Deputy Director for Shared Services & Public Bodies

Job summary

We are at a critical time in our change journey as an organisation to ensure we have the right systems and services to deliver. We are preparing to upgrade to our Enterprise Resource Planning technology (through the “Matrix” Programme), improving our Shared Services and Functions (through the Integrated Corporate Services), and improving our oversight and relationship with our Public Bodies (while also preparing to onboard some of them to our Shared Services).

This is a critical role which requires customer and stakeholder relationship management, oversight of complex systems, an understanding of change to inform service improvements, and an ability to represent the Department as an intelligent client towards these external services, bodies and functions.

This role will lead the relationship for DESNZ with Integrated Corporate Services, ensuring DESNZ has a coherent, efficient approach to commissioning and receives a high-quality service. You will own the customer management for the services (where there is no retained function in DESNZ) for Estates, Security and Digital and ensure that DESNZ takes a joined-up approach as a customer for all services provided.

It will also oversee our Public Bodies function and team (which delivers appointments for public bodies, governance, assurance and public bodies reform), working closely with sponsorship teams and functions (incl. the ICS) to ensure DESNZ has the right systems in place. This aligns well with our relationship management needs with the ICS as some Public Bodies are now planning to take on services from the ICS.

Job description

• Lead a virtual “intelligent client function” for DESNZ’s shared services, reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, ensuring that DESNZ gets good value for the services it pays for.
• Ensure DESNZ has a coherent view across all services received through ICS (incl. those being delivered to our Public Bodies), presenting a unified voice to ICS and internally prioritising where necessary
• Ensure DESNZ has a strategic and systematic approach to how it sponsors, manages and oversees delivery through our public bodies
• Work closely with Sponsorship teams and Public Bodies to prepare for and support planning for ICS/ERP onboarding
• Lead the DESNZ public bodies team (c. 10 staff), driving continuous improvement (including digital-enabled improvement) in its governance, sponsorship and appointment functions.
• Act as senior DESNZ service/process owner for estates, security and digital alongside the process/service owners for HR, Finance, and Commercial Services, proactively resolving supplier service catalogue and related delivery issues (incl. any issues which impact our Public Bodies). Develop efficient means of establishing whether DESNZ is satisfied with the services it receives and considering improvements and changes.
• Build strong relationships with ICS and provide shared services customer feedback.
• Build strong relationships with ICS and provide shared services customer feedback.
• Represent DESNZ customer interests at the ICS Service Delivery Boards and support the ICS Estates team as a delivery agent for the Government Property Agency.
• Own a coherent approach to adopting Matrix within DESNZ (and implications for any Public Bodies), working with relevant functions and the team within ICS.
• Lead on ad-hoc programmes with the ICS aimed at improving Departmental resilience and security (i.e. Move to Secure, Secure by Design, Cyber Risk).
• Build alliances with other customer Departments and Public Bodies as required to help deliver well for all.

Person specification

Skills, experience and qualifications (Essential)

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Proven experience in ensuring shared services deliver for the client, including developing and implementing shared service strategies from a client perspective, with the ability to proactively identify and represent customer interests, e.g. at service delivery boards.
• Experience in leading and motivating teams through complex governance and management challenges.
• Ability to work collaboratively with multiple stakeholders to surface and resolve issues
• Strong experience working with senior stakeholders.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to provide clear and concise feedback to service providers.

Desirable Criteria:

• Specific experience in managing shared Estates/Security and Digital services.
• Experience working with public sector boards and non-executive directors.

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).

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.
• A hybrid office/home based working model where staff will spend a norm of 40-60% of their time in the office (minimum of 40%) over a month with flex dependent on balancing business and individual need.

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

To apply for this post please follow the instructions on the CS Jobs website by no later than 23:55 Sunday 12th July 2026. As part of the application process you are asked to complete the following:

1. A CV 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.
2. A Statement of Suitability (no more than 1000 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.
3. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to undertake an assessment as part of this recruitment prior to a final interview panel:

• A staff engagement exercise: a structured exercise which involves shortlisted candidates facilitating a discussion with a selection of staff from the Department on a given topic.

These assessments will not result in a “pass” or “fail” decision. Rather, they are designed to support the panel’s decision making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview.

1. Informal chat

• Candidates may request an informal discussion with the vacancy holder prior to the application deadline. To arrange this, please email [benjamin.black@energysecurity.gov.uk] no later than 3rd July. The department will endeavour to accommodate all requests, please note that availability may be limited.
• Candidates who are successfully shortlisted may also request an informal chat with the vacancy holder, provided this is arranged prior to the final interview stage. Please email Benjamin to coordinate.

1. Final Interview (virtual)

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 : scsrecruitment.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 desnzresourcing.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 at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/contact-us/

Attachments

468621 - Deputy Director for Shared Services & Public Bodies (DESNZ) CIP Opens in new window (pdf, 863kB)468621 - Deputy Director for Shared Services & Public Bodies Accessibility Pack (1) (1) Opens in new window (docx, 214kB)