Policy Advisor - Defence Spending

If you’re interested in making a difference to people’s lives, working at HM Treasury can offer you an exciting opportunity to influence decision making that affects the whole of the UK. If this sounds like you, we'd love to hear from you!

About the Team

The Defence, Diplomacy and Intelligence (DDI) team sits within HM Treasury's Public Services Group. We are a small (c. 18 people) close-knit team working across National Security strategy and spending. We are responsible for a fascinating and exciting area, including working closely across the Ministry of Defence, the Intelligence Agencies, Counter-Terrorism, Cyber security, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

Our main focus is to drive the effective and efficient use of taxpayer's money to deliver the UK's defence, security and diplomatic objectives, as well as coordinating and leading on the Chancellor’s and other Treasury ministers’ briefing for National Security Council and COBR meetings.

About the role

This is a really exciting time to join the team, as we look ahead to a Spending Review and ongoing Strategic Defence Review in an increasingly challenging geopolitical context. In this post, you will have a significant opportunity to craft and set direction for defence spending, choices, and priorities – where the choices the government makes will set the context for the rest of the Parliament and beyond.

Key Accountabilities

1. Develop expertise in Army and Defence Digital policy, becoming the go-to resource for policy analysis. This role involves crafting policy thinking, evaluating risks within the defence Land and Strategic Command portfolios. You'll be presenting recommendations for the upcoming Spending Review.
2. Run day-to-day spending control, project scrutiny and approvals covering the land warfare environment, Army capabilities and defence digital. This includes other aspects of MOD’s Equipment Plan. You will engage extensively with MOD and HM Treasury colleagues, gathering and developing evidence to build robust recommendations, and you will lead advice to HM Treasury seniors and ministers ahead of key decision points.
3. Support HMT’s thinking on the overall balance of defence capabilities within MOD’s Equipment Plan, and wider defence policy issues.
4. Build strong working relationships with the MOD, the Army, Strategic Command, Cabinet Office, Infrastructure and Projects Authority, and other parts of Treasury. You will build an extensive network of contacts, work collaboratively across boundaries, and be a credible representative for HMT in cross-Whitehall fora.
5. Become an encouraging member of the team, helping to ensure a positive, encouraging and friendly working environment.

Given the requirements of this role, there may be an opportunity to undergo Developed Vetting clearance.

About you

Our ideal candidate is a high-performing individual with a track-record of quickly establishing positive relationships with a range of collaborators, optimally scrutinising decisions, and a positive demeanour. Prior experience of defence, security and public spending is not crucial - we are interested in applications with a wide range of experience and backgrounds.

About us

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.

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 27%
• 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
• Access to a range of allowances if eligibility applies. These include profession related allowances.  

For more information about the role and how to apply, please follow the apply link. 

If you need any reasonable adjustments to take part in the selection process, please tell us about this in your online application form, or speak to the HM Treasury recruitment team.