About the job

Job summary

We recognise the challenges that people with protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.

Have you got experience in the development or application of transport models?

Do you enjoy working at pace on high profile issues alongside a range of senior and cross-departmental stakeholders?

Can you communicate complex information to technical and non-technical audiences?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

Job description

The Borders Analysis Team delivers analysis to shape decision making at the UK border. The team uses data and analysis to underpin operational decisions during periods of disruption and build the evidence base to inform future border policy.

You will be responsible for the transport modelling that underpins ministerial decisions on a long-term solution for traffic caused by disruption at the Kent border. Specifically, you will advise on how to use transport modelling to understand the impacts of combined investment in new technology and sites to hold lorries within Kent to reduce the need to queue HGVs on the strategic road network.

You will develop and maintain a wide policy and analyst network. Within DfT, you will support the Borders policy division and work closely with analysts within the Aviation, Maritime and Borders Analysis Division. Across Whitehall, you will collaborate with departments involved in border policy, such as Cabinet Office and Home Office. You will also work closely with external stakeholders such as Kent County Council, National Highways, and consultants.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

You will primarily be responsible for providing transport modeller advice on:

• Kent Resilience Strategy, a new approach to HGV freight traffic management in Kent. This strategy is still under development, but will likely comprise a combination of investment in physical sites to hold HGVs during times of border disruption combined with the development of traffic management technology.

You will develop novel modelling approaches to enhance and complement tried and tested highway modelling. The work will involve engaging and communicating with Kent County Council, National Highways, consultants, Port of Dover, Eurotunnel, arm’s length bodies, and DfT roads modellers to develop modelling methodologies to understand the current and future scenarios. The transport modelling will be used to inform economic appraisal to bid for HMT funding and develop DfT business cases.

Due to the evolving nature of the work, you will be expected to work flexibly, responding to shifting priorities at the border. You may be required to input on:

• Medium-Term Border Changes: Analysis on the impact of the introduction of border changes on local and national transport networks. In particular, the impact of the new EU Entry/Exit System, to be introduced in October.
• Near-Term Border Disruption: Supporting urgent response work relating to situations at the border, including preparing for anticipated events (e.g. known peak travel periods), wider ongoing situations (e.g. Ukraine), or unexpected events that affect international travel.

For further information, please see the attached Role Profile.

Person specification

About you:

To be successful in this role you will have experience in:

• Development or application of transport models to solve complex problems.
• Communicating complex information and ideas to technical and non-technical audiences.

Additional Information:

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace, although requirements to attend other locations for official business, or carry out detached duty in another DfT workplace, will also count towards this level of attendance. 

There may be occasions where you will be required to travel to other DfT offices and attend meetings and visits around the UK.

Benefits

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits. We offer generous annual leave, attractive pension options, flexible working, inclusive working environments and much more to support a healthy work/life balance.

https://careers.dft.gov.uk/our-agencies/department-for-transport-central/

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a CV, Personal Statement and evidence of 1 behaviour.

For your Personal Statement, please provide detailed evidence of the following:

• Experience in the development or application of transport models to solve complex problems.
• Experience in communicating complex information and ideas to technical and non-technical audiences.

For your behaviour examples please provide evidence of when you have demonstrated the following behaviours:

• Making Effective Decision

Your Personal Statement will be limited to 750 words. Each behaviour example will be limited to 250 words.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour which is Making Effective Decisions. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

The sift is due to take place from week commencing 17th June 2024.

Interviews are likely to be held from week commencing 1st July 2024.

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.

The selection process will be designed specifically for the role. As a result, your assessment will include:

• An Interview
• Presentation

This interview will be conducted online via MS Teams. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

You’re encouraged to become familiar with the role profile, as you may be assessed against any of the criteria recorded within.

The Department for Transport alongside other Government Departments recruit using Success Profiles. This means for each role we consider what you will need to demonstrate in order to be successful. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

For further information on Success Profiles visit our Careers website.

Reasonable Adjustments

As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Document Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you cannot access the information on our website for any reason, please email DRGComms@dft.gov.uk for assistance.

Further Information

For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit the How We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role.

Pre-employment Checking

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. 

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.