Policy Adviser Mortgages

If you’re interested in making a difference to people’s lives, the Treasury can offer you an exciting opportunity to influence decision making that affects the whole of the UK. Working at the heart of government, we collaborate across government to promote responsible public spending and drive strong and sustainable economic growth!

About the Team

The Banking and Credit Team

The Banking and Credit (BAC) team is a high-profile, friendly, and supportive team of about 20 people with interests across a range of substantial financial services issues. We lead the Treasury’s policy work on retail banking, mortgages, business lending, building societies and mutuals, dormant assets, and the Government’s strategy for competition in financial services. The team works closely with many Treasury teams, other Government departments and with a wide range of external collaborators, including all the major banks.

The mortgages and home ownership schemes unit consists of 5 people and covers a range of high-profile issues. These include helping consumers buy their first home and supporting those struggling to keep up their payments, through to large strategic issues like innovation and the future of the market. The work we do is both policy focussed and operational. Often it is newsworthy, a political priority for Ministers, and is the central importance for firms and regulators. We are focussed on some of the most important moments in many consumers’ lives. The team works closely with all these partners and more, to progress our work.

About the Job

Accountabilities:

1. Support the development and delivery of evidence-based mortgage policy, leading on specific policy areas such as green mortgages and solving economic abuse, including through legislation, mentorship and voluntary industry initiatives where needed.
2. Monitor and analyse key trends and developments in the mortgage market using both data and commentary and provide timely and well-evidenced updates to seniors and Ministers.
3. Support external partner engagement for the mortgage policy branch, including building and maintaining strong and collaborative relationships across industry, financial regulators, and other government teams.
4. Provide high-quality support for senior and ministerial engagement with the mortgage lending and home finance sector, including written and verbal briefings, to ensure that the government’s engagement strategy is effective.
5. Respond to parliamentary, public and press activity/enquiries, including supporting ministers in parliamentary debates, and use these channels to identify and monitor developing policy issues.
6. Act as a key point of contact for the mortgage policy area, dealing with issues and queries as they arise in a timely manner and with good judgement.

About You

The role holder can expect to be exposed to a broad range of mortgage policy matters and the role would suit individuals who enjoy engaging with a diverse range of projects while maintaining short-term priorities.

Importantly, you don’t need to be a policy professional or have any specific qualifications to apply to this role. We are looking for people who have the right set of skills for the role, who demonstrate the values of our organisation, and who are motivated to come and work with us on a range of issues that are important for our financial services sector. You will be well supported by your line management and the wider team, and opportunities to learn about the financial services sector will be provided.

HM Treasury is proud of a diverse and inclusive work environment, committed to fairness and the promotion of equality of opportunity for all. We know that having a range of experiences, ways of working and thinking makes us a stronger organisation, better at developing policy that is reflective of the communities we serve. We embrace different views and experiences and value the fresh perspective that people from a variety of circumstances bring to the work we do. We welcome applications from candidates who have not previously worked for the Civil Service, mid- and late-career changers with transferrable skills, people from all backgrounds and circumstances regardless of disability, ethnicity, LGBT+ identity and socio-economic status.

Some of the Benefits our people love!

• 25 days annual leave (rising to 30 days after 5 years), plus 8 public holidays and the King’s birthday (unless you have a legacy arrangement as an existing Civil Servant). Additionally, we operate flexitime systems, allowing you to take up to an additional 2 days off each month.
• Flexible working patterns (part-time, job-share, compressed hours).
• Generous parental leave and adoption leave packages.
• A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and average employer contributions of 28%
• Access to a cycle-to-work salary sacrifice scheme and season ticket advances.
• A Rental Deposit Advance Scheme to help meet the total costs of deposits for privately rented homes.
• Access to HM Treasury’s benefits portal allowing you access to a range of discount codes for online shopping.
• A range of active staff networks, based around interests (e.g. analysts, music society, sports and social club) and diversity