Job description
Details
Reference number
Salary
Job grade
Senior Executive Officer
Contract type
Business area
Type of role
Operational Delivery
Project Delivery
Working pattern
Number of jobs available
Contents
Location
About the job
Benefits
Things you need to know
Apply and further information
Location
About the job
Job summary
About HM Treasury
If you’re interested in making a difference to people’s lives across the country, the Treasury is the department for you! We sit at the centre of everything that the Government does and have provided advice on economic policy and decisions that affect the public finances throughout the country’s history. A Treasury career continues to offer an exciting opportunity to be part of the decision making that affects the whole of the UK.
Working at the heart of government, we collaborate with other departments to ensure public money is spent well and to drive strong and sustainable economic growth. Our work ranges from protecting customers through to the regulation of the financial sector, helping to reduce carbon emissions and creating a greener economy, supporting people across the country through the COVID 19 furlough scheme and Plan for Jobs as well as helping first time buyers buy their first home.
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 a stronger organisation, better at developing policy that is reflective of the communities we serve. We embrace different views and experiences and value the fresh 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.
The Darlington Economic Campus is a pioneering new cross-government hub which will bring people together across departments and public organisations to play an active role in the most important issues of the day.
HM Treasury in Darlington will be joined by the Department for International Trade, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, the Competition and Markets Authority, the Department for Education and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
Job description
About the Group
The International Group advises ministers on promoting and protecting the UK’s international economic interests, to ensure the UK thrives in an ever-changing global economy. We do this through our policy and operational work on a range of areas ranging from free trade agreements, climate change, countering illicit finance, financial sanctions to supporting developing countries and managing our relationship with Europe, US, and emerging markets.
We support the Chancellor and senior officials in building relationships with a wide range of external and international partners and represent the UK in a range of international organisations, such as the G7, the G20 and the International Monetary Fund as well as Multilateral Development Banks. We also analyse what is happening in the world economy, and control spending on international development. Although international travel is an important part of some roles, it is not required for every role in the group and will be specified if required.
About the Team
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) has been operational since March 2016 and has quickly established itself as a world-leader in financial sanctions, a key area of financial, foreign and national security policy.
HM Treasury implements financial sanctions in the UK. OFSI, part of HM Treasury, fulfils this role on its behalf. It leads on the implementation of UN and UK financial sanctions and domestic terrorist asset freezing, providing a high-quality service to the private and charitable sectors, and guidance to help them follow the law. It works closely with law enforcement, intelligence agencies and strategic policy colleagues across Whitehall and beyond to help ensure that financial sanctions are accurately understood, implemented and enforced. OFSI has important partner relationships in the regulated financial services sector, the primary implementers of financial sanctions, and is an integral part of the sanctions community worldwide.
There are currently c.30 financial sanctions regimes, including sanctions relating to Russia, North Korea, Iran, Syria and Libya. Approximately 3000 individuals and entities are targets of sanctions. OFSI also implements domestic terrorist-asset freezes under the counter-terror legislation.
Robust enforcement of financial sanctions helps to maintain the integrity of and confidence in the UK financial sector, a priority for the PM and the Chancellor. OFSI has strong powers, including to impose monetary penalties. OFSI is in the front line in the fight against this serious crime.
OFSI is a diverse and friendly team of over 100 people, and we are growing, with multiple roles available across several specialist branches. We offer an outstanding environment to broaden your experience and develop new skills, whilst working on some of the highest profile international issues the UK faces. We support a good work-life balance and flexible working is encouraged.
You can read more about OFSI on our gov.uk pages: https://www.gov.uk/ofsi
Key Accountabilities
Are you interested in economic crime and foreign policy? Do you enjoy learning about complex topics, gathering information from different sources, helping others to understand difficult concepts or deciding what to do next in tricky or unclear situations? Would you like to work in an area of growing strategic importance, within a friendly team which is always developing new processes and seeking to improve the way we do things? If so, we might have just the role for you!
