview Stage

Candidates will be invited to an interview in order to have a more in-depth discussion of previous experience and professional competence. The criteria that will be assessed at interview are:

• Experience
• Strengths
• Behaviours:
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Leadership
  • Making Effective Decisions
  • Seeing the Big Picture
  • Working Together

Interview Task / Presentation

Prior to your interview, we will contact you about a task / presentation that the interview panel would like you to complete as part of the assessment. The exact details will be communicated to you nearer the time.

Candidate GuidancePlease review the candidate guidance for an overview of the Success Profiles and STAR approach, along with top tips for applications and interviews.

Recruitment Timeline

• Closing date: Monday 5th October
• Shortlisting: w/c 5th October
• Interviews: w/c 12th October

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.

Reserve Lists

You will be placed on a reserve list if your application is successful, but we cannot offer you a role immediately. Where more than one location has been advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location. You will be asked to provide your location preference on your application form. Please note that a place on the reserve list does not guarantee an offer.

If you are offered a role in your first preferred location and you decline the offer or are unable to take up the post within a reasonable timeframe, you will be removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances.

Those on the reserve list may also be approached for similar roles at a lower grade. If you are offered a role at a lower grade and choose to decline, you can remain on the reserve list.

Internal Fraud Database Check

Candidates cannot apply to roles in the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Successful candidates will be subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database. This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This also applies to those who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences had their employment continued. Any applicant's details held on the database will be refused employment.

National Security Vetting

Everyone working with government assets must complete Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks. Additionally, successful candidates will be subject to National Security Vetting. The level of security vetting required for this role is Security Check (SC).

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. You will be asked to provide residency information within your application form, and eligibility for national security vetting will be checked once the advert closing date has passed. In certain circumstances, for example if you have been working abroad on a government posting, 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.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

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

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (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

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

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 theCivil 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.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).

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 : Stuart Glassborow
• Email : [email protected]

Recruitment team

• Email : [email protected]

Further information

Complaints Process: Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment based on fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners' Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact HMT by email at: [email protected]. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.