Deputy Director for Assurance

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.

Job description

National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, HMT

The Prime Minister has called for reform of the British state, seeking to go further and faster on renewal, and to ensure a more active government. To support these aims, the government has brought together its expertise on infrastructure strategy and delivery under a joint unit of HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office, establishing the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA).

NISTA has six core objectives:

• Overseeing the government’s 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy: implementing the Strategy and overseeing future refreshes.

• Identifying and coordinating infrastructure needs: assessing evolving needs and opportunities and developing a more spatial approach to infrastructure planning to maximise sustainable economic growth – including clusters of projects – and other objectives.

• Unblocking barriers and streamlining delivery of the government’s major projects: advising on project set-up, planning, project delivery, benefits realisation and providing expert commercial and financial advice.

• Setting standards and improving the government’s project delivery capabilities: developing best-in-class guidance and tools and delivering leadership and learning programmes, as well as drawing in industry expertise and best practice in the UK and Internationally.

• Providing effective assurance for the government’s priority projects: overseeing the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP).

• Leading expertise on private finance: providing advice and guidance on the government’s approach to the private financing of major projects.

Since its creation in April 2025 it has delivered jointly HMT colleagues the UK Infrastructure: A 10 year Strategy, setting out a long term vision for infrastructure and setting the framework for a new approach to delivery infrastructure in the UK. In Jul 2025 is delivered the first major reform with its UK Infrastructure Pipeline.

The work of NISTA is essential to enabling economic growth and successful delivery to meet the aims and ambitions set by government in its plan for change, and five missions, which includes delivering Net Zero by 2050.

About the Team

The Assurance and Portfolio team will play a pivotal role in the project delivery system across government and for NISTA as an organization. We aim to improve project delivery performance and support approvals decision-making so that the right projects are funded and they stand the best chance of success. We do this by shaping, arranging and managing high-quality and high-impact assurance for initiatives that are on the Government's Major Project Portfolio (GMPP) and applying the insights we gain to support interventions. We work hand in hand with Senior Responsible Owners (SROs), project professionals and decision makers in departments, No.10, the Treasury, and the Cabinet Office.

About the Role

The post holder will oversee the government’s major projects portfolio, providing in-depth analysis, insight, and advice regarding system-level risks and opportunities across sectors, departments, portfolios and programme types. This includes establishing and operating NISTA’s assurance service. This entails ensuring that independent assurance reviews, arranged by NISTA for programmes exceeding £1 billion in value, are conducted to the highest standards. These reviews must serve as reliable indicators of project success, instil confidence ahead of major approval milestones, and be scheduled at appropriate points throughout a programme’s life cycle. Close collaboration with the Deputy Director, Government Project Delivery Function, will be essential to integrate the principles and components of the new cross-government assurance framework into NISTA’s service design and offering.

The Deputy Director of Assurance and Portfolio holds a pivotal position within NISTA, with responsibility for two principal areas of work:

1. Creation and Management of NISTA’s Independent assurance offer
2. Oversight and Insight into the Government Major Projects Portfolioand departmental portfolios

In both of these aspects, you will lead the assurance and portfolio team, which is responsible for arranging and delivering NISTA’s independent assurance reviews and assessing portfolio risk to inform NISTA support offer to departments. To achieve this, you will work in partnership with NISTA’s Chief Projects Data and Insight Officer, Project Delivery teams as well as the Chief Economist, amongst others to generate actionable insights and develop new analytical tools that support NISTA’s broader remit.

This is an exciting and high-profile new role, with huge opportunity to shape NISTA’s new service offer and interactions with department. It will require strong leadership skills.

Your core responsibilities include:

