Do you want a career where you can make a real difference? Do you want to work in a government department that is at the forefront of current policy making decisions that will impact the UK and beyond? If yes then a career at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) could be for you. 

Here at DESNZ we are securing the UKs long-term energy supply, bringing down energy bills and halving inflation. We are seizing the opportunities of Net Zero to lead the world in new green industries and encouraging greater energy efficiency across the UK. The work of the department has never been more timely or relevant, and by joining us you will be part of making that difference.

Our work is varied, interesting and most importantly it's impactful. Our DESNZ Values are interwoven into everything we do; we are Bold, we are Collaborative, we are Inclusive and we Learn. As a department we are committed to these values to build a culture where everyone can thrive.  

We offer great working benefits including a world-class pension, flexible working options and a career where your learning and development is taken seriously. We are enormously proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We support candidates with adjustments throughout our recruitment process. Information about disability confidence and just some examples of the adjustments that you can request can be found in the reasonable adjustment section below.

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.

Find Out More

We regularly run events where you can find out more about the department and tips for the application and interview process. You can sign up for upcoming events here: https://buytickets.at/departmentforenergysecurityandnetzero/1025475

You can also follow our LinkedIn Careers Page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/desnz-careers/

Do you want to provide the insight required to inform future government climate change/energy policy and make a positive impact to the UK's Net Zero ambitions? Then this opportunity is for you!

It is an exciting time to be working in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero as we develop new policies to help combat climate change and deliver security of energy supply. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is looking for a motivated monitoring and evaluation (M&E) expert to work in the department's central M&E Team and support high quality monitoring & evaluation across the department.

Monitoring and evaluating the delivery and impacts of our interventions is essential to the work of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). M&E enables us to implement our policies as intended, spend taxpayers money wisely, stand up to external scrutiny, and build our future evidence base.

About us

The jobholder will be based in the Central Monitoring & Evaluation Team, which is a small multi-disciplinary analytical team of researchers, economists and statisticians sitting within the Analysis Directorate. The team functions as a 'strategic team' that drives high quality monitoring and evaluation across the department, seeking to ensure that the department is high performing across government and at the forefront of cutting-edge monitoring and evaluation techniques.  The team work very closely/interchangeably with separate analytical teams that focus on appraisal, strategic analysis and research in the department. We pride ourselves on being a collaborative and encouraging team.

The role would suit proactive, highly-motivated individuals with expertise in monitoring and/or evaluation.  We operate in a fast-paced environment, using strong analytical, strategic and collaboration skills to impact on the successful delivery of key government priorities. For results-oriented individuals, the potential for personal professional development is outstanding.

About the role:

The role will be focused on supporting high quality and impactful monitoring and evaluation of policies across the department. The role will be highly varied and likely to include a mix of managing monitoring and evaluation related work, building capability in monitoring and evaluation across the department, carrying out evidence reviews and ensuring that we have a good understanding of key learning emerging from monitoring and evaluation evidence across the department.

The remit of the role is anticipated to evolve over time to meet the departments needs. However, the role will always focus on monitoring and evaluation and will likely encompass the following broad areas of work:

1. Leading Cross-Cutting Monitoring and/or Evaluation Work: The Central Monitoring & Evaluation Team often delivers or manages high-priority monitoring and evaluation related work for the department. These needs frequently change but can include tasks such as meta-evaluation/synthesis and international evidence reviews, providing short-term support to set up monitoring and/or evaluation for high-profile policies, and conducting specific methodological studies (e.g., how to effectively measure the job or carbon impacts of various implemented policies). This role is based within a central/strategic position, so the postholder is unlikely to directly deliver evaluations of individual policies and programs.
2. Monitoring & Evaluation Capability Building, Outreach, and Oversight: The Central Monitoring & Evaluation Team only carries out a small proportion of the departments monitoring & evaluation work. Instead, much of this work is conducted by teams dedicated to specific areas of the departments policies. As a result, you will play a key role in building capability, skills, and understanding of monitoring & evaluation across the department. This will likely include providing training, guidance, and advice. You will also maintain and manage a repository of monitoring and evaluation activities happening across the department.
3. Driving Innovation in Monitoring and Evaluation Techniques: With advances in methods, data science, and artificial intelligence, it is vital that the department remains at the cutting edge of methodological developments that may help improve the cost, quality, and impact of monitoring and evaluation. For example, (1) AI-assisted living evidence maps/reviews are growing in prevalence as a way of consolidating international evaluation evidence, and (2) advances in digitisation and techniques such as digital twins have the potential to transform the monitoring and delivery of large infrastructure projects. You will play a key role in identifying and facilitating the use of the most promising developments in monitoring and evaluation.

