Do you want to be part of the work to build the homes this country needs? Do you want to have a real impact on peoples’ lives, by delivering radical and long lasting reforms to fix the broken housing market? Do you want to consider where people live and make those places better? Do you want to take the next step in your career which raises your visibility across and beyond Government? We are looking for enthusiastic and ambitious Team Leaders (Grade 7s) to join the Housing and Planning Group in the Department for Communities and Local Government. The Housing and Planning Group is responsible for developing and implementing policies that support the Government’s ambition to fix the broken housing market and make sure everyone has a safe, stable affordable home. We recently published the Housing White Paper and we now need talented individuals to help us deliver on ministers’ ambition to build many more houses, of the type people want to live in, in the places they want to live. We are working on a Social Housing green paper, a top to bottom review of social housing. There are opportunities to work across the group to take forward policy development on a range of ministerial priorities. The roles are spread across the Department’s four directorates:

Housing Standards and Support leads on the government’s ambition to deliver safe and secure homes. Colleagues across divisions work on projects and programmes related to:

• Building on feedback from the Housing Minister’s conversations with social housing tenants we will be developing a Green Paper on Social Housing
• Tackling rough sleeping and youth homelessness and ensuring there is a strong prevention package in place across the country
• Strengthening consumer protection for tenants and leaseholders and tackling rogue landlords
• Managing the £9bn Affordable Homes Programme and creating the conditions to ensure that housing associations continue to develop at least a third of all new homes in England annually.
• Developing policy to support vulnerable groups – from those on lower incomes to those with specific needs

Housing Supply leads on the government’s ambition to deliver over 1.5 million new homes by the end of the Parliament. Colleagues across divisions work on projects and programmes such as:

• Diversifying the housing market, encouraging new builders to enter the market, and new types of homes (e.g. custom build, modern methods of construction) to be built
• A range of financial and commercial programmes, to get more homes built across a range of tenures, such as the £3 billion Home Building Fund, financial guarantees, the recently announced £2.3 billion Housing Infrastructure Fund, and the £8.6 billion Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme
• Estate Regeneration, garden towns and villages, and supporting other large housing sites across the country
• Developing policy and strategy across the housing and planning group to further support minsters ambitions

Housing and Land Delivery looks to significantly shift the speed and way in which the Government disposes of its land, and to unlock the development of tens of thousands of new homes. This is part of the Department’s wider strategy to fix the broken housing market. Colleagues across divisions work on projects and programmes such as:

• The £1.7bn Accelerated Construction programme which sees Government developing its land in partnership with the private sector to deliver up to 15,000 housing starts by March 2020, and increase the use of innovative construction techniques
• Disposing of surplus public sector land with capacity for 160,000 homes by March 2020, working with Departments across Whitehall to deliver this. And collaborating with Local Authorities on a parallel ambition to release their surplus land with capacity for a further 160,000 homes within the same timescale.
• Boosting the programme and project management ability of the Department to assist with the delivery of both the above programmes and targets Planning - Responsible for delivery of planning policy to support housing and economic growth while also protecting the natural environment. The planning system is one of the key tools the Government has to deliver sustainable growth including new housing. Its speed, effectiveness and the behaviours of the people that operate within it, and those that make use of it, are critical to overall economic success.

These are exciting and challenging roles at the heart of the Government’s growth agenda. The roles are likely to involve opportunities to work with Ministers and senior officials across Whitehall, as well as engagement with a wide range of external partners including business and local government. Post holders will also work collaboratively with colleagues across the Planning and Housing Directorates as well as closely with legal colleagues and analysts.

The work is high profile, fast-paced and requires working closely with the department’s Board and Ministers, and with other Whitehall Departments, particularly No. 10, Cabinet Office and the Treasury. We are looking for Grade 7s with varied skill sets who want to be involved in leading, developing and delivering policy at the heart of the government’s housing agenda. Successful candidates will be key members of their divisions, working to shape, support and deliver the government’s housing policy. DCLG expects G7s to:

• play a key role in delivering these priority by leading the development and/or delivery of a discrete area of policy

• make an impact and take responsibility to plan and manage a range of interconnected activities in order to independently research and draw conclusions on your policy areas.

• take responsibility for providing accurate, concise and robust submissions and briefings to Ministers.

• work with energy and pace to manage your own work to develop robust and fit-for-purpose policy design and implementation.

• The post holder will have the opportunity to work with other key Government departments, such as HMT and DWP, and colleagues across Housing & Planning Group to shape the shared policy thinking on the relationship between Housing Benefit, housing supply, home ownership and quality and plan future joint strategic interventions

• Task and/or line management

We are looking for G7s with varied skill sets who want to be involved in leading, developing and delivering policy at the heart of the government’s housing agenda. Successful candidates will be key members of their divisions, working to shape, support and deliver the government’s housing policy. DCLG expects G7s to demonstrate leadership and ownership of specific policy and projects. We are looking for individuals who are flexible and resilient, able to work at pace, and keep a clear view of the big picture while delivering specific policy responsibilities. You will need to be closely tuned in to emerging agendas across government and the housing sector to allow you to identify and resolve new policy and strategic issues. You will use your influence across Whitehall and the sector to shape and deliver your programme of work.

All staff in DCLG are expected to take an active role in the corporate life of the Department, contributing both to their own personal development (eg through the learning opportunities available through the core curriculum, participating in relevant staff networks and events) and supporting the DCLG vision of a streamlined, smarter and stronger department.

The role is busy and challenging, and offers development opportunities across a range of competencies.

• Experience of strategy or policy development.
• An interest in and understanding of the UK's housing agenda.
• PPM and Governance

We'll assess you against these competencies during the selection process:

• Leading and communicating
• Seeing the big picture
• Collaborating and partnering
• Delivering at pace
• Making effective decisions

Your application will be sifted based on 4 competencies:

• Leading and Communicating (When have you changed someone’s mind through verbal and written communication? What happened and what was the outcome?)
• Seeing the Big Picture (Choose one issue which you think is really important in relation to housing e.g. lack of housing supply, homelessness or opposition to new development. If you had 5 minutes to brief the new housing Minister what would you say?)
• Collaborating and Partnering
• Making Effective Decisions