Energy Retail Market Reform – Senior Policy Advisor

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.

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/

You will be working within the Energy Markets and Analysis (EMA) directorate. EMA’s purpose is to ensure Great Britain’s energy markets and networks deliver secure, low carbon and affordable energy, whilst protecting the interests of consumers and helping them make their contribution to Net Zero.

Our team is the Retail Energy Markets and Consumers team. We are responsible for the design and function of the retail energy market, which is the interface between consumers and the energy system. We work to ensure the market works in the interests of all consumers and that consumers remain protected via a proportionate and robust regulatory framework. We also work to ensure that the market is fit for the future, and is able to support the achievement of the Government’s Net Zero ambitions. Our team also acts as the sponsors for Ofgem, the energy regulator. The work of the team is extremely high profile at the moment, as energy bills, energy supplier behaviour, security of supply, and Net Zero all feature prominently in the news and continue to be a priority for the Government.

Of particular focus for this role is the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) programme and its links to the work of the Retail Energy Markets and Consumers team. The REMA programme is delivered by a different team but has close connections to our work in Retail Energy Markets and Consumers.

REMA’s core objective is to reform our electricity market arrangements so that they facilitate the full decarbonisation of the electricity system by 2035, subject to security of supply, and are cost effective for consumers.

REMA launched an initial consultation which ran between July and October 2022, and a summary of responses to that consultation was published in March 2023. Now REMA is preparing to consult for a second time, in late 2023, as it starts to narrow options for final delivery.

While REMA is focused on wholesale market arrangements, there are strong
linkages with the retail market, most obviously in that energy suppliers need to purchase electricity in wholesale markets in order to supply it to consumers. We will therefore need to carefully consider the interactions and overlaps between wholesale and retail markets.

This includes considering how the ways in which consumers are protected and suppliers regulated in retail markets will impact decisions on wholesale market design. And considering how wholesale market arrangements will influence the ways that suppliers participate in those markets and therefore the kinds of tariffs which are available to consumers.

Key Responsibilities

Understanding and managing interactions between the REMA programme and retail reform. This will involve ensuring that REMA and retail reform are aligned so that they incentivise suppliers to innovate in ways which reward customers. There is also a need to understand the impact of REMA reforms on consumers, and the retail market, more generally, and deliver any consequential changes arising from the interactions between the reform programmes.

You will work across the whole policy lifecycle, scoping a problem, working with internal and external stakeholders to identify possible solutions, and appraising these solutions according to criteria for success.

Delivering this work will require coordination between teams and you will need to consider how different parts of the energy system interact to form an interconnected whole.

Prior knowledge of energy policy is desirable but not required – we will quickly upskill you in the areas where you have less experience.

The ideal candidate will:

• Be able to demonstrate the ability to make, and deliver, policy from early stage through to implementation

• Have an eye for detail, with the ability to solve difficult problems and work through complex issues.

• Be comfortable working at pace, both collaboratively and autonomously, to lead the delivery of projects or workstreams.

• Have excellent interpersonal and stakeholder management skills, and

• Be able to deliver high quality writing.

We will be assessing candidates’ CV’s based on the above criteria.

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:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together

Job contact :

• Name : Edward Lucas
• Email : edward.lucas@energysecurity.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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