Policy Adviser - Workforce Strategy

Job summary

If you’re interested in making a difference to people’s lives, the Treasury can offer you an exciting opportunity to influence decision making that affects the whole of the UK. Working at the heart of government, we collaborate across government to promote responsible public spending and drive strong and sustainable economic growth.

Our work ranges from protecting customers through the regulation of the financial sector, helping to reduce carbon emissions and creating a greener economy, to promoting British trade around the world and supporting people across the country on jobs, growth and more.

We are part of the Darlington Economic Campus, a cross-government hub bringing people together to tackle key national issues while working closer to the communities we serve.

Job description

We are looking for a policy adviser to lead HM Treasury’s Civil Service workforce strategy for the Spending Review and beyond. This is an opportunity to work across the centre of government, leading some of HMT’s most high-profile and impactful pieces of work on government spending.

You’ll play a central role in the next Spending Review, working closely with senior leaders across HMT, the Cabinet Office and departments, and providing the advice that enables ministers to decide on the size, shape and capability of the Civil Service over the next 5 years. The Civil Service workforce is one of the largest and most visible areas of public spending, with profound implications for the government’s ability to deliver its priorities. This role sits at the heart of decisions that will shape how the state operates over the coming decade—balancing affordability, capability, productivity and reform, including how and when government relies on consultancy and other external resource.

You’ll lead work to bring together workforce strategy, financial planning and delivery priorities into a coherent offer for SR27. This includes building on the approach developed at SR25 to scrutinise the total cost of the workforce—covering both Civil Servants and the full range of external resourcing—and to ensure departments are making the right long-term decisions about capability and value for money.

This is a fast-paced, intellectually demanding role with clear line of sight to senior decision-making. You will regularly engage at Director and DG level across HMT and the Cabinet Office, influence departmental thinking, and help shape advice that sits at the very centre of fiscal strategy.

Key accountabilities include:

1. Lead HMT’s SR27 workforce strategy, shaping how workforce planning, budgets and delivery priorities come together at the Spending Review, and ensuring this work commands the confidence of ministers and senior officials.
2. Develop the cross-government strategy on external resourcing and consultancy, advising on how departments should balance permanent capability with use of consultants, contractors and professional services to deliver the best value for money.
3. Provide high-quality advice directly to ministers and senior leaders, including on complex and politically salient choices around workforce size, cost, productivity and reform.
4. Work closely with the Cabinet Office, senior HMT colleagues and departments, building strong relationships to challenge and shape workforce plans and ensure they are credible, affordable and aligned with government priorities.
5. Have real impact on the future shape of the Civil Service, helping to design a workforce that is more productive and better equipped to deliver, while ensuring costs are managed.

If you would like to speak to the hiring manager informally prior to the closing date, please contact Byron Orme at [email removed]

Visa sponsorship is not available for this role.

Person specification

Application Stage

Application Form

Applications should consist of a CV including your employment history, and a 250-word statement demonstrating evidence of each of the below shortlisting criteria. Your CV and employment history won’t be scored. It’s used to give context to your application and support discussions at interview.

The panel will review applications and invite those that best demonstrate evidence of the shortlisting criteria below for interview. Please keep this in mind when writing your application.

Please note that only applications submitted through Civil Service Jobs will be accepted.

1. Seeing the Big Picture: Ability to understand the strategic drivers for your area of work and remain alert to emerging issues and trends which might impact your work area.
2. Working together: Ability to actively build and maintain a network of colleagues to achieve progress on a shared objective or piece of work.
3. Communicating and Influencing: Ability to communicate effectively with senior leaders and break down complicated information
4. Delivering at pace: Ability to regularly monitor your own and team’s work against milestones and show a positive approach to keeping the whole team’s efforts focused on the top priorities

The lead criterion is: Seeing the Big Picture

If we receive a high volume of applications, we’ll first sift using the lead criterion only. Those meeting the minimum score will then be assessed against all remaining criteria.

Interview Stage

If you are successful at the application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed against the following criteria:

• Strengths
• Behaviours: Seeing the Big Picture, Working Together, Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace

Interview Task/Presentation

If you are taken forward to interview, we will contact you about a presentation that the panel would like you to deliver as part of the assessment.

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £44,600, HM Treasury contributes £12,920 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Generous Annual Leave - 25 days (rising to 30 after 5 years), plus public holidays and the King’s birthday.
• Outstanding Pension Scheme - Defined Benefit pension with employer contributions of 28.97%
• Parental Leave Packages - Including 6 months’ occupational pay for maternity/adoption, shared parental leave options.
• Flexible & Hybrid Working - Options include part-time, job-share, compressed hours, flexitime, and hybrid working (where business needs allow).
• Advance Schemes & Discounts - Rental deposit, cycle-to-work, SmartTech, season ticket loans, and access to HM Treasury’s benefits portal for a wide range of discount codes.

You can review HM Treasury’s full offer here.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided m