Deputy Director for Change & AI Transformation

Department for Energy Security & Net Zero

Hybrid

Expires: Expiring in less than 3 weeks

Full time

£81,000 per year

Job summary

DESNZ has a critical mission: to make the UK a clean energy superpower by securing energy independence, protecting consumers, driving growth and delivering net zero. Achieving this requires not only strong policy and delivery, but a department that is continuously able to adapt, modernise and operate at pace. The Change and Transformation Directorate sits at the centre of this ambition, providing the strategic capability to reshape how DESNZ works so it can deliver its mission now and in the future.

The Deputy Director for Change and AI Transformation will play a pivotal leadership role in this agenda. Reporting to the Director of Change & Transformation, the postholder will lead some of DESNZ’s most strategically important transformation programmes, including Mission DESNZ (our change programme to improve delivery, increase flexibility, build future skills and enable AI and technology adoption) and departmental change management and capability building. This includes driving the effective deployment of AI tools, shaping high value AI use cases for how we work and deliver, and ensuring systems, ways of working and leadership behaviours evolve together.

The role operates in a complex, high-profile environment, working across DESNZ, with delivery partners and with the centre of government – particularly with Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and the Cabinet Office on ensuring we align on the ambitions for Delivery, Innovation and Pride. Success will depend on the ability to set clear strategic direction, mobilise senior leaders, and deliver tangible organisational change in an uncertain and fast-moving context.

Job description

Key Responsibilities:

Lead the Mission DESNZ Change Programme (working to the Chief Operating Officer and the Director of Change and Transformation), providing clear strategic ownership, governance and delivery momentum to ensure the change is embedded into how the department plans, prioritises and delivers across policy, delivery and corporate functions.

Own and drive the DESNZ change management approach, including the design and delivery of department wide change frameworks, capability building interventions and targeted support for senior leaders and priority programmes. Working closely with other functions such as Organisational Development and wider HR teams.

Lead AI adoption and transformation across DESNZ, including the rollout and effective use of Copilot for our people, capability building for AI use, identification and prioritisation of systems and strategic AI use cases, and alignment with wider digital, data and systems transformation activity.

Shape DESNZ’s approach to systems and ways of working transformation, ensuring technology, processes and organisational design reinforce each other to improve productivity, pace and quality of decision making.

Act as a senior partner to the Chief Operating Officer, Directors General, Directors and Senior Responsible Owners, providing challenge, insight and support to enable successful delivery of complex change and transformation initiatives.

Lead a high performing, multidisciplinary team, setting clear direction, building capability, and role modelling inclusive, empowering leadership. This will require leading virtual teams across different functions at times to ensure successful delivery.

Represent DESNZ at senior cross government forums, working closely with Cabinet Office, DSIT and other departments on the Productive and Agile State and AI related agendas.

Ensure strong change management, governance, risk management and benefits realisation across the portfolio, maintaining grip while enabling innovation and pace.

Person specification

It is important that, through your CV and supporting statement, you provide evidence of the professional skills, breadth of experience and personal qualities for this post. The successful candidate will demonstrate the following.

Essential Criteria:

Proven SCS level leadership of complex, organisation wide change and transformation, with a strong track record of delivering impact through influence rather than direct control, and through effective change management at all levels.
Strategic understanding of digital and AI enabled transformation, including the ability to translate emerging technology into practical organisational value at scale which solves problems.
Exceptional stakeholder leadership skills, with the credibility and confidence to engage effectively with senior leaders and decision-makers across complex organisations.
Effective programme oversight and management, with the ability to maintain momentum on programmes, track benefits and progress, and work with stakeholders to unblock issues in delivery.
Strong systems thinking, able to connect mission, strategy, operating models, technology and culture into a coherent transformation narrative.

A delivery focused mindset, combining intellectual rigour with pragmatism, pace and a relentless focus on outcomes and benefits.

Inclusive, empowering leadership style, with a commitment to developing people, building diverse teams and creating the conditions for others to succeed.

Behaviours

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

Changing and Improving
Leadership
Making Effective Decisions
Managing a Quality Service

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £81,000, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero 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 (opens in a new window).

Benefits

Whatever your role, we take your career and development seriously, and want to enable you to build a really successful career with the Department and wider Civil Service. It is crucial that our employees have the right skills to develop their careers and meet the challenges ahead. You’ll benefit from a wide range of training and development opportunities, regular performance and development reviews to ensure this development is ongoing.

As a Civil Service employee, you’ll be entitled to a large range of benefits. This includes:

25 days annual leave on entry, increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service. This is in addition to 8 public
holidays and one days leave for the King's birthday;

A competitive contributory pension scheme that you can enter as soon as you join where we will make a significant contribution to the cost of your pension; where your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken; and where your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire;

Flexible working patterns including part-time or term-time working and access to Flexible Working Schemes allowing you to vary your working day as long as you work your total hours;

Generous paid maternity and paternity leave which is notably more than the statutory minimum offered by many other employers;

Interest-free loans allowing you to spread the cost of an annual travel season ticket or a new bicycle;

Occupational sick pay.

