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Details

Reference number

371763

Salary

£32,858 - £38,272 National: £32,858 - £34,586 London: £36,583-£38,272. This post attracts an additional GSE Specialist Technical Pay Enhancement of £5150, subject to eligibility. A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Job grade

Higher Executive Officer

Contract type

Permanent

Business area

DBT - CMRR - Office for Product Safety and Standards

Type of role

Engineering
Operational Delivery
Science

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time

Number of jobs available

1

Contents

Location

About the job

Benefits

Things you need to know

Apply and further information

Location

Birmingham, Teddington

About the job

Job summary

About OPSS

Do you care about the safety of products and want to protect people and places? Can we use your skills, knowledge and experience to enable UK business to thrive? If the answer is yes, then we would like to hear from you!

We are the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), part of the Department for Business & Trade. We are here for the purpose of making regulation work to deliver real world impact. Regulation is a powerful Government tool to address market failures, influence behaviour and promote positive action. Crafted and delivered well, regulation can be an enabler of growth, innovation and efficiency.

Since early 2018 we have been building a positive and creative team that enjoys a position of influence and respect within an organisation that continues to grow, most recently with the addition of construction products regulation planned.

Our primary purpose is to protect people and places from product-related harm, ensuring consumers and businesses can buy and sell products with confidence.

Further information can be found on our website here.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles. We embrace diversity and promote equality of opportunity. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills.

Job description

Join Our Energy Supply Team and Shape the Future!

Are you passionate about sustainability and innovation? Our Energy Supply team is at the forefront of creating a sustainable energy future. As part of the wider Products and Sectors Regulation team, we’re setting rigorous standards for heat networks, electric vehicle charging, and more. Our mission is to foster a thriving energy market where businesses can innovate and consumers enjoy a reliable, affordable, and environmentally friendly energy supply.

We are responsible for the accuracy of over 50 million gas and electricity meters used for billing consumers. We work with energy suppliers to ensure the accuracy of meter populations, thereby helping consumers engage with their energy usage and maintaining consumer confidence in the energy bills they receive. By driving compliance within the energy sector, we’re accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy. Meter accuracy is pivotal in ensuring we account for our energy usage in a fair and efficient manner, helping drive the country’s Net Zero goals.

Why Join Us?

• Impact: Play a crucial role in enforcing standards that drive sustainability.
• Innovation: Help create an environment where businesses can thrive and innovate.
• Sustainability: Contribute to a reliable and eco-friendly energy supply for all.

Your Role: Technical Support Engineer

We’re seeking a Technical Support Engineer to leverage their skills and experience to drive our goals forward. In this role, you’ll be instrumental in implementing rigorous, yet proportionate regulations aligned with the Regulators’ Code. You will be at the forefront of driving compliance within the energy sector. Collaborating closely with key stakeholders including DESNZ, OFGEM, and internal teams, you will develop and execute strategies to achieve our regulatory goals.

What Will You Be Doing?

• Support Delivery: Work with the Utilities Team Manager to support the delivery of the team’s statutory responsibilities under primary legislation and develop policies to accommodate new technologies.
• Coordinate Enforcement: Ensure the continued compliance of gas and electricity meter populations by coordinating the team’s enforcement activities.
• Provide Technical Advice: Offer technical advice and support to OPSS/DBT colleagues, other government departments, meter manufacturers, industry groups, trade associations, and energy suppliers, including participating in various technical committees.
• Liaise with Stakeholders: Work with manufacturers and trade organisations to reduce barriers to trade and ensure UK manufacturers can take advantage of increased market opportunities. Research new, innovative technologies that require appropriate metering.
• Contract Management: Undertake contract management and performance monitoring activities associated with an outsourced service provider.
• Reduce Regulatory Burden: Assist businesses in complying with legal requirements to reduce the regulatory burden.

Be Part of the Change

Join us in our mission to enable a thriving energy market. If you’re driven by sustainability and innovation, and want to make a real impact, apply now and help us build a better future!

