We are a multidisciplinary unit in DBT that applies analytical, policy and strategy expertise to long-term strategic issues facing the department, with a particular focus on climate strategy.
Our scope is twofold:
A broad focus on the future identifying, and building an evidence base around, the trends and disruptors that could affect both the global economy and the UK over the next 20 years and advising DBT seniors on how best to respond.
A specific focus on climate change and the environment taking the lead on the development and oversight of DBTs strategy toward climate change and scanning the horizon for new environment policy issues that pose risks or offer opportunities for the Department to show leadership.
The unit is part of the Global Futures Directorate (GFD), led by the Chief Scientific Advisor, which sits within the strategic centre of the department and works to ensure that DBTs strategic decision-making is underpinned by a clear-eyed view of the future. That includes specific responsibility to lead and cohere DBTs approach to long-term government priorities around science, technology and climate change, and a broader responsibility for strengthening DBTs long-term evidence base and building scenario analysis, stress-testing and horizon scanning capacity.
Job description
This is a central role running DBTs Future Unit and Green Strategy Team. You will report to the Departments Chief Scientific Advisor and work closely with its Strategy Director to help ensure DBTs strategic decisions are underpinned by a clear-eyed view of the future; and to drive positive change on HMG policy on longer-term issues that affect the UK economy, particularly around climate change. As Deputy Director, you will be an active member of both the Global Futures Directorate and Ministerial Strategy Directorates leadership teams.
Key responsibilities include:
Leadership: You will provide strategic direction and effective leadership of a diverse team of 15 economists, strategists and policy specialists. You will be adept at managing an evolving portfolio of work and providing clarity to your team amid uncertainty. You will be responsible for generating and overseeing a pipeline of original research and making sure your teams limited resources are deployed to maximum strategic effect. Thought leadership as well as people leadership are needed in equal measure.
Futures Analysis and Foresight: You will embed a long-term perspective across the Department. That will include ensuring a steady stream of high-quality analytical outputs to build out the departments long-term evidence base and delivering an effective central scenario analysis, stress-testing and horizon scanning capability. You will also oversee development and maintenance of the teams economic forecasting and scenario modelling capability.
Climate Change: You will oversee DBT's Green Strategy team helping to drive work across the Department and steer your team to pro-actively fill gaps in strategic thinking and policy development. This will involve working closely with colleagues both within DBT and across Whitehall to manage the Departments equities and safeguard the Departments external reputation on green issues.
Strategy development and communications: Support the development of DBTs economic growth strategy, including by drawing in futures thinking to inform all aspects of DBT strategy work, and leading work on discrete strategy modules (e.g. on the departments approach to net zero or the emerging technologies agendas). Support Ministers and Executive Committee (ExCo) with strategic thinking and strategic comms around the long term, including helping to develop DBTs economic growth and green narrative.
Person specification
Ability to lead, shape, prioritise and integrate a complex programme of strategy and policy projects with multiple stakeholders, competing objectives and frequent reprioritization of effort and resources.
Exceptional and inclusive leadership supporting, motivating, and developing a diverse and empowered team to deliver brilliant service, with a strong track record of building capability and creating a work culture that prioritises development, learning and career progression of your staff.
Expertise in leading complex strategy and policy work deploying a futures and scenario-based perspective that successfully unlocks debate and decisions from the most senior decision makers and stakeholders including via public facing products on sensitive and complex issues.
Exceptional collaboration, influencing and relationship skills at all levels; partnership working to deliver outcomes across and between organisations ; and a proven track record of proactively leveraging insight from outside of your organisation
Experience in working with and deploying innovative and wide-ranging analysis in anchoring policy and strategy work
Please follow the online instructions on the Civil Service Jobs website to apply for this role. Applications must be submitted no later than 23:55 on 02/06/24.
You will be asked to upload the two documents outlined below. It is essential you add your full name to both documents:
A CV setting out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role. Please provide reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
A Supporting Statement of around two pages of A4, providing examples of how your experience meets the essential criteria.
Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.
If you encounter any issues or are unable to apply online please contact [email protected] in the first instance.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.
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
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (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
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DBT by email at [email protected]. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Civil Service Commission Complaints
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