1. Leading, motivating, and developing the team to ensure it has the appropriate blend of skills necessary to oversee the complex Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) effectively and assess the maturity of departmental portfolios.
2. Taking ownership of the strategy and process by which NISTA assures and monitors delivery across the GMP portfolio and delivers independent assurance reviews, ensuring these are aligned with the objectives of NISTA and the Government Project Delivery Assurance Framework.
3. Working closely with the NISTA Senior and Extended Leadership Teams to transform and enhance the quality of NISTA’s assurance, in parallel with the development of the NISTA service offer and the Government Project Delivery (GPD) Assurance Framework during 2026/27.
4. Acting on behalf of NISTA to oversee the GMP portfolio, using data-driven insights to advise on interventions, and providing challenge and support to sector leads, department portfolios, and policy officials.
5. Building, maintaining, and managing relationships with key stakeholders, and using influence to drive necessary change.
6. Managing and maintaining a suitable pool of NISTA-accredited assurance reviewers to ensure the capability to deliver the assurance review pipeline. This includes performance management of current reviewers and recruitment to broaden the diversity of expertise and backgrounds within the pool.
7. Leveraging data to extract learning and insights from assurance reviews and the portfolio, thereby driving innovation and performance in government projects and programmes. The post holder will be recognised as an authority on all NISTA service assurance activities and will provide guidance on requirements across departmental portfolios and on all types of assurance reviews.

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.

Date/time: Thursday 21st May, 09:00-10:00

Teams link: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/380603876003560?p=3T3mxBS5wEG1YgKKvS

Meeting ID: 380 603 876 003 560

Passcode: Nw7YY2KM

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 karina.singh@nista.gov.uk

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:

• Requirement: Experience of designing and overseeing portfolios or providing assurance services, in the public or private sector
• Requirement: Outstanding leadership skills including a proven track record of leading high-performing, inclusive operational or delivery teams to deliver in a complex, fast paced environment
• Requirement: Can demonstrate experience of successfully working with senior stakeholders across government or equivalent in the private sector
• Requirement: Strong strategic vision and the ability to develop creative, innovative policy in an environment of rapid change

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Seeing the Big Picture

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £81,000, HM Treasury contributes £23,465 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• 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 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 and Experience.

How to Apply

Application Stage

Applications should consist of a CV (of no more than 3 sides) and a 800-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

Individual Leadership Assessment

If you are shortlisted, you will be asked to undertake an individual leadership assessment. 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 discussion of previous experience and professional competence. The criteria that will be assessed at interview are:

• Experience
• Behaviours:
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Managing a Quality Service
  • Seeing the Big Picture

Interview Task / Presentation

Prior to your interview, we will contact you about a task / presentation that the interview panel would like you to complete as part of the assessment. The exact details will be communicated to you nearer the time.

• Presentation topic: Experience of designing and overseeing portfolios and providing assurance service, in the public or private sector.

Candidate Guidance

Please review the candidate guidance for an overview of the Success Profiles and STAR approach, along with top tips for applications and interviews.

Recruitment Timeline

• Closing date: 25th May 2026 before 23:55
• Shortlisting: w/c 25th May 2026
• Interviews: w/c 15th June 2026

This timeline is indicative and may be subject to change. We will inform you if there is a substantial change to the recruitment timeline.

If your contact details change at any time during the selection process, please ensure you update your Civil Service Jobs Profile.

Reserve Lists

You will be placed on a reserve list if your application is successful, but we cannot offer you a role immediately. Where more than one location has been advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location. You will be asked to provide your location preference on your application form. Please note that a place on the reserve list does not guarantee an offer.

If you are offered a role in your first preferred location and you decline the offer or are unable to take up the post within a reasonable timeframe, you will be removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances.

Those on the reserve list may also be approached for similar roles at a lower grade. If you are offered a role at a lower grade and choose to decline, you can remain on the reserve list.

Internal Fraud Database Check

Candidates cannot apply to roles in the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Successful candidates will be subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database. This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This also applies to those who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the database will be refused employment.

National Security Vetting

Everyone working with government assets must complete Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks. Additionally, successful candidates will be subject to National Security Vetting. The level of security vetting required for this role is Security Check (SC).

To allow for meaningful checks to be carried out, applicants will need to have lived in the UK for at least 3 out of the past 5 years. You will be asked to provide residency information within your application form, and eligibility for national security vetting will be checked once the advert closing date has passed. In certain circumstances, for example if you have been working abroad on a government posting, a lack of residency would not be a bar to security clearance however the Department will need to consider eligibility on a case-by-case basis once the advert closing date has passed.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).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 : Karina Singh
• Email : Karina.Singh@nista.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : hrrecruitment@hmtreasury.gov.uk

Further information

Complaints Process: Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment based on 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 HMT by email at: hrrecruitment@hmtreasury.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.

Attachments

Role Profile 458627 DD for Assurance NISTA Opens in new window (pdf, 121kB)