Person specification

We welcome candidates from diverse backgrounds who can demonstrate the following essential skills and experience:

• Technical Expertise: A degree (or equivalent) in engineering or a related field is essential. Candidates should be able to quickly acquire and apply technical knowledge, particularly in metering systems.
• Analytical Skills: Strong analytical capabilities to interpret complex data, identify trends, and inform strategic decision-making.
• Stakeholder Management: Excellent interpersonal skills to build and maintain effective relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders, including industry representatives, policymakers, and consumers.
• Strategic Thinking: A strategic mindset with the ability to develop and implement effective plans, adapt to changing priorities, and deliver results under pressure.
• A willingness for occasional Travel: This role may require occasional travel both nationally and internationally.
• Clear Communicator: An ability to communicate complex information to both technical and non technical audiences.

Desirable

Industry Experience: demonstrable experience delivering technical regulation, operational projects, or similar roles within the utilities sector would be advantageous.

Qualifications

A degree or equivalent in an Engineering or related field

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture

Technical skills

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

• Technical and Commercial Leadership
• Applying Technical Knowledge

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,858, Department for Business and Trade contributes £9,518 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.

Please refer to the attached candidate pack for further information on our benefits.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Ability, Experience and Technical skills.

Sift

After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Judgement Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application.

Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23:55 on 01/12/2024. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

We recommend review this guidance and take the practice test before completing the test.

To apply for this post, you will be asked to complete the following as part of the online application:

• A Personal Statement of up to 750 words explaining how you consider your skills and experience demonstrate your suitability against the essential criteria in the Person Specification.
• A CV- your CV should not exceed more than 2 A4 Pages. The CV is for informational purposes only and will not be assessed. Please include details of your qualifications and employment history.

In the event of a large number of applicants, an initial short sift will be conducted on the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

It is likely that the sift will take place 1-2 weeks after the closing date and interviews 3-5 weeks after the closing date though this is subject to change

Interview

Candidates who are selected for interview will be invited to interview and assessed against their Behaviours and Strengths and Technical Skills.

Interviews for this vacancy will be conducted virtually. We will, however, consider in-person interviews by exception.

Your Technical skills will be assessed through a pre-prepared presentation (including follow up questions) and technical questions. Presentation details will be sent to candidates successfully selected to interview.

Behaviours that will be assessed include:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills will be assessed against the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence and Commitment

• Provide Technical and Commercial Leadership
• Apply Technical Knowledge

Please ensure that you check your emails regularly as all updates from us will be sent to you this way.

Interviews for this vacancy will be conducted virtually. We will, however, consider in-person interviews by exception.

Reasonable Adjustments

We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process. In order to request an adjustment:

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section on the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process.

Alternatively contact the Government Recruitment Service at DBTrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Candidate Support

You may want to join a virtual Candidate Support Session. These sessions include helpful tips and advice on the recruitment process, from application to interview.

Please see attached Candidate Pack for further information on: Diversity and Inclusion; Benefits; Learning and Development; Working Patterns and what we deliver as a department.

Further Information:

• A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. Reserve Lists will be for each location and appointments made in merit order based on location preferences.
• Any move to the Department for Business and Trade from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments.
• The Department will not consider sponsoring a visa or issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship. We are unable to offer advice on any Visa and Immigration cases.
• New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
• Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty. Any applicant who has details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
• A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
• Terms and Conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
• Please note – the successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before being released for another role.
• This role may be considered as a secondment opportunity. Please reach out to the hiring manager listed at the bottom of this advert to discuss.
• Candidates that do not quite meet the standard for this role may be offered a position at a lower grade.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

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

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

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). 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.

Diversity and Inclusion

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 (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative. The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window). Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

Name : Becky Allen Email : OPSS.Recruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk

Recruitment team

Email : dbtrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

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: Resourcing@businessandtrade.gov.uk.
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: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission/Complaints