View Vacancy – Energy Security and Energy Transition Team Leader – Washington

The British Government’s Embassy in Washington, DC has an exciting opportunity for a proactive and driven person to join the Climate & Energy Team as a team leader focused on UK-US energy security, promoting the energy transition, and particularly advancing nuclear energy initiatives. This opportunity is a rewarding role that supports and further develops the special relationship between the UK and the US, working at the forefront of international diplomacy to make a real difference globally.

The US Network offers a unique career-enhancing opportunity and is committed to supporting its staff through a variety of benefits including generous leave, insurance packages and a highly competitive 401k programme.

In this role, you would be working in a diverse international environment side-by-side with UK diplomats and other country-based staff operating across the British Government’s network of Consulates and Government Offices in the United States. This network provides a platform for approximately 30 Government departments and agencies to conduct their work in the United States and is made up of over 900 staff with rich and diverse backgrounds, skill sets, and experiences.

This is a chance to directly contribute to the way in which both Governments collaborate and negotiate on a broad range of climate, energy, and environmental issues. This is a senior position within the Energy, Climate and Environment team. The job holder will design and oversee a programme of work, manage a small team, and direct a much wider network of officials across the US. The job holder will need to be creative in finding opportunities for UK influence, skillful in advocating UK priorities, and effective in driving implementation. The successful candidate will have a sophisticated understanding of international and domestic US climate and energy policy and significant experience engaging across the political spectrum on energy issues. They will be a credible interlocutor with senior contacts in the US Administration, Congress, NGOs, and the business community; and have ideas for how to develop and foster UK-US collaboration on this agenda, bringing benefits for the UK national interest and economy.

Equally, we would expect the jobholder to support the wider work of His Majesty’s Government (HMG) including through economic growth and corporate contributions. The job holder may need to travel a number of times a year across US states and may visit the UK as business needs allow.

The ideal candidate will be a creative thinker, strong leader, and confident interlocutor. The candidate will be able to set a clear strategic direction whilst responding to internal and external change. They will be a strong team player, happy to step in and support others as needed, and keen to support the development of their team members. Ideally, the candidate would have a background in US and/or international energy policy. The exact policies that this role will lead on will depend on previous experience but are likely to include energy security, energy transitions, and supporting the team on broader sectoral priorities including Nuclear.

Roles and responsibilities:

• Advocate for British policy interests with a range of US decision-makers, focusing on energy security and energy transition, particularly nuclear energy.
• Engage proactively to identify opportunities to promote UK policy interests at both Federal and state levels. Develop and maintain a broad network of high-level contacts within Congress, government, and industry to achieve this.
• Plan and drive forward a coordinated programme of UK-US collaboration on energy security and transition. Facilitate knowledge exchange on UK and US low-carbon policies, working creatively to broaden US domestic support for the energy transition and aligning UK and US positions on international energy issues.
• Work closely with colleagues in other teams including Trade, Economics, and Foreign Policy, to deliver on cross-UK Government priorities related to energy security and transition.
• Ensure UK policy is informed by US developments by providing insightful reporting on US policy developments for senior officials in the Embassy and Whitehall. Contribute proactively to UK policy discussions.
• Support your team to think outside the box and identify new opportunities for UK-US collaboration in the field of energy security and transition. Utilize your detailed understanding of the US energy policy system, to understand trends and upcoming key events, ensuring that resources are allocated effectively.
• Take responsibility for structuring and delivering visits to the US by senior UK Ministers and officials, focusing on energy security and transition topics. Handle requests for advice and information from the UK Government.
• Contribute to broader US network initiatives and programmes that deliver benefits for the UK, for example collaborating with science and business teams to support the UK government’s growth mission in the energy sector.

Resources managed (staff and expenditure):

• This role is the direct line manager for two members of staff, one who currently leads on green transport and also manages another member of staff, the other supports on the energy portfolio.
• You will likely have responsibility for project delivery and managing project budgets of up to c.$100k.

• Substantial relevant experience in international and/or US climate/energy/environmental policy.
• Existing connections to relevant stakeholders in Government, Congress, Industry, and NGOs.
• Experience working across the political spectrum on energy/climate issues.
• Able to represent the Embassy at external meetings and win the confidence of senior US and UK officials, business leaders, and other stakeholders.
• Excellent communication – able to write quickly and engagingly for expert and non-expert audiences, and to explain complex issues simply in writing and in person.
• Experience managing others.
• Ability to work independently, with an enthusiastic approach to work, and ability to proactively identify opportunities and drive them forward.
• Flexibility in a team setting, with strong interpersonal skills, and an ability to work well with others – including remotely – to win support and deliver results.
• Ability to travel occasionally and work flexibly if required.

Language requirements: 

Language: English
Level of language required: Fluent 

Must have the legal status to live and work in the US at the time of applying unless sponsorship is clearly stated in the advert.

Under US State Department requirements, the UK Government in the US has restrictions on the type of visas our non-diplomatic staff may hold.  If you are not a US Citizen or a US Permanent Resident, or the dependent of a diplomat (with an EAD card), you may not be eligible for employment with the UK government. We cannot accept student Visas (J1, F or M) nor other forms of work Visas (I, H, P).  If you hold a work visa it is best to check on your eligibility to work for a foreign government before applying for a position. The UK Government does not routinely sponsor work visas; the job advertisement will state clearly whether sponsorship is available. You may refer to our website for additional information: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-the-usa. All selected candidates are subject to background checks and will require a security clearance prior to starting work.