Given the broad scope of the team - there is significant remit to shape the role around the skills, interests and development needs of the successful candidate.

Skills and Experience 

The successful candidate will :

• Have strong, demonstrable experience and knowledge in either policy evaluation (i.e. carrying out or managing process and/or impact evaluations) or policy monitoring (e.g. collecting, managing and analysing data to analyse the delivery of projects);
• Have experience of designing, managing and leading monitoring and/or evaluation projects, including day-to-day project management, stakeholder engagement and delivering timely projects within budget;
• Have strong quantitative, data skills, including an understanding of statistical analysis techniques.
• Have excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills with experience of disseminating sophisticated monitoring and/or evaluation findings to a variety of audiences with influence;
• Be comfortable managing a diverse and dynamic portfolio of work, adapting their work plans in response to business needs and priorities in a fast-paced environment;

Desirable (it is recognised that no candidate is likely to have all/many of these):

• Expertise in energy / climate policy or research;
• Knowledge of the Green, Magenta and Aqua Books;
• Experience of developing dashboards (e.g in Power Bi) to support interpretation of large datasets;
• Knowledge/experience of working on digital or data science related projects;
• Expertise in primary data collection (e.g. surveys, interviews);
  
• Knowledge or experience of digital twin technologies.

Professional requirements:

You must be able to demonstrate that you satisfy the eligibility criteria and have the competence at the required grade (SEO) for one of the professional bodies. Links are provided to the relevant professions below:

• Government Social Research Service - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-government-social-research-competency-framework
• Government Statisticians Group - https://analysisfunction.civilservice.gov.uk/policy-store/competency-framework-for-the-government-statistician-group-gsg/
• Government Operational Research Service - http://www.operational-research.gov.uk/recruitment/competencies/
• Government Economic Service - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/63a186d8d3bf7f37573a1c48/20221121_-_GES_Technical_Framework_-_Dasgupta.pdf

To join one of these professions, youll need as a minimum to meet one of the following qualification standards:

• Social Researcher:  For qualification route, must hold an undergraduate degree at a minimum of 2:1, or 2:2 with a postgraduate degree, in a social science subject. Qualifying social science subjects are those that contain substantial social research methods training (comprising around one-third of modules taken in the course).
• For professional experience route, must hold an undergraduate degree at a minimum of 2:1, or 2:2 with a postgraduate degree, in any subject, or hold a degree equivalent, and have at least 4 years social research practice experience. Social research practice experience consists of experience working in a research agency, market research agency or specialist research team.
• Statistician: A degree at 2.1 (or above) or an MSc in a subject with substantial statistical content (e.g. Statistics, Mathematics, Economics, Sciences, Business Studies, Psychology, Geography or similar). Find out more at https://gss.civilservice.gov.uk/careers/joining-us/
• Operational Researcher: A degree at 2.1 (or equivalent) or an MSc in a highly numerate subject, or equivalent experience, and be able to demonstrate relevant experience in your career in a relevant profession.
  
• Economics: have a first or upper second-class honours degree in economics (or international equivalent), or a postgraduate degree in economics. If it is a joint degree, at least 50% of the course modules must be in economics.

Candidates should state which of these professions they are applying for in their application.

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Analysis
• Analytical Professional Competency 1
• Analytical Professional Competency 2

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

• Analysis

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero offers a competitive mix of benefits including:

• A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
• Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an average employer contribution of 27%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
• An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
• Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.

Office attendance

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 over the accounting period.

Job contact :

• Name : Leanne Dew
• Email : [email protected]

Recruitment team

• Email : [email protected]