Deputy Director National Security and Response & Deputy Director Energy Resilience in London

The Energy Security and Resilience Directorate ensures energy security in the short- to medium-term, driving cross-Government efforts to maintain a resilient energy system. As part of this multi-disciplinary team, you will lead policy to ensure gas, electricity, and fuel reach where they are needed and shape the resilience of future energy systems as part of Net Zero.

The teams' work is high-profile, with significant senior and ministerial interest. They handle some of the UK's most significant risks, as outlined in the National Security Risk Assessment. You will collaborate with industry, regulators, leading practitioners, and governments across the UK and internationally.

Both the NSR and ER teams ensure energy (gas, electricity, and fuel) reaches customers and manage emergencies. They work with stakeholders to ensure the future energy transition as part of Net Zero is secure and resilient. The team is a Centre of Excellence for National Security and Crisis Management, driving cyber security in the energy sector, coordinating threats from hostile states, and assuring our ability to respond to crises affecting the energy and civil nuclear sectors.

Occasionally, emergencies within the energy sector occur – both these roles will provide leadership during responses as a senior leader on risk and crisis management within DESNZ. Training is available. In exceptional circumstances, there may be a requirement to work outside normal hours during emergencies.

Position 1: Deputy Director National Security and Resilience

The National Security & Response Team safeguards the energy sector by addressing critical threats, ensuring coherence on our national security policy and readiness as a Lead Government Department during emergencies. The Cyber Policy Team is responsible for setting and enforcing cyber security policy for the GB gas, electricity and oil subsectors. They work with industry and Government Departments to understand the cyber threat and work to build resilience to cyber-attacks, strengthen response and recovery measures and regulate critical operators. The Emergency Response: Capabilities and Operations (ERCO) team lead an integrated and coordinated response to emergencies on behalf of DESNZ, supporting our sector teams to fulfil our responsibilities as a Lead Government Department. The State Threats Team work to protect the energy sector against threats from hostile states and to ensure capabilities to allow DESNZ operates as an effective national security department.

We seek an exceptional leader to join the team as Deputy Director National Security & Response. The ideal candidate will use their leadership, relationship-building, communication, and strategic thinking skills to address energy resilience and security challenges. As a key member of the senior leadership team, this role will contribute to making our teams and Directorate a brilliant, welcoming, inclusive, and fulfilling place to work. In energy sector emergencies, this role will provide leadership as a key member of the Energy Security and Resilience Directorate. There are excellent learning and development opportunities across crisis management, national security, and energy resilience teams, as well as through our Departmental Academy and cross-government programs, to help you further develop your skills and experience.

Position 2: Deputy Director Energy Resilience

The Energy Resilience Team monitors risks to gas, electricity, and oil supplies. They understand the risk to Critical National Infrastructure from hazards and threats now and through to 2050. The team maintains the National Emergency Plans for Fuel and for Gas and Electricity, ensuring ongoing operational readiness. They are developing a Catastrophic Risk Programme to deal with energy-driven system-wide risks, including a National Power Outage. The team responds to energy incidents or emergencies and develops risk-specific plans and operational readiness for specific circumstances.

We seek an exceptional leader to join the team as Deputy Director Energy Resilience. The ideal candidate will use their leadership, relationship-building, communication, and strategic thinking skills to address energy resilience and security challenges. As a key member of the senior leadership team, this role will contribute to making our teams and Directorate a brilliant, welcoming, inclusive, and fulfilling place to work. In energy sector emergencies, this role will provide leadership as a key member of the Energy Security and Resilience Directorate. There are excellent learning and development opportunities across crisis management, national security, and energy resilience teams, as well as through our Departmental Academy and cross-government programs, to help you further develop your skills and experience.

Proven experience of national security or resilience and crisis response and operation with the national security, resilience, and crisis management community. Experience of leading and motivating teams through complex policy issues, sometimes at pace, whilst also ensuring the welfare and resilience of the team and self – ensuring a high performing team with a genuine commitment to their wellbeing. Ability to understand and drive forward the strategic agenda, with the capacity to look beyond immediate pressures to identify long-term opportunities and risks, spot the gaps and finding ways to drive forward positive progress. Strong focus on delivery of commitments, managing resources to balance more immediate responsive requirements with a sustained commitment to longer term strategic delivery. Excellent judgement and decision making to be capable of navigating complex policy issues, analysis, and political context to make appropriate decisions and come to a clear way forward (often where there is no perfect answer). Ability to communicate complex policy and security information and advice to stakeholders - particularly senior ministers and officials – in a compelling and succinct way, that draws out the key takeaways and choices and decisions.