Sector Investment Lead, Clean Energy

Job summary

The Office for Investment (OfI) is a joint unit between No.10, HM Treasury and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). OfI is a dynamic, creative and fast‑paced team made up of colleagues from commercial and public sector backgrounds. We work closely with Secretaries of State, Ministers and No.10 to deliver the UK’s highest‑value and most strategic investment opportunities.

We operate a flexible, flat structure that gives colleagues at all grades direct access to senior leadership, ministers and senior business decision‑makers.

Our mission is to secure investment that drives growth, jobs and productivity across the UK. We are proactive and entrepreneurial, delivering ambitious outcomes aligned with the UK’s Industrial Strategy and government priorities. To do this, we seek talented people from across government and the private sector who are curious, creative and able to move at pace to capture emerging opportunities.

This is a broad and rewarding role where you will both deepen your expertise and build new skills as you shape investment opportunities and influence the wider policy environment in which investors operate.

You will have the opportunity to work directly with a wide range of senior stakeholders, including established and emerging businesses, investors, overseas colleagues, sector specialists, DBT Leadership and Ministers.

Job description

The Sector Investment Lead for Clean Energy will play a pivotal role in driving investment into the UK's Clean Energy sector. This role involves working closely with key stakeholders, including government departments, industry leaders and international partners to identify and secure investment opportunities that align with the UK's strategic Clean Energy priorities.

Key Responsibilities:

• Project Management:Lead and manage appropriate investment projects from inception to completion, ensuring timely delivery and alignment with strategic objectives, bringing in appropriate supporting virtual team resources as necessary.
• Investment Strategy Development:Develop and implement investment strategies to attract and retain investment in the Clean Energy sector (including utilisation of ‘hunt lists’), ensuring alignment with national security and economic objectives.
• Stakeholder Engagement:Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including DBT, OfI colleagues, other government departments, industry leaders, and international partners, to facilitate investment opportunities.
• Team management:Setting clear objectives, providing constructive feedback, driving accountability and fostering an inclusive, collaborative team culture.
• Market Analysis:Conduct thorough market analysis to identify emerging trends, opportunities and challenges within the Clean Energy sector, providing insights to inform investment decisions.
• Reporting and Evaluation:Monitor and evaluate the impact of investment initiatives, providing regular reports and recommendations to senior management.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

The below criteria are essential and will be assessed at application stage;

• Experience:Proven, substantial experience in working with Clean Energy sector companies in relation to investment and / or in the Clean Energy sector itself.
• Skills:Excellent analytical, communication and project management skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders.
• Knowledge:In-depth knowledge of the Clean Energy industry including key trends, challenges and opportunities. Significant insight into the UK’s Clean Energy sector capabilities, clusters and selling messages.
• Network: Broad network within the Clean Energy sector e.g. key companies, trade associations etc.
• Qualifications:Relevant degree level qualification or equivalent experience.

Desirable Criteria:

The below criteria are desirable only. These will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but will be used in the event of tied scores between candidates;

• International Experience: Experience working with international partners and understanding of global Clean Energy markets.
• Policy Knowledge: Familiarity with policies and initiatives related to Clean Energy and investment.

Personal Attributes:

The below is a list of characteristics which may be helpful in this role. These will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but are laid out to help candidates understand more about the role.

This role would generally suit someone who;

• Adaptability:Ability to adapt to changing priorities and work effectively under pressure.
• Credibility: Comfortable engaging with senior officials (e.g. across Whitehall or C suite decision makers).
• Integrity:High level of integrity and commitment to upholding the values of the Civil Service.
• Communication: Confident and clear communicator, with strong written and verbal skills.
• Influencing:Strong influencing skills with the ability to advocate effectively for specific courses of action and approach.
• Problem Solving: able to construct workable solution options to barriers or challenges as they arise.

Behaviours

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

• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,511, Department for Business and Trade contributes £16,660 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.

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, Strengths and Experience.

Interviews for this vacancy will be conducted virtually. We will, however, consider in-person interviews by exception.

Please ensure that you check your emails regularly as all updates from us will be sent to you this way.

Sift and Interview

It is likely that the sift will take place 1-2 weeks after the closing date and interviews 3-5 weeks after the closing date, though this is subject to change.

CV and Personal Statement

To apply for this post, you will be asked to complete the following as part of the online application:

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Provide employment history that relates to the essential criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained. The CV should not exceed more than 2 x A4 pages.
• A Personal Statement of up to 500 words, explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the essential criteria.

Short sift criteria

We aim to sift both the CV and the Personal Statement but, in the event of a large number of applicants, an initial short sift may be conducted on the Personal Statement only. Candidates who pass the initial sift of the Personal Statement will either progressed to a full sift where the CV is then assessed, or progressed straight to further assessment/interview.

Your application will be sifted against the Experience criteria of the Civil Service Success Profiles.

Candidates who pass the sift will be invited to interview, where we will assess you on the Success Profiles elements of Behaviours, Experience and Strengths.

Presentation

As part of your interview, you will be asked to deliver a short oral presentation, details will be provided prior to your interview.

Reasonable Adjustments

We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process. In order to request an adjustment:

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section on the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process.

Alternatively contact the Government Recruitment Service at DBTrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Please see attached Candidate Pack for further information on: Diversity and Inclusion; Benefits; Learning and Development; Working Patterns and what we deliver as a department.

Further Information:

• A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. Reserve Lists will be for each location and appointments made in merit order based on location preferences.
• Any move to the Department for Business and Trade from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments.
• The Department will not consider sponsoring a visa or issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship. We are unable to offer advice on any Visa and Immigration cases.
• New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
• Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty. Any applicant who has details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
• A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
• Terms and Conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
• Please note – the successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before being released for another role.
• Candidates that do not quite meet the standard for this role may be offered a position at a lower grade.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service /Disclosure Scotland/Access NI on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

For further information on the Access NI confidential checking service telephone: the Access NI Helpline on 0300 200 7888 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email accessni@ani.x.gsi.gov.uk

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Feedback

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a 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 : Victoria Zastava
• Email : victoria.zastava@officeforinvestment.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : dbtrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of 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 DBT by email: Resourcing@businessandtrade.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.
For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission/Complaints.

Attachments

DBT T&Cs 2025-08-18 Opens in new window (doc, 46kB)DBT candidate pack July 2024 (1) (2) Opens in new window (pdf, 943kB)