Business Development and Onboarding Strategy Lead

Job summary

The Integrated Corporate Services (ICS) is a shared corporate service. It provides corporate services (HR, Finance, Digital, Commercial, Security and Estates) across the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ) and the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT).

Our team of over 400 professionals will be leading the way in how these functions will be delivered in the future. Our ambition is to be the leading provider of integrated corporate services for government and set the standard for quality, efficiency, and innovation in our field.

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.

Find Out More

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

Job description

About the role

Integrated Corporate Services (ICS) is entering a period where we expand our corporate services offer and strengthen our position as a trusted provider of shared services across government.

This role sits at the centre of that growth. You will shape how ICS engages clients, onboard organisations, and drive adoption of standardised services.

We are seeking a proactive and commercially aware G7 to act as the front door into ICS. You will build strong relationships with clients and partners, and lead the development of clear, compelling proposals that deliver measurable improvements and efficiencies.

You will play a key role in ensuring opportunities are viable, well governed, and successfully onboarded. You will bring strong project discipline and structured approaches to the business development and onboarding lifecycle.

Working in a fast-paced, collaborative team, you will bring clarity to ambiguity, manage competing priorities, and deliver high-quality outcomes at pace.

This role suits someone who takes ownership, can work from a blank page to develop strategy and customer-centred service approaches, works collaboratively across ICS and with clients to solve problems, and is comfortable testing and adapting approaches as the service grows and matures.

Additional information

The responsibilities listed are not exhaustive and may be adjusted in line with business needs.

Travel within the UK will be required as part of the role.

BPSS Security Clearance is required.

Person specification

Services Strategy and Onboarding

• Identify and develop new opportunities to support ICS growth and service adoption
  
• Qualify and assess opportunities, including client readiness, service fit, and resource implications
  
• Maintain clear oversight of pipeline and performance to support prioritisation and decision-making
  
• Build and maintain senior client relationships, including at Director and C Suite level
  
• Work closely with client and ICS project managers to ensure onboarding is on track
  
• Ensure onboarding is delivered in a consistent, high-quality way aligned to ICS governance and methodology
  
• Manage client relationships through onboarding, setting clear expectations and maintaining momentum
  
• Resolve issues proactively to sustain client confidence and achieve successful onboarding outcomes

Solution and Proposition Development

• Lead structured solution design activity, bringing together functional leads, subject matter experts and delivery partners
  
• Develop clear, deliverable propositions that provide a viable path to implementation
  
• Define and manage business development and onboarding plans, including scope, milestones, risks, dependencies and governance
  
• Work closely with the ICS PMO and delivery teams to align plans and ensure feasibility and delivery readiness
  
• Prepare high-quality board papers with clear recommendations, risks and decisions to support governance and approvals

Client Engagement and Communications

• Lead the development of high-quality client-facing materials, including service catalogues, onboarding packs and supporting collateral
• Shape and maintain a clear and consistent ICS narrative that articulates value and benefits
  
• Ensure strong ownership, version control and continuous improvement of artefacts based on feedback and insight
  
• Represent and promote ICS across cross-government forums and events to strengthen awareness and adoption

Collaboration and Partnership Working

• Work closely with ICS PMO and delivery teams to coordinate onboarding activity, governance, reporting and dependencies
  
• Partner with internal communications and central services teams to align messaging and readiness
  
• Build and maintain effective relationships with delivery partners, including UKSBS, to ensure smooth transition into service
  
• Lead and contribute to working groups to drive progress, resolve issues and enable decision-making

Continuous Improvement

• Identify and implement improvements to onboarding processes, tools and client experience
  
• Use client insight and performance data to prioritise and deliver improvements
  
• Contribute to the development of a scalable and repeatable onboarding model that supports ICS growth

Essential Criteria

Candidates should provide clear examples demonstrating how they meet the criteria below in a fast-paced, multi-stakeholder environment.

Stakeholder engagement and influencing

• Demonstrable experience of building trusted relationships with senior stakeholders (Director level or equivalent), influencing decisions and driving adoption and change.

Business development and commercial awareness

• Experience of identifying, shaping and progressing business opportunities, with an understanding of value, viability and strategic alignment.

Project management and delivery

• Experience of structuring and managing complex work, including planning, risk management and governance, to deliver outcomes at pace.

Service and solution design

• Experience of leading structured scoping and solution development, working with multiple stakeholders to define requirements and develop deliverable solutions.

Analytical and assurance skills

• Proven experience of interpreting and analysing complex information ensuring quality and viability.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience working in a shared services or government environment.
  
• Experience in business development, account management or business change in complex organisations.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service
• Changing and Improving

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

• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £56,900, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero contributes £16,483 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).

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.

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

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 (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

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

After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Numerical Test and 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 19th October 2026. 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.

Applications will be sifted on a behavioural statement and personal statement.

In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the personal statement only.

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

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

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

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Further Information

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.

Candidates who meet the minimum benchmark may be placed on a Reserve List for consideration for similar roles, including those at a lower grade. Candidates who narrowly miss the benchmark and are not placed on the Reserve List may still be considered for an offer in a similar role at a lower grade.

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 basic (or equivalent) 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 theCivil 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 : Patty Gordon
• Email : patricia.gordon2@ics.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

Attachments

DESNZ TCs v1.2 Opens in new window (doc, 174kB)