Pension
Your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package where the employer makes a significant contribution to the cost of your pension.
Your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken. This means, if you pay tax, your take-home pay will not be reduced by the full amount of your contribution; and your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire.
For more information, visit the following link: www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk

Leave Allowance

Full time new entrants to the Civil Service and those Civil Servants on modernised terms and conditions will be entitled to 25 days leave increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service. In addition to this you are entitled to 8 public/bank holidays. The allowance is pro-rated for part-time staff. With competitive maternity, paternity and parental leave we also recognise the importance of a good work-life balance and offer flexible working and a family friendly approach to work. Civil Servants taking up appointment on promotion will adopt the modernised Civil Service terms and conditions which came in to effect from 1 July 2013. Existing Civil Servants appointed on level transfer will retain their existing terms and conditions.

Training and Development

The Department offers engaging jobs in work that really matters; jobs which have a direct impact on the quality of public services. Roles can offer great job satisfaction and there are many opportunities to develop and progress both within the Department and across the wider Civil Service.
We are committed to investing in our staff and offer a range of work based training and qualifications, coaching and mentoring opportunities and a guaranteed five days of learning a year.

Other Benefits

Any move to DESNZ 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.

Determine your eligibility at: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Interest free season ticket and bicycle loans may be available.

Some sites also offer onsite facilities including fitness centres and staff canteens.

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. Senior Civil Servant (SCS) staff are expected to aim for closer to 60% of the time at an office or non-home based location 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 and Experience.

How to apply

To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process outlined below. This should be completed no later than no later than 23:55 pm, Wednesday 15th July. As part of the application process you are asked to complete the following:

A CV (no more than two pages) setting out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role, relevant achievements in recent posts, together with reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
A Statement of Suitability (no more than 1250 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria in the person specification.

Failure to complete both sections of the online application form (CV and Statement of Suitability) will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.

As part of the online application process, you will be asked a number of diversity-related questions. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the particular characteristics, you will have the option to select 'prefer not to say’. See the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy for more information.

Should you encounter any issues with your online application please get in touch with us via: scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

If you feel that you may need a reasonable adjustment, or you would like to discuss your requirements in more detail, please contact scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk in the first instance.

Shortlist

Government Recruitment Service will acknowledge your application and advise you of the outcome of the sift meeting. Depending on the number of applications received there may be a second stage sift.

Applications will be sifted to select those demonstrating the best fit with the post against the criteria set out in the person specification. Please ensure you keep this in mind when writing your CV and supporting statement. Failure to address any or all of these may affect your application.

The timeline later in this pack indicates the date by which decision is expected to be made, and all longlisted and shortlisted candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible thereafter.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an assessment and/or interview. This is on a request basis.

Assessment

If you are shortlisted, you will be asked to take part in an assessment. This will be a Staff Engagement Exercise. 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. Full details of the assessment process will be provided to shortlisted candidates at the earliest opportunity.

For further information regarding the assessments please follow this link: https://scs-assessments.co.uk/

For further information on the Civil Service application process and an overview on what to expect, please visit the Civil Service Careers website.

Arrangements for interview

If you are successful at the application stage, you will be invited to attend a panel interview, in order to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification. We will be assessing against the following Success Profiles at interview: experience and behaviours.

You may also have the opportunity to speak to a member of the department prior to the final interview to learn more about the role and organisation. Please note this is not part of the formal assessment process.

If you are required to prepare a presentation for the final interview you will be given the subject in advance. Full details of the assessment process will be made available to shortlisted candidates. The final selection panel interview will be held virtually.

Expenses incurred by candidates during the recruitment process will not be reimbursed by the Department except in exceptional circumstances and only when agreed in advance.

Selection and Feedback

Regardless of the outcome, we will notify all candidates as soon as possible. Feedback is only be provided if you attend an assessment and/or interview. This is on a request basis.

For further information about the selection process, please view the attached candidate information pack.

Reserve lists

If we receive applications from more suitable candidates than we have vacancies for at this time, we may hold suitable applicants on a reserve list for 12 months, and future vacancies in the Civil Service requiring the same skills and experience could be offered to candidates on the reserve list without a new competition.

Indicative Time Line

Please note that these dates are only indicative at this stage and could be subject to change. If you are unable to meet these timeframes, please let us know by contacting scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk Please ensure you quote the job title and reference number in your email.

Candidates are asked to note the timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process. The anticipated timetable is as follows:

The anticipated timetable is as follows:

Advert Closing Date – 23:55 pm, Wednesday 15th July 2026.

Shortlist Announcement – week commencing 3rd August 2026.

Assessments – week commencing 10th August 2026.

Interviews – week commencing 24th August 2026.

Further information

If you have any questions about applying for this role or want to discuss the role further with the vacancy holder, please contact: scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Please ensure you quote the job title and reference number in your email.

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 scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk in the first instance.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, or if you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service at: scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs. Please note we are unable to accept any applications after the closing date, if you require a reasonable adjustment, please let us know prior to the closing date.

Alternative Formats: If you wish to receive a hard copy of the information, or in an alternative format e.g. Audio, Braille or large font then please contact: scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

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 counter-terrorist 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.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 : SCS Recruitment Team
Email : scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

Email : scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

Civil Service Commission Selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.

In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles, our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of appointment on the basis of merit by fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance you should contact; scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk and more information can be found at www.civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk

Attachments

466600 - DD for Change & AI Transformation - Final candidate pack Opens in new window (pdf, 1021kB)466600 - DD for Change & AI Transformation - Final candidate pack Accessibility Pack Opens in new window (docx, 215kB)

Salary range

£81,000 per year