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Aberdeen, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, London, SalfordJob SummaryThe Major Decarbonisation Projects Group (MDPG) Policy Director is a pivotal role that provides strategic direction, policy authority and leadership across our group so we can deliver our objectives. The role sets the strategic policy framework, oversees policy design and legislative development and ensures that MDPG resources, capability and work packages are aligned to priorities. The role spans both Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) and Hydrogen, ensuring policy coherence across these two complex markets.This includes steering policy for live CCUS clusters progressing through appraisal and commercial development stages, as well as shaping hydrogen production, transport and storage business models ahead of future allocation rounds. The postholder ensures cross technology consistency, particularly where CCUS availability, buildout and sequencing decisions directly impact deployment timelines and investor confidence. The role requires expert judgement on complex policy, economic, commercial and delivery issues, often with incomplete information or evolving ministerial direction. The Policy Director must balance systemwide implications, legal considerations, trade offs between competing projects, and political contexts.The Policy Director operates at the centre of the UK’s CCUS and Hydrogen policy landscape, where both markets are moving from design to commercialisation. Live issues include CCUS cluster sequencing, readiness for future industrial capture projects, transport & storage network development, and ensuring the hydrogen production pipeline can progress through future allocation rounds. Crosscutting risks such as investor confidence, capital constraints, grid and network interactions, and supply‑ chain‑ dependencies which require continuous coordination to find solutions.The Policy Director will lead policy alignment across the hubs and functions, provide policy design authority for business models and steers the planning and development of new projects (for instance from new ministerial steers or manifesto commitments). The role postholder will be responsible for ensuring that the group has the policy capability to operate as an agile, delivery focused organisation.Job DescriptionKey Responsibilities Strategic Policy DirectionSet and communicate the strategic policy direction for MDPG, including cross-departmental commissions and SR27 projects.Provide policy design authority for CCUS and Hydrogen business models, legislative frameworks, and commercial strategies.Ensure cross-technology consistency, particularly where CCUS and Hydrogen infrastructure interact and impact deployment timelines.Portfolio Leadership & DeliveryLead the planning pipeline for prospective projects to feasibility stage, shaping early policy before handover to Programme SROs.Oversee the alignment of MDPG resources and capabilities to priority work packages, ensuring flexible deployment of multidisciplinary teams.Drive policy alignment across hubs and functions, supporting the delivery of live CCUS clusters and hydrogen allocation rounds.Governance & AssuranceSupport governance and assurance through the MDPG Portfolio Board, contributing to SOBC/OBC/FBC stages and value for money assessments.Ensure policy readiness for investment decisions and maintain oversight of non-pay budgets and staffing across the directorate.Stakeholder Management & CommunicationLead engagement with senior internal and external stakeholders, including DESNZ, HM Treasury, Cabinet Office, delivery partners, ALBs, and industry.Negotiate policy positions, represent MDPG at senior forums, and secure agreement on investment cases and legislative approaches.Change & ImprovementChampion capability development, professional standards, and career progression for staff aligned to the policy profession.Stabilise and mature the operating model, integrating new tools and data systems, and supporting Key ResponsibilitiesStrategic Policy DirectionSet and communicate the strategic policy direction for MDPG, including cross-departmental commissions and SR27 projects.Provide policy design authority for CCUS and Hydrogen business models, legislative frameworks, and commercial strategies.Ensure cross-technology consistency, particularly where CCUS and Hydrogen infrastructure interact and impact deployment timelines.Portfolio Leadership & DeliveryLead the planning pipeline for prospective projects to feasibility stage, shaping early policy before handover to Programme SROs.Oversee the alignment of MDPG resources and capabilities to priority work packages, ensuring flexible deployment of multidisciplinary teams.Drive policy alignment across hubs and functions, supporting the delivery of live CCUS clusters and hydrogen allocation rounds.Governance & AssuranceSupport governance and assurance through the MDPG Portfolio Board, contributing to SOBC/OBC/FBC stages and value for money assessments.Ensure policy readiness for investment decisions and maintain oversight of non-pay budgets and staffing across the directorate.Stakeholder Management & CommunicationLead engagement with senior internal and external stakeholders, including DESNZ, HM Treasury, Cabinet Office, delivery partners, ALBs, and industry.Negotiate policy positions, represent MDPG at senior forums, and secure agreement on investment cases and legislative approaches.Change & ImprovementChampion capability development, professional standards, and career progression for staff aligned to the policy profession.Stabilise and mature the operating model, integrating new tools and data systems, and supporting Person specificationSkills, Experience And QualificationsThe successful candidate will demonstrate:EssentialProven experience leading large, multi-disciplinary teams, building an inclusive, high-performing culture, and supporting capability development across policy hubs.Ability to set clear direction, prioritise competing demands, and deliver outcomes in complex, high-profile environments with significant interest from senior stakeholders such as ministers or board members.Excellent policy judgement and influencing skills with ministers, senior officials, delivery partners, ALBs, and industry leaders; collaborative and collegiate approach.Deep expertise in energy policy, major project policy frameworks, government or large complex organisation legislative processes, and economic/commercial models for large-scale infrastructure.Strong communication and consensus-building skills, with the ability to explain issues clearly. The candidate will need to build shared understanding, and bring a wide range of stakeholders across government and industry with different perspectives along on the development and delivery of policy frameworks in CCUS and Hydrogen.BehavioursWe’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:LeadershipDelivering at PaceSeeing the Big PictureChanging and ImprovingAlongside your salary of £100,000, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero contributes £28,970 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.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.Office attendanceThe 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.Artificial intelligenceArtificial 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 detailsThis vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.How To ApplyTo apply for this post please follow the instructions on the CS Jobs website by no later than 18th May 2026 23:55. As part of the application process you are asked to complete the following: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.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.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. Final Interview For further information on the application process and an overview on what to expect, please visit the Civil Service Careers website.Overview Of The ProcessGovernment 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.Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.Arrangements for interviewFinal Interviews To Be Held In Person At3-8 Whitehall PlaceLondonSW1A 2AWCandidates are required to prepare a presentation for their interview, they will be given at least one week’s notice of the subjectExpenses incurred by candidates during the recruitment process will not be reimbursed by the Department except in exceptional circumstances and only when agreed in advance.Shortlisted candidates may be invited to an informal chat with Paro Konar,Director General, Major Decarbonisation Projects. This will be an informal chatand will not be assessed as part of the recruitment process.Indicative TimelinePlease 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.Interviews Will Be Held In Person. Candidates Are Asked To Note The Timetable, Exercising Flexibility Through The Recruitment And Selection Process. The Anticipated Timetable Is As FollowsAdvert Closing Date –18th May 2026 23:55Shortlist Announcement – W/C 25th May Assessments – W/C 1st JuneInterviews – W/C 8th JuneFurther InformationReasonable AdjustmentWe 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 the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicants section.If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.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.SecuritySuccessful 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 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.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 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 requirementsThis Job Is Broadly Open To The Following GroupsUK nationalsnationals of the Republic of Irelandnationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UKnationals 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 2020Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil ServiceFurther information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)Working for the Civil ServiceThe 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.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 InclusionThe Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).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 applicantsJob ContactName : scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.ukEmail : scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.ukRecruitment teamEmail : scsrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.ukFurther informationAppointment 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/
