Senior Policy Adviser – Primary Markets

About HM Treasury

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! 

Financial Services Group

The Financial Services Group advises the Government on how to promote a stable and efficient financial services sector, to deliver excellent outcomes for consumers and business, enhance the UK’s position as a global hub for financial services and support economic growth across the country.

The financial services sector is important to the UK economy – providing significant numbers of jobs and making a large contribution to the UK’s economic output. It also provides essential services to individuals – for example, helping them to purchase goods with ease, buy their first home, and plan for their retirement. During the COVID pandemic, it played a critical role in supporting individuals and businesses – for example, in providing payment holidays for individuals and businesses affected by the pandemic and working with the government to deliver Bounce Back Loans.

We ensure that financial services businesses such as banks, investment firms, financial advisors and insurers are well-regulated. Ensuring firms treat customers fairly, customers have access to a range of financial services as a result of competition in the market, and there are appropriate remedies in place when things go wrong.

We work on a significant international agenda which includes promoting openness and trading links between the UK and countries all around the world, including through Free Trade Agreements and other international dialogues and negotiations.  To do this we work closely with colleagues in government, in the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office and the Department for International Trade, as well as direct with other capitals.

Working with stakeholders is key in Financial Services – for example, we work closely with the independent regulators to help them fulfil their roles, consult consumer groups on issues affecting them, and work with the sector on wider issues like the net-zero agenda.

About the Team

Securities and Markets (SAM)

We develop policy on matters relating to the competitiveness, regulation and, and good functioning of the UK’s financial markets, to support UK growth. The range of our work is wide, from formulating the laws and regulations which govern the behaviour of investment bankers and traders, to ensuring that UK financial markets continue to attract the best UK and overseas companies and are a powerful driver for economic growth

One of our most immediate objectives is to implement reforms to our capital markets now that the UK has left the EU, to ensure our regime works for UK markets and UK firms. This involves interesting policy work, considering from first principles what is appropriate to meet our goals. As part of this, we work closely with teams across HMT and Government, with industry, think tanks and with the regulators. In particular, the team works closely with colleagues in the Bank of England, the Financial Conduct Authority, and UK missions around the world. We also heavily engage with the financial services sector, from major investment banks to trade bodies representing the interests of small-cap issuers. The team is regularly required to work at pace to provide advice to Ministers on high-profile current issues and high-profile listings.

We are advertising for a Senior Policy Adviser in the Primary Markets branch, working to the Unit’s E2 (Grade 6) and providing direct line management to two Range Ds.

The responsibilities will be wide-ranging and fascinating. The main focus of the role in the coming months will be to drive forward reforms to UK Capital Markets, including working closely with the FCA on the Prospectus regulation, and overseeing a project to overhaul the UK’s retail disclosure regime. The candidate will also support Ministers in their engagement with companies seeking to list in the UK. The Unit has a strong focus on personal development and is a team where you will be encouraged to develop and thrive.

About the Job

The post-holder will lead work across the Primary Markets branch, in the Securities and Markets Team. The role will be stretching and will give the successful candidate a high level of responsibility. While key accountabilities will change over time, they are likely to include:

1. Leading on the implementation of Lord Hill’s UK Listing Review, the Mark Austin Secondary Capital Raising review, and a review of retail disclosure
2. Providing strategic direction on key areas of interest for the branch, including on the IPO pipeline
3. Preparing advice for and working with Ministers and seniors on strategic decisions, risks or issues pertaining to a wide variety important policy decision related to primary markets.
4. Managing a branch of two hard-working Range Ds and supporting their development.
5. Owning relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including the financial services regulators, ensuring effective coordination and open working.
6. Acting as the main point of contact with key financial services industry partners on a variety of important policy issues.

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 Brandon Thompson brandon.thompson@hmtreasury.gov.uk

About Your Application
 
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.  

You will be assessed on the following criteria:
 
1. Experience – explain your experience in public policy and its relevance with the role as advertised 
2. Making effective decisions – Ability to analyse a range of information and evaluate evidence to make decisions
3. Seeing the big picture – Ability to see the wider picture, identifying political as well as technical angles to a policy challenge
4. Communicating and influencing – Experience of drafting and developing ministerial briefs or consultation documents, distilling complicated questions into clear and simple prose

The lead criteria is: Experience
 
If we receive large volumes of applications, we will conduct an initial sift on the lead criteria only.

Candidate Guidance Support Session 
 
We will be running an overview of Success Profiles and the STAR approach; top tips for the application and interview process and an opportunity to ask general questions around our recruitment practices. If you would like to join us, then use the link below to join the call at the right time. 
 
Monday, October 30, 17:00 Click here to join the meeting

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

• Experience
• Strengths

Behaviours:

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

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. 

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

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

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture
• 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 : Brandon Thompson
• Email : Brandon.Thompson@hmtreasury.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : hrrecruitment@hmtreasury.gov.uk