Deputy Director – Head of Buildings, Fire, and Resilience Analysis

Job summary

We are MHCLG

The role will be responsible for leading a multidisciplinary analytical team of over 60 analysts including 7 direct reports, covering areas such as:

• Building remediation

• Building systems and performance

• Fire safety
• Resilience

The primary internal stakeholders are Building, Fire and Resilience Group (BFRG) and playing a full part in the professional analytical life of the Department alongside colleagues in Central Hub for Analysis, Statistics and Evaluation. External stakeholders include FRAs, LRFs, Local Authorities and the construction industry.

This role may involve regular travel to London in accordance with departmental travel policies and business requirements.

Job description

The key responsibilities of the role are to:

• Provide strategic leadership to a large, diverse analytical team, setting direction and driving delivery.

• Shape and prioritise analytical work to inform policy and operational decisions at pace.

• Ensure robust, evidence-based insights underpin decisions on building safety, building systems and performance, fire and resilience.

• Horizon-scanning and challenging the Group to anticipate policy and delivery challenges, providing thought leadership in policy areas

• Helping to identify strategic analytical synergies and interdependencies across the Group to help delivery of its outcomes

• Build strong relationships across government and with external stakeholders to influence and deliver outcomes.

• Build a collaborative, inclusive culture that supports professional development and wellbeing.

• Champion innovation and continuous improvement in analytical approaches.

Person specification

We are seeking an outstanding leader to take on the role of Deputy Director – Head of Buildings, Fire, and Resilience Analysis. This is a pivotal position within the Buildings, Fire and Resilience Group, shaping analytical insights that inform policy and operational decisions impacting millions of lives across the country.

This an exciting opportunity to lead the Buildings, Fire and Resilience Analysis division, which provides data and analysis to support all areas of building safety, performance, fire and resilience policy and operational delivery.

This role will be overseeing all the analysis underpinning system level reform across construction products and professions in the construction sector. So it’s at the heart of government delivery priorities on house-building and remediation. As well as the breadth of resilience response and fire sector policy and delivery. The Group covers a wide range of policy and delivery areas, drawing on an equally wide range of analytical support.

Much of the Group’s agenda is dealing with relatively novel policy areas, presenting a particularly exciting opportunity as lead analyst to shape and develop evidence bases and models to support our understanding of the risks and performance in the buildings and fire sectors. It is also a important leadership role, to deliver quality and timely analytical support work in circumstances that are both challenging and stimulating, e.g. where there are incomplete and poor quality evidence sets; and decisions about policy interventions to support very high impact, very low probability events.

Essential criteria:

• Provide strategic analytical and people leadership for a large multidisciplinary analytical function, shaping and prioritising analysis, appraisal and evaluation to influence high-profile policy decisions and support delivery. Lead, develop and inspire high-performing teams, fostering an inclusive culture, strengthening capability across analytical professions, and driving innovation and continuous improvement. The successful candidate should be able to demonstrate the ability to operate at the cutting edge of innovative analytical practice, to ensure the Group benefits from the latest tools and techniques to address our evidence challenges.

• Lead complex portfolios, programmes and competing priorities, proactively setting clear priorities, maintaining grip across diverse workstreams, and delivering high-quality outcomes at pace in a fast-moving and at time ambiguous environment.

• Provide visible strategic leadership and direction across a complex policy and delivery landscape, demonstrating the ability to see the bigger picture, influence high-profile and complex policy decisions, anticipate emerging risks and opportunities, provide and provoke thought leadership, and deploy analytical expertise to maximise impact on organisational objectives and ministerial priorities. The successful candidate will need to show how they can be proactive in setting the analytical agenda for the Group and making recommendations to very senior leaders about the analytical work that will add most value.

• Communicate with clarity, authority and influence, translating complex evidence into compelling written and verbal advice for senior leaders, ministers and external stakeholders. Build strong strategic relationships, challenge constructively, and influence decision-making at the highest levels through credible, evidence-based insight. There are a large number of stakeholders linked to this role and the successful candidate must be able to evidence how they develop and maintain the highest quality professional working relationships.

