Policy Advisor – Cross-Border Electricity Trading

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.

Find Out More

We regularly run events where you can find out more about the department and tips for the application process. You can sign up for upcoming events here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/departmentforenergysecurityandnetzero?

You can also follow our LinkedIn Careers Page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/desnz-careers/

Summary

Would you like to deliver critical policies for addressing climate change? In 2019, the UK became the first major economy in the world to legislate to have net zero carbon emissions by 2050, meaning we will no longer be a net emitter of greenhouse gases which contribute to climate change. We are looking for someone to develop and implement policy to help the UK meet this target. If successful, you will join our friendly, collaborative team working at the heart of UK decarbonisation policy.

In order to fully decarbonise we need to rapidly integrate high volumes of low carbon power into our energy system. This will require new infrastructure, an example of which is increased interconnection with neighbouring countries. As part of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the EU we have agreed new efficient trading arrangements across these interconnectors so that we can facilitate a transition to net zero in both the EU and in the UK as efficiently as possible while meeting the needs of consumers.

Job description

As a Policy Advisor in Cross-Border Electricity Trading, you will support the development and delivery of efficient UK-EU electricity trading arrangements to deliver net zero and shape our future energy relationship with the EU. The role is both technical and strategic: you will work closely with regulators, Devolved Administrations and industry partners to develop detailed policies to optimise UK-EU electricity trade; you will also have significant engagement with EU institutions and foreign governments in collaboration with UK Embassies and UKMis to advance our diplomatic agenda within the context of the UK-EU Trade & Cooperation Agreement. The topic is highly political and current, and attracts significant interest from Ministers.

We are looking for a Policy Advisor to:

•  Support the development of detailed policy proposals for the UK’s energy and climate interests within the context of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the EU
•  Help provide technical input to support the ongoing negotiations with the EU on electricity trade – including by building team capability, and playing a role in the immediate or broader negotiating team
•  Contribute to policy development on the broader climate and energy negotiations, ensuring consistency and coherence between electricity trading policy and relevant topics
•  Manage and support engagement with external stakeholders, Devolved Administrations, and other departments in Whitehall
•  Keep abreast of emerging developments and reacting to events with wider impacts on EU-UK energy cooperation and trade

We are looking for an enthusiastic self-starter who is comfortable operating flexibly and responding to events, as well as anticipating requirements. Prior knowledge of energy policy and/or electricity markets is desirable, though we will quickly upskill you in areas where you have less experience. We are proud of our commitment to learning and development and this is reflected in outstanding results to recent people surveys.

We are constantly looking to diversify our workforce to give us the broadest range of perspectives possible. We believe diversity and inclusion are the right thing to do, and that they make us a more innovative, welcoming Department which is a better employer, that makes better decisions. We therefore particularly welcome applications from underrepresented backgrounds and from disabled people.

Skills and experience

The ideal candidate will:

• Have knowledge of or interest in energy policy and/or electricity markets.
• Have a real passion for the work they do and the impact it has.
• Have an eye for detail, with strong problem-solving skills and the ability to grapple with complex issues.
• Have strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills, and strong written and oral communication skills.
• Be self-motivated and highly organised, with the ability to prioritise and manage workload effectively.
• Have the ability to work with experts on technically complex issues and communicate technical policy issues to non-specialists.

We pride ourselves on having a friendly and supportive work environment. We support team members to develop their careers, and we encourage those who work part-time, job-share or have other flexible working arrangements to apply. We will provide people with disabilities reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application process and working environment

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together

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 : Nick Evans
• Email : nicholas.evans@energysecurity.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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