Policy Advisors - New Build Standards and Performance

Job summary

We are MHCLG

The New Build Standards and Performance Division works to improve the safety, quality and sustainability of our new homes and buildings and the functioning of the regulatory systems that govern construction.

The division’s work includes overseeing and updating the Building Regulations, reforming the building control processes that ensure the construction of safe buildings, looking at how new buildings can be made more sustainable, energy efficient and adaptable to the effects of climate change, and acting as a strategic function for the Department to monitor and improve the quality of new homes.

The Division also manages parts of the higher-risk building regime that has been introduced since the Grenfell Tower tragedy to oversee construction of new higher-risk buildings (predominantly residential buildings above 18m) and building work in existing higher-risk buildings.

We are working with the Building Safety Regulator to improve the functioning and efficiency of parts of the higher-risk building regime. We are hiring up to 4 HEO policy advisers to work in teams across the Division.

We expect roles to be available in:

• The Energy, Carbon and Overheating team, to work on implementing the Future Homes and Buildings Standards, evaluating the real-world impact of past interventions, and developing future policy on energy efficiency, overheating, climate change mitigation and adaptation. This could include developing research to address key evidence gaps and shape future priorities.
• The New Build Quality team, to work as part of a strategic function bringing together workstreams across the department working on New Build Quality, building evidence, identifying gaps and making sure the department prioritises work on new build quality in the context of building 1.5 million homes this parliament.
• The Building Control Procedures team, to work on reform and changes to building control to make sure systems are robust, fair and support the construction of safe and quality buildings.
• The Higher-Risk Building Regime Reform team, to work on removing barriers in the higher-risk building regime so that proposed work to existing higher-risk buildings can be assessed more efficiently by the Building Safety Regulator.

Job description

As a Policy Advisor your responsibilities will include:

• Leading and supporting policy development (specific to exact role in the Division).
• Supporting the delivery of timely, high-quality advice to seniors and ministers – both verbally and in writing.
• Helping manage and respond to team correspondence, parliamentary questions and briefing requests.
• Establish and maintain strong working relationships with other policy teams across government and industry, including the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Building Safety Regulator.
• Leading or supporting project management of team’s work.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• Excellent organisational skills to allow you to manage multiple pieces of work simultaneously and deliver at pace.
• Effective communication skills and the ability to distil and explain complicated policy and issues both verbally and in writing.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to develop effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
• The curiosity and willingness to engage with the detail of technical policy areas.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,623, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £10,899 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 My Lifestyle Staff Benefits Scheme, Childcare Vouchers, and Cycle to Work Schemes. For more information, please click here.

Things you need to know

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:

Behaviours , Strengths

Stage 1: Sift

• Behaviour: Making Effective Decisions (Lead Behaviour)

• Behaviour: Delivering at Pace

• Behaviour: Communicating and Influencing

• Behaviour: Seeing the Bigger Picture

There is a 250-word limit per question.

When writing your application, remember:

• the assessor won’t be reading your answers sequentially

• do not assume that the same assessors will have read all of your answers

• if talking about something in your first answer, make sure that you write the second answer as if you had not written the first (and so on!)

Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that each of your answers would be viewed by different assessors.

In the event that we receive a large number of applications, we may conduct an initial sift using the lead behaviour listed in the advert. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

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 [email removed].

Stage 2: Interview

• Behaviours: Delivering at Pace, Making Effective Decisions, Communicating and Influencing, Seeing the Bigger Picture.

• Strengths: The strength-based questions will require natural responses from the candidates.

Sift and Interview Dates

Sifting is envisaged to take place the week commencing 09/11/2026.

Interviews are envisaged to take place the week commencing 23/11/2026 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 be