Early Careers Specialist

Job summary

Ofgem is Great Britain’s independent energy regulator. Our primary responsibility is to protect energy consumers, particularly those who are most vulnerable. We work alongside government, industry and consumer groups to help deliver a clean, affordable and secure net-zero energy system at the lowest cost to consumers, while supporting economic growth.

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that encourages, supports and celebrates the diverse voices, backgrounds and experiences of our colleagues. Diversity strengthens our organisation, fuels innovation and helps us better represent the consumers and communities we serve. At Ofgem, everyone is welcome and we want our people to feel comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work.

We’re looking for an enthusiastic and experienced Early Careers Specialist to help shape and deliver Ofgem’s approach to developing the talent and skills we need for the future.

You’ll be responsible for designing, delivering and continuously improving a range of early talent initiatives, including apprenticeships, graduate programmes, internships and placements, internal talent programmes and entry-level career pathways.

This is an exciting opportunity to play an important role in building Ofgem’s future capability while widening access to careers within public service. You’ll help create high-quality, inclusive programmes that give people from a wide range of backgrounds the opportunity to develop their skills, gain valuable experience and build meaningful careers.

Working with colleagues and external partners, you’ll oversee programmes throughout the learner journey, helping ensure participants receive the support they need to develop and progress. You’ll also manage relationships with training providers and assessment organisations, ensuring programmes are delivered effectively and provide a positive experience for learners.

Data and insight will be central to your approach. You’ll monitor learner progress and programme outcomes, using evidence to identify opportunities for improvement and continually strengthen the way our early careers programmes are delivered.

This role would suit someone who is passionate about early careers, talent development and creating accessible pathways into employment. You’ll have the opportunity to influence how Ofgem attracts and develops emerging talent while helping build a diverse pipeline of skills and capability for the future.

Ofgem has a culture of inclusion that encourages, supports and celebrates the diverse voices and experiences of our colleagues. It fuels our innovation and helps ensure we can best represent the consumers and the communities we serve. Everyone is welcome - as an inclusive workplace, our employees are comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work.

Job description

Key Responsibilities

Programme Strategy, Design & Management

• Define the early careers strategy, create the programme structures and manage the cohorts accordingly. Map routes to professional accreditation where applicable and ensure alignment to organisational priorities and EDI ambitions.

Apprenticeship Levy

• Own day‑to‑day levy management, ensure adherence to funding rules, standards and expectations where relevant. Maintain audit‑ready records and coordinate with Finance on forecasting, expiry prevention and reporting.

Provider Management

• Select and performance‑manage training/learning providers within agreed frameworks. Set service levels, monitor quality, resolve issues and drive continuous improvement – escalating where needed.

Cohort Delivery, Learner Experience and Manager Capability

• Run end‑to‑end cohort delivery (attraction support, candidate selection, onboarding, off‑the‑job learning tracking, reviews, pastoral support, reasonable adjustments and progression planning).

• Coach line managers on effective mentoring, performance and safeguarding responsibilities.

MI Insights & Continuous Improvement

• Utilise dashboards and insights to inform data driven decision making e.g. improving EDI outcomes through early talent programmes and interventions.

• Identify bottlenecks and run improvement processes.

Key Outputs and Deliverables

• An approved early careers strategy and plan aligned to workforce priorities, with cohort calendars and standards mapped to skills gaps.

• Levy utilisation plans and monthly reports (commitments, expiry risk, co‑investment), with controls and audit trails.

• Procurement/selection records, contracts/SOWs and performance reviews for providers with measurable SLAs.

• Improved EDI outcomes through early talent programmes.

• Cohort delivery artefacts: selection materials, onboarding packs, learning agreements, off‑the‑job tracking, review notes and safeguarding logs.

• MI dashboards on starts, progress, completion/achievement, retention, progression into roles and diversity of entry.

• Hiring manager toolkits and learning sessions.

• Communications and employer brand assets for early careers.

Key Skills and Capabilities

• Demonstrable experience designing and delivering apprenticeship/early talent programmes in a complex or public sector setting.

• Strong knowledge of the apprenticeship system and early careers best practice.

• Provider and contract management experience with a focus on quality learner outcomes and value for money.

• Workforce planning awareness (aligning standards and cohorts to critical skills and career pathways).

• Inclusive design mindset and practical experience implementing reasonable adjustments and safeguarding.

• Data fluency - able to analyse MI on starts, levy utilisation, progress, achievement/retention and diversity and turn it actionable items

• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills

• Organised, resilient and delivery‑focused. Able to manage multiple cohorts and deadlines through peak cycles.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• Proven experience of designing and delivering early talent programmes such as apprenticeships, internships or entry-level pipelines. (Lead Criteria)

• Strong understanding of apprenticeship standards, frameworks and compliance requirements.

• Ability to manage external providers, assessment organisations and training partners to ensure quality and value for money.

• Experience overseeing learner progress, providing support and ensuring successful completion of programmes.

• Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence senior leaders and build collaborative relationships.

• Ability to use data and metrics to monitor programme performance, learner outcomes and return on investment. (Lead Criteria)

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience working within the UK Civil Service or wider public sector, with understanding of workforce capability strategies.

• Familiarity with recruitment principles and their application in early talent recruitment and development.

Behaviours

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

• Delivering at Pace
• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Developing Self and Others

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £49,452, OFGEM contributes £14,326 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).Ofgem can offer you a comprehensive and competitive benefits package which includes; 30 days annual leave after 2 years; Excellent training and development opportunities; The opportunity to join the generous Civil Service pension which also includes a valuable range of benefits; hybrid working (currently 1 day a week in the office but this is kept under review), flexible working hours and family friendly policies. Plus lots of other benefits including clean and bright offices based centrally, engaged networks and teams and an opportunity to contribute to our ambitious and important targets of establishing a Net Zero energy system by 2050. This exciting blend of professional challenge and personal reward identifies career opportunities at Ofgem as something to get excited about.

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.

When you press the ‘Apply now’ button, you will be asked to complete personal details (not seen by the sift panel), your career history and qualifications.

You will then be asked to provide a 1250 word ‘personal statement’ evidencing how you meet the essential and desirable skills and capabilities listed in the role profile. Please ensure you demonstrate clearly, within your supporting statement, how you meet each of the criteria listed in the role profile. In the event of receiving a large number of applications, an initial sift may take place on just the lead criteria indicated in the essential criteria.

The personal information we have collected from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. If any of these are detected, you could be refused certain services or employment. Your personal information will also be used to verify your identity. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas, and your data protection rights, can be found by [https://www.cifas.org.uk/fpn].

At Ofgem, we expect our staff to carry out their roles with honesty, fairness and openness. They should follow the Civil Service code and be free from any influence or bias. We are committed to making sure interests are recognised, declared and managed appropriately so that we can fulfil our duties as an energy regulator. Our Conflicts of Interest policy outlines the types of interests Ofgem staff must declare before onboarding, and the rules they must follow throughout employment so that we can clearly demonstrate that our decisions are not influenced by private interests.

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 : P&EEvolve@ofgem.gov.uk
• Email : P&EEvolve@ofgem.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : P&EEvolve@ofgem.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. You have the right to complain if you feel there has been a breach of these Recruitment Principles.

In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly via recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website.

Attachments

Candidate Pack_487803 Early Careers Specialist Opens in new window (pdf, 663kB)Role Profile_487803 Early Careers Specialist Opens in new window (pdf, 134kB)Terms and Conditions Apr25 Opens in new window (pdf, 335kB)