Deputy Director, Office for Clean Energy Jobs
Job description
- Job grade: SCS Pay Band 1
- Contract type: Permanent
- Business area: EIS (Growth and Business) – Clean Energy Investment
- Type of role: Policy, Senior leadership, Other
- Working pattern: Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time
- Number of jobs available: 1
Location
About the job
Job summary
Reporting into the Director for Clean Energy Investment, this role will provide Senior Civil Servant leadership of the Office for Clean Energy Jobs, engaging with Ministers and senior external stakeholders, and taking responsibility for delivery of actions from the Clean Energy Jobs Plan.
DESNZ established the Office for Clean Energy Jobs (OCEJ) in July 2024 to drive action to build the clean energy workforce. OCEJ plays a strategic coordinating and convening role, to build analysis of future clean energy workforce needs, ensure the wider skills and employment system delivers for the sector, promote good quality work including strong trade union recognition, and deliver targeted interventions to support those objectives.
OCEJ takes a data-driven approach, assessing sectoral and occupational skills needs. It plays a convening role between industry, trade unions, and training providers to identify critical skills gaps, aligning them with deployment plans across clean energy sectors, and ensuring that job quality is kept at the forefront.
It also works closely with devolved governments and across central government, including Department for Education, Skills England, Department for Work & Pensions, Department of Business & Trade and the Home Office, to ensure training provision and workforce interventions match future workforce needs.
This is a high-profile role, with significant ministerial interest, and will suit an experienced leader with knowledge of skills and employment policy. We would welcome applications from existing Civil Servants and from candidates with relevant experience elsewhere in the skills, employment, or energy system.
Job description
Key Responsibilities
This senior position will help shape the organisational culture, priorities, external engagement, and delivery of OCEJ objectives. Key responsibilities include:
- Provide effective, empowering, and inclusive leadership to the Office for Clean Energy Jobs, building a strong, diverse, and multidisciplinary team.
- Lead engagement with the Secretary of State and other DESNZ Ministers on skills, workforce planning, and labour market policy including the role of trade unions in supporting quality jobs and workplace rights.
- Deliver the priority workstreams in the Clean Energy Workforce Strategy, ensuring the clean energy transition delivers hundreds of thousands of good jobs, at good wages, with strong trade union representation.
- Ensure DESNZ has a clear understanding of future workforce needs, working with analytical colleagues.
- Build strong partnerships with industry, trade associations, and trade unions to co-develop policy and communicate the Department's priorities.
- Develop in-depth insights into customers, services, communities and markets affected by the OCEJ’s work and ensure policy is rooted in this, taking a place-based approach.
- Collaborate with colleagues in the Devolved Governments to coordinate skills and employment policy for the Clean Energy Workforce across the UK, as a devolved policy area.
- Represent DESNZ across Government on skills and labour market policy, including with Skills England, the Department for Education, the Department for Work & Pensions, and HM Treasury.
- Oversee delivery and programme management of targeted skills interventions, such as the North Sea Jobs Service.
Person specification
We are looking for someone who is motivated by the work they do and the impact it has. We welcome driven individuals with strong policy, strategy and engagement skills.
Essential skills/experience are:
- Experience building and leading high-performing, inclusive and multidisciplinary teams
- Extensive work at a senior level within a strategy or policy function, delivering across numerous policy themes whilst seeing the big picture, making connections between policy areas and shaping ambiguous work programmes.
- Strong influencing and collaboration skills, including with senior external stakeholders. Able to win trust and gain confidence quickly.
- Grasp issues quickly and able to articulate and present complex policy, commercial or financial matters succinctly to Ministers and senior decision makers.
- Strong commercial acumen, the aptitude/ability to translate between industry and Government, engage with the private sector and understand commercial drivers – including solid quantitative skills.
- A strong focus on delivery, with a track record of delivery of complex projects at pace.
Desirable skills/experience are:
- Experience of working within skills, employment, or labour market policy, or climate /environmental policy.
- Experience of working with Ministers and/or experience of working with senior political figures and/or C-suite leaders.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
- Working Together
- Making Effective Decisions
- Delivering at Pace
Benefits
Benefits
Whatever your role, we take your career and development seriously, and want to enable you to build a really successful career with the Department and wider Civil Service. It is crucial that our employees have the right skills to develop their careers and meet the challenges ahead. You’ll benefit from a wide range of training and development opportunities, regular performance and development reviews to ensure this development is ongoing. As a Civil Service employee, you’ll be entitled to a large range of benefits.
This includes
- 25 days annual leave on entry, increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service. This is in addition to 8 public holidays and one days leave for the King's birthday;
- A competitive contributory pension scheme that you can enter as soon as you join where we will make a significant contribution to the cost of your pension; where your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken; and where your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire;
- Flexible working patterns including part-time or term-time working and access to Flexible Working Schemes allowing you to vary your working day as long as you work your total hours;
- Generous paid maternity and paternity leave which is notably more than the statutory minimum offered by many other employers;
- Interest-free loans allowing you to spread the cost of an annual travel season ticket or a new bicycle;
- Occupational sick pay.
Working Arrangements
This role is available for full-time, part-time, flexible working or job share. However, any specific arrangements should be discussed with the vacancy holder. Some travel around the UK may be required.
The Department operates a discretionary Hybrid Working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home based location for 40-60% of the time. Senior Civil Servant (SCS) staff are expected to aim for closer to 60% of the time at an office or non-home based location over the accounting period.
