Policy Advisor (Covid-19 Inquiry)

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.  

HM Treasury is proud of a diverse and inclusive work environment, committed to fairness and the promotion of equality of opportunity for all. We know that having a range of experiences, ways of working and thinking makes us stronger and better at developing policy that reflects the needs of every community. We embrace different views and experiences and value the new perspective that people from a variety of circumstances bring to the work we do. We welcome applications from candidates who have not previously worked for the Civil Service, mid- and late-career changers with transferrable skills, people from all backgrounds and circumstances regardless of disability, gender, age ethnicity, LGBT+ identity and socio-economic status.  

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! 

Strategy, Planning and Budget

Strategy, Planning and Budget operates at the heart of the Treasury to develop the Department’s overall strategy and business plan, assess performance and risk, and help deliver its objectives with a large, flexible project team who work on ministerial priorities across the whole range of the department’s policy responsibilities. We also co-ordinate the Chancellor’s annual Budget, the Finance Bill and the Treasury’s tax strategy, as well as coordinate the Treasury’s responses to the COVID-19 Public Inquiry and provide support to ministers and officials who are Inquiry witnesses. SPB also promotes excellent policymaking across the department and houses the Darlington Leadership Team, which works to ensure the successful delivery of the Darlington Economic Campus (DEC). 

The Team

The Covid Strategy and Inquiry Team lead HM Treasury’s engagement with the UK Public Inquiry into the Government’s Covid-19 Response. HM Treasury played a central role in the response to the pandemic, and it is a Departmental priority to engage with the Inquiry openly, constructively and efficiently.

This role offers a unique opportunity to work at the heart of HM Treasury on a strategically and historically important issue. You will be supporting the Second Permanent Secretaries and Executive Management Board on one of their key priorities.

We’re a friendly team made up of people with plenty of relevant experience and a diverse set of backgrounds. We’re proud to bring all of that to the team and our work, and committed to making the team a great place to work.

About the job

We are recruiting for one Range D (HEO/SEO equivalent) to join the team. We work flexibly to manage shifting priorities and to help team members develop a breadth of skills, knowledge and experience. However, the successful candidate will lead on all aspects of the disclosure of HM Treasury information to the Inquiry, for example advice provided to HM Treasury ministers during the response to Covid.

This role provides unique opportunities to play an important part in a high-profile public legal process which is likely to shape the government’s future work on health, and other, crises. As well as the satisfaction of being involved in such work, through this role you will be able to demonstrate your ability to deliver tangible outputs and work well with a range of stakeholders. This includes extensive working with lawyers, a wide variety of policy teams, and senior leaders. Throughout, you will be well supported in a friendly and encouraging team environment.

Disclosure coordinator

This role would be perfect for someone who has a project management attitude and enjoys getting involved in delivery of operational processes, including finding ways to improve these. It also calls for problem-solving skills, communication skills and good judgment. The successful candidate will be someone who can see the big picture without forgetting the important details. They will be organised and comfortable with adapting their approaches as necessary.

Key accountabilities for this role will be to:

• Lead effective implementation of our disclosure strategy. This includes managing responses to requests for documentary evidence from the Inquiry from start to finish, working with stakeholders to ensure relevant evidence is reviewed and disclosed in a timely manner;
• Liaise with our legal team to ensure that they have everything they need to represent HMT effectively and that they are providing the legal advice and support we need;
• Liaise with and support fellow team members and wider policy teams in HM Treasury at each stage of document review and clearance, making sure materials have undergone the appropriate checks and issues are highlighted;
• Assist the team to support senior officials and Ministers in giving evidence to the Inquiry. This will provide opportunities to work closely with senior officials across the department in preparing and making accessible relevant evidence;
• Own key relationships with technical experts relating to HM Treasury’s records, including HMT’s Knowledge and Information Management team, IT service provider, and our external ‘eDisclosure’ supplier (who provide the platform for disclosing materials to the Inquiry);
• Play an active role in the team’s broader project and process management i.e. project timetables, risk register, lessons learned, issues log, etc.

Contribute to corporate activities that help make the team a great place to work. Current workstreams include: Wellbeing & Social, Diversity & Inclusion, Learning & Development and Information Management – there is lots of scope to show leadership in these and other areas.

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, then use the appropriate link below to join the call at the right time. 

Friday 13th October 5pm – 6pm Click here to join the meeting

Friday 20th October 5pm -6pm Click here to join the meeting

We are looking for the below skills, experience and behaviours and we will ask you to demonstrate these in your application form. Please review the Candidate FAQ document that is attached to the advert for guidance on how to complete your application form.  

No specialist policy or legal knowledge is required. However, experience in working on projects involving multiple teams or organisations, including partners from a range of professions/ functions, would be beneficial.

The below criteria will be assessed in your application form:

The lead criteria is: (1) Ability to drive forward work, including regularly monitoring your own and colleagues’ work to reach a common goal, and excellent prioritisation, risk management and problem-solving skills (Delivering at Pace)

If we receive large volumes of applications, we will conduct an initial sift on the first criterion only.

We will assess the below further criteria in your application form:

(2) Ability to use your judgement and available evidence effectively to make decisions, even when under pressure or where the context is unclear or uncertain (Making Effective Decisions)

(3) Communicating clearly and credibly to achieve a successful outcome (Communicating and influencing)

At interview stage, you will be assessed on the below criteria:

• Strengths
• Behaviours:
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Delivering at Pace
  • Making Effective Decisions
  • Seeing the Big Picture

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

• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture

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

• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

• 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

• 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 (e.g. analysts, music society, sports and social club) and diversity (e.g. women in the Treasury, ethnic minority network, LGBT* network, faith and belief network).

Flexible working arrangements:   HM Treasury views flexible working as essential in enabling us to recruit and retain talented people, ensuring that they are able to 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; working from home, compressed hours and job sharing.

HM Treasury operates an office based working approach across all Treasury sites – Darlington, London, and Norwich, with the expectation of achieving 50% attendance in the office as a minimum requirement, along with the flexibility of 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.

Job contact :

• Name : Hera Miah
• Email : hera.miah@hmtreasury.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : hrrecruitment@hmtreasury.gov.uk