This role will suit candidates with experience of project management, knowledge management, communications and / or managing learning and development, supporting caseworkers and investigators, either inside or outside the civil service. But this experience is not required. We are looking for people who have the right set of skills for the role, who demonstrate the values of our organisation, who are motivated to come and work with us, and who can demonstrate an ability to quickly develop an understanding of a complex and sensitive area.
The successful candidate will join the Governance and Strategy team which:
- Supports OFSI’s strategic planning and implementation, providing a programme management function
- Plans, develops, and implements professionalisation and learning and development programmes across OFSI
- Leads on strategic risk assessment, reporting, business planning and corporate reporting
- Leads on management information and performance monitoring for OFSI
- Provides secretariat services for the cross-Whitehall OFSI Governance Board.
The successful candidate will have opportunities to support work across all these areas, although the role will primarily focus on managing OFSI’s learning and development programme. An interest in and preference to work on learning and development, project and change management is therefore highly desirable.
Key responsibilities of the post will include:
- Develop, monitor and enhance implementation of L&D programme and project plans managing work with Units across OFSI to ensure effective delivery
- Input into cross-Whitehall L&D/capacity building workstream, looking at where OFSI can add value and maximise cross-Whitehall workstreams
- Engage with the private sector on training programmes and work with teams to procure appropriate packages.
- Keep seniors, ministers and governance board advised of key governance and strategy work
- Develop strong and harmonious working relations across OFSI/HMT and Whitehall
OFSI has a strong team ethos that encourages working collaboratively with each other. There will be opportunities to design and lead on projects which help to shape the future orientation of sanctions regimes.
Owing to the sensitive nature of these posts, successful candidates will need to undergo Security Check (SC) security clearance before starting in post, and, if required, be willing to undergo Developed Vetting (DV) clearance when in post.
Person specification
Sift Criteria
Required Skills, Experience and Behaviours:
The first criterion is Changing and Improving
1. Demonstrate good use of collaboration skills to understand learning needs and design innovative solutions that have an impact, continuously evolving our programmes to implement and embed creative improvement. (Changing and Improving)
If we receive large volumes of applications, we will conduct an initial sift on the lead criteria only, which will usually be a behaviour. This may be an experience or technical skill, but only where critical to the position.
We will assess the below further criteria in your application form;
2. Ability to use collaborative and agile ways of working, effectively leading complex projects with competing deadlines, delegating appropriately to other team members, and using project management tools to keep projects and delivery partners moving at pace. (Delivering at Pace)
3. Ability to design and facilitate informal and social learning interventions that empower and energise people to own their development. (Working Together)
Recruitment Timeline
Deadline for this vacancy is 12 March 2023, with the sift expected to take place week commencing Monday 13 March and interviews week commencing 27 March.
Candidate Guidance on Completing your Application Form
Where will we assess success profiles across your application form.
- Behaviours - these will be assessed individually with a 250-word statement per behaviour. The application form will indicate which behaviour is being assessed each time you provide a statement, and we are ideally looking for an example using the below STAR method to demonstrate this behaviour in line with the full criteria stated
All elements of the success profiles will be linked to a defined criterion that demonstrates the behaviour, experience or technical skills. It is beneficial to ensure your answer focuses on the full criteria, and not just the related success profile, to give you the best chance or providing the evidence the panel wants to assess.
In your statements, it is best to focus on one example in each section to allow you to provide enough detail in your answer and use all the words you have been allocated. Examples from a range of roles across your application will demonstrate that you have the skills, experience and behaviours we are looking for. We would also advise you to use examples that best meet the criteria, even if it is a few years old.
How to Structure your Answer
Please use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) approach when writing your application answers.
- Situation - Describe the situation you found yourself in and what happened.
- Task - The Hiring Manager will want to understand what you tried to achieve from the situation that you found yourself in.
- Action - What actions did you take and how did you do it. Make sure to use “I”, not “we” to explain how your actions lead to a result.
- Result - Use facts and statistics to demonstrate the results that your actions produced. Explain whether it was a successful outcome, and if not, what you learned from the experience.
