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Job summary
This is a senior post within the Policy and Strategy team, which sits in the Strategy Directorate and has a unique remit in terms of the cross-cutting nature of its work and the view it takes across the whole of the NSTA, as well as leading and coordinating many aspects of its net zero work. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Senior Policy adviser to use their policy development, strategy and delivery skills in an industry-facing environment requiring commercial sensibility alongside experience of working within or at the interface of Whitehall and Parliament. The post reports to and works closely with the Head of Policy and Strategy, and is an opportunity to work in a fast-paced, results-focused organisation that is diverse, modern and forward thinking, and which is attractive and competitive in terms of reward and flexibility.
Job description
The purpose of the role is to lead specific policy and strategy work streams across the carbon storage policy portfolio, with a particular focus on development and implementation of the evolving business models and wider commercial frameworks for carbon storage and other technologies as appropriate. The role will involve very close collaborative working with colleagues in multi-disciplinary teams, with government/other regulatory bodies, and with industry, to support the NSTA’s priority initiatives. Exact responsibilities are dependent on timing and will be informed by NSTA priorities to best advance objectives in relation to carbon storage and wider energy transition acceleration. All recruitment is undertaken on a flexible basis, and the policy and strategy team works in an agile way to deliver agreed priorities, though initial responsibilities are expected to include: • Lead and deliver the NSTA’s carbon storage financial security project, a vital part of our wider efforts to ensure carbon storage permitting readiness, specifically ensuring implementation of NSTA financial security requirements for carbon storage operators on timelines that work for the first two ‘Track 1’ project applications. This will involve very close working with DESNZ, other regulators (Ofgem, OPRED), as well as industry to ensure NSTA requirements are in step with and take account of wider government requirements and those of other regulators, to streamline and simplify arrangements where possible in support of industry. • Lead on development and coordination of NSTA policy and input into relevant aspects of government’s wider CCS business models and commercial frameworks, considering the lessons learned from the first projects and longer-term developments, the postholder will need to harness NSTA expertise and input in support of policy development, and ensure evolving arrangements are understood and can be implemented on required timelines. • Lead and coordinate policy analysis and input into cross-cutting work linked to development of overall policy framework, including in relation to carbon storage decommissioning and reuse and repurposing issues, as they interact with financial security and wider liability requirements; CCS cost benchmarking and liaison with Ofgem and other relevant parties; and supporting colleagues as needed on wider carbon storage initiatives, including to optimise storage potential or future carbon storage licensing rounds. • Provide effective policy support for wider energy transition initiatives – for example, there is expected to be considerable read across to the development of hydrogen business models and commercial frameworks for hydrogen transport and storage, where the post-holder will be able to build up expertise and ensure effective knowledge exchange. More broadly, the role will also provide the opportunity for:
- Leading complex policy and strategy projects and briefing the NSTA Leadership Team on high-profile issues.
- Providing strategic and policy input to projects across the NSTA, ensuring any narrative is consistent with policy position, legal obligations and wider government objectives.
- Acting as interface between NSTA directorates and the central government shareholder department – DESNZ – on relevant dossiers.
- Building excellent working relationships with industry, government, external contractors and specialists across the NSTA.
- Representing the NSTA to government and industry.
- Providing high quality written products both for internal briefings and if required external publications; and providing guidance and support for other parts of the organisation
Person specification
Competence 1: Decision-making and judgement
Effective decision making and judgement is critical to the success of the NSTA. The candidate must demonstrate a commitment to being objective; using sound judgement, evidence and knowledge to provide accurate, expert and professional advice. This involves creating evidence-based strategies, evaluating options, impacts, risks and solutions, and considering how to achieve organisational objectives while minimising risk and balancing, financial, economic and environmental considerations to provide sustainable outcomes.
Competence 2: Delivery
Delivering timely performance with energy and taking responsibility and accountability for quality outcomes. The NSTA is a strong proponent of the Agile approach to delivering projects. Effective delivery often requires staff to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team of colleagues, to deliver high quality results.
Competence 3: Collaborating, Influencing and Including
Creating and maintaining positive, professional and trusting working relationships with a wide range of stakeholder both internally and externally to the NSTA requires collaborative working, sharing information and building supportive, responsive and respectful relationships, whilst ensuring assumptions are challenged in order to influence outcomes to meet the NSTA’s goals and objectives
Competence 4: Strategic and commercial thinking
Essential:
- Degree-level education (or equivalent experience)
- Experience of working in or at the interface of Whitehall departments, ministers and Parliament and/or Holyrood/Scottish government
- Proven ability to deliver complex policy and strategy
- Experience in using programme and project management techniques
- Excellent communication skills, written and verbal, including drafting skills and ability to communicate complex issues succinctly to senior management
- Ability to deliver through others, including being able to influence multi-disciplinary project teams of technical experts
- Analytical and evidence-based policy development skills
- Proven ability to develop and maintain strong relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders
Desirable:
- Experience of oil and gas and/or CCS industry
- Experience of regulatory policy or regulatory environment
- Technical or commercial experience or good understanding of carbon storage / energy transition technologies
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Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
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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
Working for the Civil Service
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Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
Recruitment team
Further information
https://www.nstauthority.co.uk/