Pension
Your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package where the employer makes a significant contribution to the cost of your pension.
Your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken. This means, if you pay tax, your take-home pay will not be reduced by the full amount of your contribution; and your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire.
For more information, visit www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk
Leave Allowance
Full time new entrants to the Civil Service and those Civil Servants on modernised terms and conditions will be entitled to 25 days leave increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service.
In addition to this you are entitled to 8 public/bank holidays.
The allowance is pro-rated for part-time staff.
With competitive maternity, paternity and parental leave we also recognise the importance of a good work-life balance and offer flexible working and a family friendly approach to work.
Civil Servants taking up appointment on promotion will adopt the modernised Civil Service terms and conditions which came in to effect from 1 July 2013. Existing Civil Servants appointed on level transfer will retain their existing terms and conditions.
Training and Development
The Department offers engaging jobs in work that really matters; jobs which have a direct impact on the quality of public services. Roles can offer great job satisfaction and there are many opportunities to develop and progress both within the Department and across the wider Civil Service.
We are committed to investing in our staff and offer a range of work based training and qualifications, coaching and mentoring opportunities and a guaranteed five days of learning a year.
Other Benefits
Any move to DESNZ from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may, however, be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare.
Determine your eligibility at:
Interest free season ticket and bicycle loans may be available.
Some sites also offer onsite facilities including fitness centres and staff canteens.
Things you need to know
Artificial intelligence
Selection process details
How to apply
To apply for this post please follow the instructions on the CS Jobs website by no later than 23:55 Sunday 22nd November 2026. As part of the application process, you are asked to complete the following:
- CV - Your CV should be no longer than two pages and cover your career history, skills and achievements. This should not be a list of posts but rather full details of the responsibilities you held, the scale of the role and what you delivered for each post. Detailing your achievements in this way will help the hiring manager understand the true depth of your experience and differentiate your application at shortlisting.
- Personal Statement - Your statement should be maximum 1250 words. Your statement is not a cover letter for your CV, rather it's your chance to showcase how you meet each of the essential and desirable criteria for the role, as outlined in the role advert. The vacancy holder will be looking for specific examples of your work that demonstrates how you meet the criteria. Bullet points should be avoided, instead it is helpful to structure these examples with the situation, task, action and result to show the breadth of your experience.
- Artificial intelligence - Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.
Interview
- Final Interview - To best prepare for your interview you should build on the information you have provided in your application, developing examples of how you meet the requirements for the role. Ahead of your interview you may be asked to prepare a presentation on a topic related to the role and deliver this at the start of the interview. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.
Behaviours assessed at interview will be:
Leadership
Working Together
Making Effective Decisions
Delivering at Pace
Arrangements for interview
The final selection panel interview will be held virtually. You will receive full details in your invite.
Following your interview, you’ll receive the interview outcome and feedback within 2 weeks; successful candidates move to the offer and onboarding phase. If you meet the required standard but are not the top candidate, you will be placed on a Reserve List for up to 12 months for potential future similar roles. If unsuccessful, we recommend utilising the feedback to help guide your future job search and upskilling efforts.
Appointment
Reserve lists
If you perform well at interview, meeting the standard required for the role, but are not the top candidate in merit order you will be added to a Reserve List for up to 12 months. Being on a Reserve List will give you the potential opportunity to be offered a role which is the same or very similar without going through the full recruitment process again, should one become available.
Civil Service Commission
Selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.
In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles, our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of appointment on the basis of merit by fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance you should contact; scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at:
Civil Service Commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road SW1A 2HQ.
Email: -info@csc.gov.uk
Alternative Formats
If you wish to receive a hard copy of the information, or in an alternative format e.g. Audio, Braille or large font then please contact: scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are unable to complete your application online, and need assistance, we may be able to put a reasonable adjustment in place to help. If this is the case, please contact us at: scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk and we will look into this situation for you.
Please note we are unable to accept any applications after the closing date, if you require a reasonable adjustment, please let us know prior to the closing date.
Further Information
If you have any questions about applying for this role or want to discuss the role further with the vacancy holder, please contact: scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk Please ensure you quote the job title and reference number in your email.
Indicative Timeline
Please note that these dates are only indicative at this stage and could be subject to change. If you are unable to meet these timeframes, please let us know by contacting scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. Please ensure you quote the job title and reference number in your email.
If candidates are required to prepare a presentation for their interview, you will be given at least one week’s notice of the subject.
Expenses incurred by candidates during the recruitment process will not be reimbursed by the Department except in exceptional circumstances and only when agreed in advance.
Candidates are asked to note the timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process. The anticipated timetable is as follows:
Advert Closing Date – 23:55 Sunday 22nd November 2026
Shortlist Announcement – w/c 30th November 2026
Interviews – w/c 7th December 2026
Reasonable Adjustment
We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.
Information about the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) and some examples of adjustments that we offer to disabled candidates and candidates with long-term health conditions during our recruitment process can be found in our DESNZ Candidate Guidance. A DESNZ Plain Text Version of the guidance is also available.
We encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicants section.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.
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 the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
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).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : SCS Recruitment Team
- Email : scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
Attachments
| 2026-11-05 489050 Deputy Director, Office for Clean Energy Jobs DESNZ CIP .pptx Opens in new window (pdf, 2148kB) |
| 2026-11-05 - DESNZ - Candidate Accessibility Pack Opens in new window (docx, 1787kB) |
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