Notes to Candidates
- Please refer to the candidate FAQ document which is a link on the job advert – this will provide you with guidance on completing the application form. Please contact [email protected] if you have any issue accessing this document.
- At HM Treasury, to maximise diversity and inclusion within our workforce, we operate a fair, open and anonymous recruitment process. This means that the sift panel will only be able to assess you on the written evidence supplied in your application answers. They will not have access to personal information.
- You may be asked to provide some CV details during your application; however these will NOT be assessed during the process, but will be used to support discussions at interview – please ensure you put all information you would like to be scored against in your behaviour, experience and technical skill statements .
- You will be assessed on your skills, experience and behaviours through the online application form. When completing your application form, please outline how you meet the requirements as detailed in the ‘Essential Criteria ‘section of this job description. This will give you the best chance to provide the evidence that the panel wants to assess. More guidance can be found here – completing your application.
- If we receive a large number of applications, applications will be assessed initially against the lead criterion alone. You will then be assessed against the other criteria if you have met the minimum score on the first criterion.
- Find out more about how the Civil Service assesses candidates and uses Success Profiles to test skills, experience and behaviours in applications and interviews.
- Applications are not reviewed until the closing date has passed. You will be notified of the outcome of your application as soon as the recruitment panel has reviewed all the applications.
Support to Candidates
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.
Thursday 9th Mar 17:30
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Changing and Improving
- Delivering at Pace
- Working Together
Benefits
- 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)
- A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and average employer contributions of 27%
- 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. Additionally, we operate flexitime systems, allowing employees to take up to an additional 2 days off each month, providing you work enough hours to meet business need.
We also offer a generous parental and adoption leave package.
At HM Treasury we have an incredibly broad remit; our work touches every citizen of the country. So, it’s important our employees come from the widest possible range of backgrounds, bringing us the widest possible range of perspectives and ways of thinking. We are committed to ensuring that all staff are able to realise their potential and achieve a healthy work-life balance.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
As part of our pre-employment security checks, if you are invited to interview and are not a current HM Treasury member of staff, you will need to bring:
- Proof of identity, e.g. your passport or driver’s license. Documents must be in date and valid.
- Proof of address, e.g. a utility bill or bank statement issued within the past 3 months
- Proof of your National Insurance (NI) number, e.g. letter from DWP confirming your NI number, or P60
- If you do not bring a UK or EU passport, you will need to bring other documentation of your right to work in the UK, e.g. your visa, biometric residence permit or birth certificate.
- If your right to work is granted through the EU Settlement Scheme, alongside you proof of identity you will need to provide either a letter of application or status outcome letter from the Home Office. If you are successful in being appointed to the role you will also be required to provide a Right to Work Share Code
Further details regarding acceptable documents will be provided in the invitation to interview. If you cannot provide in the first instance, the above documentation required for employment checks, at interview, please contact [email protected], If you are offered the role, we will require all documentation, as this is part of the security vetting process. If you do not provide this at interview stage, this may slow down the process and delay your start date.
If your contact details change at any time during the selection process, please ensure you update your Civil Service Jobs Profile.
Eligibility Statement
Individuals appointed to the Treasury Group will be subject to National Security Vetting. To allow for meaningful checks to be carried out applicants will normally need to have lived in the UK for at least 3 out of the past 5 years. A lack of UK residency in itself is not always a bar to security clearance but the Department will need to consider eligibility on a case by case basis using all information that can be obtained following a successful application. You will be asked to provide information regarding your UK residency during your application, and failure to provide this will result in your application being rejected.
Everyone working with government assets must complete Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks.
For many roles, security clearance is also required. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements of the role before they can be appointed. The level of security clearance required for this role is Security Check (SC)
Please read the Vetting Charter for information on what to expect during the vetting process and what will be expected from you.
Many areas of your life may be explored during your vetting journey, and it is important that every individual, regardless of their background and experiences, should feel comfortable going through this personal process, whilst having confidence that it is fair, proportionate, and inclusive.
These short videos address common concerns and preconceptions which applicants may have about national security vetting.
If you have questions relating to security clearances, please contact [email protected].
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
- certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
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