HM Treasury
Senior Sanctions Adviser (Full-time)
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This post can be based in London (1 Horse Guards Road), Norwich (Rosebery Court) or Darlington (Feethams House).
Job Summary
If you’re interested in making a difference to people’s lives, the Treasury can offer you an exciting opportunity to influence decision making that affects the whole of the UK. Working at the heart of government, we collaborate across government to promote responsible public spending and drive strong and sustainable economic growth.
Our work ranges from protecting customers through the regulation of the financial sector, helping to reduce carbon emissions and creating a greener economy, to promoting British trade around the world and supporting people across the country on jobs, growth and more.
We are part of the Darlington Economic Campus, a cross-government hub bringing people together to tackle key national issues while working closer to the communities we serve.
Job Description
We are recruiting for caseworker roles in our Licensing Unit
This is an exciting, fast-paced, diverse role, that will provide opportunities for the post-holder to work on high-profile financial sanctions issues. These roles will suit candidates with experience of casework, investigation, or policy implementation. However, this experience is not required. We are also looking for people who have the right set of skills for the role, and who can demonstrate an ability to quickly develop an understanding of a complex and sensitive area.
What does the Licensing Unit do?
The Licensing Unit assesses applications to make recommendations on whether licences should be issued to allow transactions to take place which financial sanctions would otherwise prevent. This involves working with colleagues across OFSI and across government to progress individual cases, identify trends, assess risks, and handle legal challenges.
Licensing colleagues need to work quickly and in a disciplined way, drawing on the expertise of colleagues with a range of backgrounds, to make recommendations to senior decision makers (including Senior Civil Servants and the Ministers) that are significant for applicants, third parties and for the success of our sanctions regime.
What are the key responsibilities of a Sanctions Adviser in the Licensing Unit?
- Leadership: act as a leader on areas of policy specialism across the licensing unit. Potential line management responsibility for 1 EO.
- Case management: overseeing a portfolio of licensing cases, utilising case management and prioritisation techniques, and ensuring compliance with internal policies and procedures. Keeping the Case Management system up to date to ensure accurate and timely data.
- Case assessment: Leading on complex licensing cases; obtaining and assessing evidence and intelligence from a variety of sources in a structured and ordered way to make licensing recommendations. In many of these cases the post holder will need to work independently in areas with limited guidance or precedents.
- External engagement: on own areas of responsibility, negotiating with external partners where appropriate, and representing OFSI’s Licensing Unit more widely in external engagements. Interacting with licence applicants and their representatives through clear written and oral communications.
- Policy development: Policy scoping, research and development on licensing policy projects, including in relation to technical sanctions issues and licensing capabilities, using licensing data to support recommendations.
- Collaboration: with a diverse set of stakeholders including senior colleagues in policy, litigation, legal advisory, enforcement, intelligence and across HM Government, particularly with FCDO, to implement effective and legally compliant licensing.
- Advice and recommendations: Providing concise, accurate and timely advice and recommendations on complex matters to Ministers and senior officials, after taking into account legal, political and operational risk.
- Flexibility: Work flexibly within the Licensing Unit and OFSI more widely, supporting other areas of OFSI in their work and assisting with high priority urgent workstreams
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We are recruiting for one full time role and two part time roles (18 hours/week). The full time role will have line management responsibility. Candidates interested in the full time role should apply under Civil Service Jobs reference 468899. For candidates interested in the part time roles, they should apply under Civil Service Jobs reference 474966.
If you would like to speak to the hiring manager informally prior to the closing date for applications to find out more about the job, please contact maria.duque-fernandez@hmtreasury.gov.uk
This role is not available for visa sponsorship
Person specification
Application stage
Applications should consist of a CV including your employment history, and a 250-word statement outlining how your meet each of the criteria below. Your CV and employment history won’t be scored. It’s used to give context to your application and support discussions at interview.
- Making Effective Decisions (lead criteria): Ability to analyse and use a range of relevant, credible information from a variety of sources to support challenging decisions.
- Delivering at Pace: Ability to handle a varied workload in a fast-paced environment, balancing proactive project work and reactive tasks in order meet immediate and longer-term goals.
- Seeing the Big Picture: Ability to considers how your role fits within the wider organisation’s priorities and broader work.
If we receive a large number of applications, applications will be assessed against the lead criteria alone first. They will then be assessed against the other criteria if they have met the minimum score on the lead criterion.
Interview Stage
If You Are Successful At The Application Stage, You Will Be Invited To Interview Where You Will Be Assessed Against The Following Criteria
- Strengths
- Behaviours:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Delivering at Pace
- Seeing the Big Picture
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Delivering at Pace
- Seeing the Big Picture
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £36,130, HM Treasury contributes £10,466 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).
- Generous Annual Leave - 25 days (rising to 30 after 5 years), plus public holidays and the King’s birthday.
- Outstanding Pension Scheme - Defined Benefit pension with employer contributions of 28.97%
- Parental Leave Packages - Including 6 months’ occupational pay for maternity/adoption, shared parental leave options.
- Flexible & Hybrid Working - Options include part-time, job-share, compressed hours, flexitime, and hybrid working (where business needs allow).
- Advance Schemes & Discounts - Rental deposit, cycle-to-work, SmartTech, season ticket loans, and access to HM Treasury’s benefits portal for a wide range of discount codes.
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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
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.
The reference to Experience above is system generated. For this role, experience is not assessed at any stage. We will ask for some CV details in your application form, but this is for reference only and will not be scored.
Candidate Guidance
Please review the candidate guidance for an overview of the Success Profiles and STAR approach, along with top tips for applications and interviews.
Recruitment Timeline
- Closing date: 23rd August 2026
- Shortlisting: w/c 24th August 2026
- Interviews: w/c 7th September 2026
This timeline is indicative and may be subject to change. We will inform you if there is a substantial change to the recruitment timeline.
If your contact details change at any time during the selection process, please ensure you update your Civil Service Jobs Profile.
Reserve Lists
You will be placed on a reserve list if your application is successful, but we cannot offer you a role immediately. Where more than one location has been advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location. You will be asked to provide your location preference on your application form. Please note that a place on the reserve list does not guarantee an offer.
If you are offered a role in your first preferred location and you decline the offer or are unable to take up the post within a reasonable timeframe, you will be removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances.
Those on the reserve list may also be approached for similar roles at a lower grade. If you are offered a role at a lower grade and choose to decline, you can remain on the reserve list.
Internal Fraud Database Check
Candidates cannot apply to roles in the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
Successful candidates will be subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database. This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This also applies to those who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the database will be refused employment.
National Security Vetting
Everyone working with government assets must complete Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks. Additionally, successful candidates will be subject to National Security Vetting. The level of security
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