Net Zero Energy Modeller

#DESNZ

The responsibilities for the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero for 2023 are as follows:

• Delivering security of energy supply
• Ensuring properly functioning energy markets
• Encouraging greater energy efficiency
• Seizing the opportunities of net zero to lead the world in new green industries

For 2023, our priorities are:

• Ensure security of energy supply this winter, next winter and in the longer-term – bringing down energy bills and reducing inflation.
• Ensure the UK is on track to meet its legally binding Net Zero commitments and support economic growth by significantly speeding up delivery of network infrastructure and domestic energy production.
• Improve the energy efficiency of UK homes, businesses and public sector buildings to meet the 15% demand reduction ambition.
• Deliver current schemes to support energy consumers with their bills and develop options for long-term reform to improve how the electricity market works for families and businesses.
• Seize the economic benefits of Net Zero, including the jobs and growth created through investment in new green industries.
• Pass the Energy Bill to support the emerging CCUS and hydrogen sectors; to update the governance of the energy system; and to reduce the time taken to consent offshore wind.

Our Inclusive Environment

We are building an inclusive culture to make the Department a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued, have a voice and can be their authentic selves.

We value difference and diversity, not only because we believe it is the right thing to do, but because it will help us be more innovative and make better decisions.

We offer first-class flexible working benefits, excellent employee well-being support and a great pension.

We are fortunate to have a range of excellent staff networks and are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer.

We will support talented people from all backgrounds to build a career and thrive.

We actively welcome applications from anyone who shares our commitment to inclusion.

We will fully support candidates with a disability or long-term condition who require adjustments in our recruitment process.

The role and our team

Do you enjoy technical, analytical challenges that coincide with high-profile, fascinating areas of policy? Then these roles could be perfect for you.

This is an exciting time to work on energy modelling. We are about to start work on a major model development and evidence gathering exercise to improve our modelling of industrial decarbonisation.

Industry currently accounts for around 17% of the UK’s emissions and decarbonising it presents various technical, economic, and financial challenges. 

Our aim is to ensure we develop the modelling tools we need to inform decisions on the rate of industrial decarbonisation and the route to achieving these goals. 

We will be working closely with the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), who advise government on climate change policy, and with academic experts – sharing modelling tools and collaborating on model development and evidence gathering. 

You will be a key member of the project team, helping to solve technical challenges and working across organisational boundaries to improve our modelling capability. This will initially involve improving the underpinning evidence, mechanics, and user interfaces of our cutting-edge NZ Industrial Pathways model; a versatile and powerful optimisation model.

We have two roles, one in the Central Modelling Team and one in the Industrial Decarbonisation Analysis Team:

Central Modelling team (CMT)

The Central Modelling Team (CMT) is a friendly team of over 20 analysts. We develop and apply some of the Department’s key energy and emissions models, supporting decision makers in decarbonising our energy system. CMT is a hub of expertise and good practice, ensuring the Department stays at the cutting edge of energy modelling.

We ensure the models we develop – including optimisation, micro-simulations, and econometrics – remain up-to-date and influential in Net Zero strategy and energy policy.

CMT plays a central role in setting the department’s modelling strategy, ensuring the department stays at the cutting edge of energy modelling. We ensure the models we develop – which include linear-programming, micro-simulation, and econometric models – remain up-to-date, relevant, and influential in net-zero strategy and energy policy.

You will have the opportunity to enhance your analytical skills and collaborate with a huge range of partners across policymaking, industry and academia.
We currently have a vacancy in CMT working on industrial decarbonisation modelling. 

You will undertake modelling and analysis to inform industrial decarbonisation policy working closely with CMT modellers to ensure our models meet policy needs.

Industrial Decarbonisation Analysis Team

The Industrial Decarbonisation Analysis Team (IDET) is looking for an analyst to lead on analytical work to deliver our commitments to decarbonise the UK’s industrial sector as set out in the Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy and help meet our 2050 Net Zero emission target.

The successful candidate will join the Industrial Decarbonisation Analysis team which is a multidisciplinary unit of analysts sitting within the Carbon Pricing and Industrial Decarbonisation Analysis (CIDA) team, which is part of the Net Zero Buildings & Industry Group.

