About the job
Job summary
About OPSS
Do you care about the safety of products and want to protect people and places? Can we use your skills, knowledge and experience to enable UK business to thrive? If the answer is yes, then we would like to hear from you!
We are the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), part of the Department for Business & Trade (Previously the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy). We are here for the purpose of making regulation work to deliver real world impact. Regulation is a powerful Government tool to address market failures, influence behaviour and promote positive action. Crafted and delivered well, regulation can be an enabler of growth, innovation and efficiency.
Since early 2018 we have been building a positive and creative team that enjoys a position of influence and respect within an organisation that continues to grow, most recently with the addition of construction products regulation planned.
Our primary purpose is to protect people and places from product-related harm, ensuring consumers and businesses can buy and sell products with confidence.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles. We embrace diversity and promote equality of opportunity. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. There is a guaranteed interview scheme (DCS) for people with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
We are Inclusive
We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible and recognise how important inclusivity is to achieve the best outcomes. We hope to attract applications from all underrepresented groups.
We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation if required to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.
About the Team
The Energy Supply team sits within the wider Energy and Product Enforcement team. We are responsible for the accuracy of gas, electricity and heat meters; and we enforce a range of environmental and energy efficiency regulations covering heat networks, electric vehicle charge points and alternative fuel labelling.
We are working towards providing a regulatory environment in which businesses have the confidence to invest and grow, and consumers are protected. We do this by taking a risk-based and proportionate approach to our enforcement activities, in accordance with the Regulators’ Code. We are continuing to build our regulatory capability, our ways of working, and our staff’s expertise.
About the Graduate Role
OPSS enforce The Heat Network (Metering and Billing) Regulations, intended to drive energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions from heating. The energy efficiency is achieved through the installation of heat metering devices and billing based on consumption, which will decrease the use of energy and reduce consumer bills, and result in associated carbon emission savings. Metering also supports fair and transparent billing for customers on heat networks.
We are looking for a Trainee Project Engineer to enhance our capability and provide technical knowledge and support across the Energy Supply team.
In this role you will work closely with teams across the Office to support our strategic objectives, playing an instrumental role in building our reputation as a trusted regulator.
You will support the improvement of transparency and accountability to the businesses we regulate and the citizens we serve.
The post reports directly to the Heat Networks Team Lead who reports to the Enforcement Manager in Energy Supply.
This role attracts a Government Science and Engineering function technical pay allowance at Specialist level.
Some travel throughout the UK may be expected, therefore flexibility in your work patterns will be required.
Job description
As a technical specialist, you will be responsible for a wide-ranging portfolio of work which includes:
* Review technical assessments submitted by heat suppliers as to the cost-effectiveness of heat metering devices, in line with criteria set by the policy sponsor.
* Maintain consumer protection by ensuring installed heat measuring equipment conforms to the relevant accuracy standards.
* Develop specialist knowledge of heat measurement through participation in national and international technical committees and working groups.
* Support enforcement colleagues dealing with heat metering enquiries and lead on technical engagement with external partners and regulated bodies.
* Provide technical advice and policy support to colleagues in OPSS and other government departments and contribute to wider departmental initiatives.
* Take a leading role in constructing an accuracy monitoring program for heat metering devices.
* Other enforcement work on The Heat Networks (Metering and Billing) Regulations, as required.
Person specification
This is an exciting opportunity for an ambitious individual with the energy to make positive change happen within and beyond OPSS. We are keen to hear from people with varying backgrounds who can demonstrate:
Essential Criteria:
* A degree (or equivalent) in engineering or a related subject area, together with a keen interest in developing your metering knowledge and technical capability.
* Ability to readily assimilate the complexities of technical legislation and communicate effectively at all levels, within both Government and a variety of organisations in the utilities sector.
* Being able to analyse conflicting technical data and make appropriate decisions and recommendations using standard Microsoft Office software to produce reports and briefings that communicate sophisticated information clearly and concisely.
* Ability to develop and maintain positive working relationships at all levels, including confidence when dealing with a range of partners, using your technical knowledge to support those we regulate.
* Attention to detail, analytical and problem-solving skills and an aptitude for long term thinking.
* A flexible, proactive approach with the ability to take ownership and prioritise work without supervision.
Desirable Criteria:
* Previous experience of delivering technical regulation, operational delivery and/or the delivery of projects in the utilities sector.
* Knowledge of heat (thermal energy) metering or general utility metering.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
* Making Effective Decisions
* Communicating and Influencing
* Delivering at Pace
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
* Overseeing Technical Work
* Applying Knowledge
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £25,661, Department for Business and Trade contributes £7,900 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
* Learning and development tailored to your role
* An environment with flexible working options
* A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
* A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities
