Decent Homes Standard guidance lead / Social housing energy efficiency lead

Bristol, Darlington, London, Manchester, Wolverhampton Job Summary The Social Housing Quality and Residents division leads on work to improve the quality of social homes and landlord services, and to empower residents to have a strong voice and hold their landlord to account. The division sponsors the Housing Ombudsman Service and also manages a Resident Panel through which residents engage directly with officials and Ministers. We are recruiting two SEOs to deliver this work. The first position will be for the guidance lead of the Decent Homes Standard. The Decent Homes Standard is being updated to reflect modern expectations of the minimum standard of rented housing. We are looking for a high-performing, autonomous, and well-organised individual to oversee inputs into this publication. They will also be responsible for the policy development and drafting of specific elements. This will be a stretching role working on a ministerial priority that will materially impact both the lives of renters and the ability of landlords to deliver good quality homes. The second position is for a Senior Policy Advisor focused on energy efficiency in the social rented sector. This is a rewarding role which will involve leading the development of guidance to support social housing providers make homes cheaper to heat, more comfortable and less susceptible to damp and mould. The Government has published new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES), setting long term ambitions to make homes warmer and cheaper to heat with lower carbon emissions. This will form part of an updated Decent Homes Standard (DHS). Social housing providers will only have a few years to bring more than a million homes up to the new standard and they urgently need advice about how to meet it, what government ambitions mean in practice, where homes will be exempt from parts of the standard and how it will be enforced. This will help landlords to begin work on improving their stock more quickly develop investment plans for the next decade. You will need to work quickly to develop a package in tandem with social housing providers and other housing stakeholders, working closely with DESNZ and other teams across MHCLG. Job Description Key Responsibilities Decent Homes Standard Guidance Lead Act as the primary owner of the Decent Homes Standard guidance, ensuring the delivery of a high-quality product that enables landlords to provide better quality social housing with greater certainty and consistency. Lead the coordination and management of contributions from internal and external stakeholders, ensuring the guidance reflects the latest policy thinking, evidence and expertise from across government and the housing sector. Monitor progress against delivery plans, identifying risks and issues early and taking action to keep development on track. Lead the drafting of key sections of guidance that will help shape housing standards across England and support the effective implementation of future regulatory requirements. Social Housing Energy Efficiency Lead Lead the implementation of policy relating to Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) within the social rented sector, developing guidance and supporting materials that provide clear and practical advice to social housing providers. Develop and refine policy positions on complex and cross-cutting issues, drawing on evidence and stakeholder engagement to address implementation challenges and support informed decision-making. Work collaboratively with colleagues across MHCLG, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), and the Regulator of Social Housing to ensure policy proposals are aligned, deliverable and achieve intended outcomes. Build strong relationships with stakeholders across government and the housing sector to support the successful implementation of energy efficiency improvements in social housing. Responsibilities for Both Roles Prepare high-quality briefing and advice for Ministers and senior officials, clearly setting out options, risks and recommendations, and drawing together complex and sometimes conflicting evidence. Build and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders to support policy development and delivery. Work at pace to deliver high-profile ministerial priorities while managing competing demands and tight deadlines. Contribute positively to the culture and performance of the team, supporting continuous improvement and undertaking corporate responsibilities to help maintain a collaborative, inclusive and high-performing working environment. Key Responsibilities Decent Homes Standard Guidance Lead Act as the primary owner of the Decent Homes Standard guidance, ensuring the delivery of a high-quality product that enables landlords to provide better quality social housing with greater certainty and consistency. Lead the coordination and management of contributions from internal and external stakeholders, ensuring the guidance reflects the latest policy thinking, evidence and expertise from across government and the housing sector. Monitor progress against delivery plans, identifying risks and issues early and taking action to keep development on track. Lead the drafting of key sections of guidance that will help shape housing standards across England and support the effective implementation of future regulatory requirements. Social Housing Energy Efficiency Lead Lead the implementation of policy relating to Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) within the social rented sector, developing guidance and supporting materials that provide clear and practical advice to social housing providers. Develop and refine policy positions on complex and cross-cutting issues, drawing on evidence and stakeholder engagement to address implementation challenges and support informed decision-making. Work collaboratively with colleagues across MHCLG, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), and the Regulator of Social Housing to ensure policy proposals are aligned, deliverable and achieve intended outcomes. Build strong relationships with stakeholders across government and the housing sector to support the successful implementation of energy efficiency improvements in social housing. Responsibilities for Both Roles Prepare high-quality briefing and advice for Ministers and senior officials, clearly setting out options, risks and recommendations, and drawing together complex and sometimes conflicting evidence. Build and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders to support policy development and delivery. Work at pace to deliver high-profile ministerial priorities while managing competing demands and tight deadlines. Contribute positively to the culture and performance of the team, supporting continuous improvement and undertaking corporate responsibilities to help maintain a collaborative, inclusive and high-performing working environment. Person specification We are looking for individuals who can demonstrate strong policy, project management and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to deliver high-quality outcomes in a fast-paced and high-profile environment. This is a policy area that attracts ministerial interest and as such the post holder may need to respond to changing priorities. Successful candidates will be organised, adaptable and collaborative, with the confidence to lead complex pieces of work and build effective relationships across a wide range of stakeholders. Essential Criteria Strong organisational and project management skills, with the ability to coordinate and deliver complex work involving multiple stakeholders, priorities and competing deadlines. Experience of policy development and analysis, with the ability to interpret evidence, assess options and develop practical solutions to complex challenges. Strong leadership and influencing skills, including the ability to work independently and engage effectively with senior stakeholders, building productive relationships across organisational boundaries to deliver shared objectives. Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to synthesise detailed and sometimes conflicting information into clear, concise and compelling briefings, guidance and advice for a range of audiences. Strong strategic thinking skills, with the ability to understand how individual policy decisions interact with wider government priorities, objectives and delivery considerations. Knowledge of or experience working in housing policy, energy efficiency, or a related policy area. Experience of working with external stakeholders, regulators or delivery partners to support policy development and implementation. Alongside your salary of £45,773, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £13,260 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window). At MHCLG we offer many benefits that range from tailored career pathways and flexible working to MyLifestyle Staff Benefits Scheme, Childcare Vouchers, and Cycle to Work Schemes. For more information, please click here Artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use. Selection process details Application and Selection The application process will be split into 2 stages, testing the following Success Profiles: Ability , Behaviours , Experience Please ensure your CV does not contain any personally identifiable information. Note: We do not consider direct CV applications. All applications must be submitted via the provided application link. Important: Your CV and Cover Letter must be merged into a single document before uploading. Stage 1: Sift (CV & Cover Letter) Experience: Your covering letter should be no more than 750 words referencing how you meet the criteria set out in the job description. If you run into any technical problems when applying through Be Applied (for example, trouble logging in or submitting your application), their support team can help. Please contact them at hello@beapplied.com . Stage 2: Interview Behaviours: Delivering at Pace, Making Effective Decisions and Communicating and Influencing. Ability: Candidates will be required to complete a scenario-based assessment as part of the interview. Further details will be provided with your invitation to interview. Sift and Interview Dates Sifting is envisaged to take place the week commencing 09/11. Interviews are envisaged to take place the week commencing 30/11 and are currently being held remotely via videocall. This could be subject to change. Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) We are a Disability Confident employer. We apply a fair and proportionate interview process for all candidates. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to progress candidates who apply under the Disability Confident Scheme and meet the required minimum selection criteria. However, where high application volumes are received, progression to interview may be limited to those who best meet the role criteria. In these circumstances, the benchmark required to proceed to interview may be raised for all candidates. How We Recruit Find out more about our recruitment processes here. Applying Sifting Interview Interview Results & Feedback Reserve List Near Miss Civil Service Grades We are a DCS, RIS & GPTWV employer Reasonab