In this role you will be focusing on improving and delivering a suite of analysis which will guide and shape the development of industrial decarbonisation policy in the coming years. 

You will partner with colleagues within a multidisciplinary team to understand and exploit evidence and use it to analyse industry pathways to net zero.

You will gain exposure to a range of modelling approaches and gain hands on experience developing scenarios to underpin strategy and policy development.

You will use your findings to present to policy and cross DESNZ teams to influence schemes needed to deliver net zero.

You will learn about the strategic planning decisions needed to support electrification, hydrogen and carbon capture and use your analysis to inform decisions in these key areas.

You will also partner with central teams to support carbon budget reporting and cross sectoral analysis of the economy.

Key responsibilities

Industrial Energy Modeller: Central Modelling team

The role may be adapted to reflect post-holder’s development objectives and other priorities, but the key responsibilities are expected to include:  

– Strengthening and improving the Net Zero Industrial Pathways NZIP2 linear programming model to ensure it is robust and addresses the right questions. This will include interpreting questions from customers, developing modelling options, and updating the model accordingly.

– Developing up to date assumptions that underpin the NZIP2 model. This will include working with stakeholders and experts, evaluating emerging evidence, and developing industrial and infrastructure assumptions that fit the model.

– Developing innovative approaches to industry modelling. The role provides great opportunities to identify areas for improvement in industry modelling in general and learn or apply coding and data science skills to improve our existing models and functionalities.

Industrial Decarbonisation Analysis Team

The post-holder will have the opportunity to help manage the evidence base underpinning the modelling of our Industry pathways to Net Zero, and gain first-hand experience using this analysis to influence Policy development.

The role may be adapted to the post-holder’s development objectives and to reflect policy priorities, but the key responsibilities are expected to include:  

– Working with policy, delivery and analytical colleagues across DESNZ to develop and produce analysis on industrial decarbonisation. Developing and maintaining a set of scenarios using different modelling tools.

– Working with other analysts to develop the evidence in relation to industrial emissions and network availability such as Hydrogen and carbon capture. There may be opportunities to manage analytical projects with external consultants, academia and the Climate Change Committee to develop specific aspects of the evidence base.

– Drawing on a wide range of analytical techniques e.g. bench-marking and data visualisation to help improve dissemination of industrial decarbonisation challenges and opportunities. 

Skills and experience:
Essential role specific requirements:

– Experience of applying appropriate modelling approaches to develop models that meet user needs, taking account of the strengths and limitations of alternative approaches. 

– Proactive and collaborative with experience of building good working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders within and outside their team.

– Experience of successfully communicating complex analysis or model outputs to provide meaningful insights for technical and non-technical audiences.

Desirable job specific requirements:

– Some experience of coding (e.g. in R or Python), and interest in developing and applying coding skills.

Essential technical/professional requirements: 

– Members of the Government Statistical Group (GSG): Data Analysis

– Members of the Government Social Research Service (GSR): Technical Skills

– Members of Government Operation Research Service (GORS): Knowledge and application of Operational Research

– Applicants who not members of one of the above professions: please refer to the relevant technical/professional frameworks in Technical/Professional Competencies section and see separate attachment for the GORS competency framework.

GSG: Data analysis: https://analysisfunction.civilservice.gov.uk/policy-store/competency-framework-for-the-government-statistician-group-gsg/#recruitment

GSR – Technical skills:  https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-government-social-research-competency-framework

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

• Working Together
• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions

We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Government Operational Research Service: Knowledge and Application of Operational Research.

  Government Statistics Group: Data Analysis.

  Government Social Research Group: Technical Skills

• GORS, GSG or GSR competencies

We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:

• Government Operational Research Service: Knowledge and Application of Operational Research.

  Government Statistics Group: Data Analysis.

  Government Social Research Group: Technical Skills

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 average employer contribution of 27%.
• 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.

Job contact :

• Name : James Wall
• Email : james.wall@energysecurity.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : desnzresourcing.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk