Onshore Wind Policy Advisor in Darlington

Job description

Job Summary

Do you want a career where you can make a real difference? Do you want to work at the forefront of current policy making decisions? Do you want to have an impact on 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 delivering our mission to make the UK a clean energy superpower, with clean electricity by 2030 and accelerating the UK’s journey to net zero.

Our work is helping ensure clean energy for all, keep bills down and seize the opportunities to lead the world in new green industries, taking back control of our energy with Great British Energy 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://forms.office.com/e/pqUhdr3L72

You can also follow our LinkedIn Careers Page:

https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/desnz-careers/

Job Description

Do you want to play a crucial role in Government's work to maximise the benefits of renewable electricity generation as part of our net zero commitments? Do you enjoy developing ambitious policy commitments in high-profile policy areas?

The UK is charting a course to net zero emissions by 2050, boosting jobs, reducing our need for fossil fuels and securing our position as a world leader in low carbon generation. Delivering this ambition is not going to be possible without renewable electricity. Onshore wind is an essential part of the government’s clean power mission.

The Government has committed to radically increasing onshore wind capacity by 2030, and beyond. This role offers an exciting opportunity to be a part of that journey.

We are looking for an ambitious and enthusiastic new team member to join our friendly, fast-paced Onshore Wind Policy Team. The Team delivers an exciting range of work to identify the barriers to deployment and commit to action to increase deployment of onshore wind across the UK. This role will specifically focus on technical barriers, such as those caused by the interference between wind turbines and civil aviation and defence infrastructure, as well as the onshore wind supply chain.

The Onshore Wind Team sits in the Renewable Electricity Directorate. This is a high-profile, friendly and diverse group at the heart of delivering this vision. We support part-time and flexible working at all grades and encourage applications from people with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Our team is passionate about learning and development, and pride ourselves on our supportive and inclusive team culture.

Person specification

• Developing policy options to overcome key barriers to the deployment of onshore wind. This is likely to cover technical barriers, such as aviation and defence, as well as the onshore wind supply chain, including policies around recycling and the circular economy.
• Supporting the development of strategies for policies, considering overcoming barriers to deployment and working across DESNZ and other departments on delivery.
• Directly engaging with both internal and external stakeholders to influence policy development across DESNZ, wider Government and industry. This includes conducting secretariate functions for a high-profile cross government board that manages issues related to aviation and defence.
• Supporting the team to draft briefings and responding to correspondence cases and parliamentary questions.
  
  
  

Essential Criteria

• A self-starter with the ability to work at pace, deal with ambiguity and work collaboratively within a team.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to distil a wide range of technical materials into engaging and persuasive content.
• Ability to work with a range of different stakeholders, both internal and external, and maintain positive working relationships.
• Strong organisation skills, with experience managing multiple priorities to deliver high-quality outputs on time.
• Experience in policy coordination and development, such as delivery of a consultation or legislation. Note - we do not expect candidates to have experienced every part of the policy development process.
  
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Experience or understanding of the challenges facing the UK electricity system.
• An ability to think critically, with an eye for detail and experience of solving problems, providing well-evidenced advice to senior colleagues.
  
  
  

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
  
  
  

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £34,815, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero contributes £10,085 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

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 employer contribution of 28.97%.
• 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.
• A hybrid office/home based working model where staff will spend a norm of 40-60% of their time in the office (minimum of 40%) over a month with flex dependent on balancing business and individual need.
  
  
  

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.

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 and Experience.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV and a number of behavioural statements.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please note - the CV incorporated into the application form is for information purposes only and will not be scored.

Applications will be sifted on behavioural statements.

In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the lead behavioural statement (Making Effective Decisions).

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

The interview will consist of behaviour and strength-based questions.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

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. Please see our

candidate guidance

for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Further Information

Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

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.

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

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

A location-based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position.

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Any move to the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero 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; for further information

visit the Childcare Choices website

.

DESNZ does not normally offer full home working (i.e., working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home).

DESNZ cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign.

DESNZ holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.

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

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

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 had their employment continued. Any applicant’s 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.

Feedback

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 : Robyn Power
• Email : robyn.power2@energysecurity.gov.uk
  
  
  

Recruitment team

• Email : desnzresourcing.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
  
  
  

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance DESNZrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission. 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

Extra information

Status

Open

Education Level

Secondary School

Location

Darlington

Type of Contract

Part-time jobs

Published at

08-12-2025

Full UK/EU driving license preferred

No

Car Preferred

No

Must be eligible to work in the EU

No

Cover Letter Required

No

Languages

English