About the job

Job summary

Can you confidently work to deliver against competing deadlines?

Are you a proactive individual who can work independently?

Have you got experience of working with Microsoft Packages?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

Job description

Department For Transports Group Communications team deliver quality communications that support ministerial and government priorities on key transport policies that aim to improve peoples’ day-to-day lives, delivered by a driven, busy and high-performing team.

This role will suit someone who enjoys learning new processes and working in a fast-paced, friendly and flexible environment, balancing a busy and varied workload. The successful candidate will work in the busy and varied business support function of the directorate, providing high-quality advice and delivering services across a varied portfolio including financial reporting, procurement, and contract management, IT and information management, resourcing and staffing.  

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Provide operational support to a range of corporate functions which may also include providing Executive Assistant support to the Director of Communications, when required.
• Support the Senior Business Support Manager with producing, maintaining, and sharing forecasting data with SMT & the Group Communications team to support planning and budgeting and decision making.
• Work closely with colleagues across the Department, including Digital Services, HR and Position Management, to ensure compliance with Departmental procedures.
• Demonstrate a flexible and can-do attitude and be willing to perform duties beyond what is outlined above depending on the shifting needs of the business.
• Work closely with the wider Business Support team to ensure the seamless day-to-day operation of business support to Group Communications.

For more information, please see the attached Role Profile.

Person specification

To thrive in this role, you will

• Have excellent written and oral communication skills and good attention to detail.
• Be proficient in using Microsoft applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
• Be able to prioritise your own workload, plan and organise your lead areas, work well under pressure and manage conflicting demands effectively.
• Have the ability to build and maintain effective working relationships.

Additional information

A minimum of 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. 

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. 

Find out more about what it's like working at the Department for Transport . 

Things you need to know

Selection process details

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

How to apply

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a CV and Personal Statement (750 words). Please tailor your CV to suit the role. For your Personal Statement, please provide detailed evidence of:

• A time where you built and maintained good working relationships with external stakeholders
• A time where you had to prioritise your own workload and work to deliver against competing demands
• A time where you have had to work without close supervision using your own initiative and taking responsibility for your own actions

The sift is due to take place from 9th January 2024.

Interviews are likely to be held from week commencing 15th January 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

This interview will be conducted online via 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

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

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.