• Being a badged member of one of the following Government Analytical Professions:

• Government Statistician Group (GSG)

• Government Economic Service (GES)

• Government Operational Research Service (GORS)

• Government Social Research Service (GSR)

Desirable criteria

Experience of working in building remediation, building safety, fire safety, resilience, regulation, housing, or a related policy area is desirable but not essential.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £86,000, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £24,914 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).At MHCLG we offer many benefits that range from tailored career pathways and flexible working to MyLifestyle Staff Benefits Scheme and Cycle to Work Schemes. For more information, please click 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

How to Apply - To apply you will need to submit a CV and Statement of Suitability via the Be Applied link. Your CV (up to two pages) should set out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years. Your Statement of Suitability (up to two pages) should explain how your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential and desirable criteria for the role.

Equal Opportunities - We encourage candidates to complete the Equal Opportunities Monitoring Data via Be Applied. The data will be treated in the strictest confidence and used for monitoring and statistical purposes only.

Interview Schemes - MHCLG is a Disability Confident employer and is committed to protecting and promoting the physical and mental health of all colleagues and applicants. We also operate the Great Place to Work for Veterans and Redeployment schemes. Applicants applying under these schemes who meet the essential criteria, will be invited to interview.

The Panel - Kate O’Neil, Stephen Aldridge, Jamie Cowling and a Staff Diversity Representative

Additionally, the panel may be joined by one of our staff representatives from a pool of volunteers as part of our commitments to diversity and inclusion.

Shortlist - Applications will be sifted after the closing date and shortlisted candidates will be invited to the next phase of assessment and interview. Your CV and Statement of Suitability will be assessed against the essential criteria, these will also be used to form the basis of the panel’s final interview questions. Desirable criteria will only be used to determine the merit order of candidates who rank evenly against the essential criteria.

Assessment - Shortlisted candidates may be invited to attend a Staff Engagement Panel, designed to provide insight into how you engage and interact with your team. Feedback from the session is passed to the panel for consideration alongside your final interview.

Candidates may also be invited to meet with a Senior Stakeholder. This is not a formal part of selection, but an informal chance to find out more about the role and organisation.

Shortlisted candidates may also be invited to give a short presentation or complete an exercise at interviews - further details will be provided when invited to interview.

Feedback - This will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Expected Timeline:

• Advert closes: 04/10/2026 23:55

• Shortlisting: W/C 05/10/2026

• Assessments W/C 19/10/2026

• Interviews W/C 02/11/2026

*Please note that we try to offer flexibility where possible, but it may not always be possible to offer alternative interview dates.

Salary​ - For external appointments, remuneration for this role is advertised at £86,000 pa plus a bonus opportunity depending on performance (within the normal Civil Service pay arrangements) and attractive pension. ​

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For existing civil servants, the usual policy on level transfer and promotion will apply and is non-negotiable. If appointed on promotion you would get the higher of 10% uplift or the new minimum for SCSPB1 – Deputy Director. Please also note that, if successful, any existing specialist allowances you currently receive will not automatically transfer or be retained upon moving to this role.​

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Future pay awards will normally be made in line with current SCS performance-related pay arrangements.​

Eligibility​ - This post is advertised on level transfer or promotion to existing civil servants, and externally.

Full Information & Benefits - Find out everything you need to know before applying here.

You must review the following information from the MHCLG Career's Site before submitting your application. This step is essential to ensure your eligibility for the role and that your application is completed correctly.

• Security Clearance Requirements

• Civil Service Nationality Requirements

• Right to Work

• Civil Service Code and Recruitment Principles

• CV Declaration

• Sponsorships

• Salary and Grade

• Existing Civil Servants

• Conflict of Interest

• Location and Flexible Working

• Fixed Term Contracts

• Internal Fraud Database

• Appeals and Complaints

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 standard (or equivalent) 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.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
• Email : scs.recruitment@communities.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : scs.recruitment@communities.gov.uk