Deputy Director, Housing, Planning and Cities

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

Are you interested in making life better in the country's least prosperous places? Do you think the Treasury has a part to play in enabling everywhere to prosper?

We’re advertising for an exciting role at the heart of the Treasury’s work on economic growth and spending. The Treasury’s role in crafting economic policy and its oversight of public spending makes it an outstanding place to make a tangible impact on these issues. The role offers the successful candidate the opportunity to work on some of the Government’s biggest domestic priorities, with keen interest from the Chancellor and other Ministers.

Your key accountabilities will include:

• Playing an active role in the leadership of the Public Services Group through membership of the Group Management Team. This will include leading on key corporate projects and playing a visible role connecting the Group with colleagues across Treasury.
• Leading the Housing, Planning and Cities team, building capability and The team includes 3 G6s, 7 G7s, and 7 HEO/SEOs. This is a priority for us, and you will set direction for theteam, provide development opportunities and coaching, and pastoral support to build an outstanding team.
• Fostering excellent relationships with senior partners in MHCLG; No 10 including No10 North; external regional growth and housing specialists; MSAs and local government; think tanks; and developers. We are an outward looking team and part of this will involve supporting your team in developing wider links with external stakeholders in order to provide the best advice possible to HM Treasury Ministers.
• Developing and articulating HM Treasury’s strategy on housing and planning, including for the Spending Review - this will involve developing a strong understanding of the housing market and planning system, and how to best support economic growth, working with others in HMT to ensure it continues to be an important part of our wider growth strategy. You will develop the HMT view on where HMG should focus its efforts on housing to boost growth and deliver on the government’s housing ambitions, as well as how we can get best value from the money we spend on housing for vulnerable people, including homelessness and rough sleeping. This will include working with MHCLG and CO on options for reforming the system to make it more sustainable, effective and better value for money.
• Developing, articulating and working with MHCLG and No 10 North to implement HMG’s regional growth strategy, including at the Spending Review - this will involve developing a strong understanding of regional growth, and how we can best use HMT’s policy levers to drive it. You will work closely with the Local Government and Reform team to set direction across HMT, to ensure regional growth is at the heart of our wider economic growth strategy, and lead policy development ahead of SR27 on the future of local growth funding, in the context of fiscal devolution and filling in of the devolution map.
• Supporting the team to provide robust financial challenge and support, shifting way of working to align with RESET ways of working and developing clear and consistent approaches to dealing with the new questions, including devolution and greater use of financial transactions.
• Setting and monitoring MHCLG’s budgets, supporting and challenging MHCLG on value for money, spending decisions, financial risks, in-year control, and effective governance and delivery capital programmes.

Candidate Drop-In Session

We will be running a candidate drop-in session for this role to give you greater insight about the role as well as the chance to learn more about HM Treasury and the recruitment process. If you would like to join us, then use the appropriate link below to join the call at the right time.

• Candidate drop in session: Friday 21st August @ 11:00

  Microsoft Teams meeting

  Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/329454166184649?p=zHKfdxYU9Fz0jM8439

  Meeting ID: 329 454 166 184 649

  Passcode: uE65NY6h

If you would like to speak to the hiring manager informally prior to the closing date for applications to find out more about the job, please contact: [email removed]

Visa sponsorship is not available for this role.

Person specification

While in post, the successful candidate will be expected to perform well across the full range of Senior Civil Service behaviours set out in the Success Profile framework and demonstrate commitment to Civil Service values.

The essential criteria for the purpose of selection are:

1. Experience leading a diverse, inclusive, high-performing team which prioritises wellbeing and mutual support and can deliver on multiple and competing work pressures (Leadership)
2. The abilityto lead on a wide, high-profile, fast-moving portfolio using strong analytical and policy skills, excellent judgement, and strategic thinking (Making Effective Decisions)
3. A track record of analysing a range of qualitative and quantitative information and evaluating evidence to provide good advice to Ministers on key issues (Seeing the Big Picture)
4. Experience building constructive relationships and working confidently with a wide range of senior and external partners, deploying strong personal influencing and negotiating skills (Working Together)

Application Stage

Applications should consist of a CV (of no more than 3 sides) and a 1,000-word personal statement demonstrating evidence of how you meet the skills, behaviours and experience detailed in the person specification.

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

Applications will be reviewed by the panel to select those which demonstrate the best fit with the post against the criteria set out in the person specification.

Leadership Assessment Stage

Scenario-based Leadership Exercise

If you are shortlisted, you will be asked to undertake a scenario-based leadership exercise as part of the interview process. This assessment will not result in a pass or fail decision. Rather it is designed to support the panel’s decision making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview. Further details on this assessment will be provided to shortlisted candidates in due course.

Interview Stage

Candidates will be invited to an interview in order to have a more in-depth discussi