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 of working on project delivery?

Are you able to establish effective working relationships and effectively collaborate with a wide range of team members and stakeholders?

Can you communicate effectively in both written and verbal communication styles?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

Job description

The Roads and Projects Infrastructure Delivery (RAPID) Client Directorate oversees delivery, by National Highways, of multi-million-pound road improvement projects set out in the 5-year second Road Investment Strategy (RIS2 and preparing for the future strategy (RIS3). 

As part of the RAPID Client Team, you will be leading the Department’s sponsorship of some of the largest and most complex infrastructure projects in the country or overseeing the delivery of the Roads Investment Strategy (RIS2) portfolio and working with partners to assess performance of the portfolio, or support unlocking of delivery by addressing portfolio challenges. 

You will be part of a team that will help achieve the Department’s requirements as client and sponsor for one or more ‘Tier 1’ strategic roads projects (major projects above National Highways’ delegated authority) and ensure appropriate governance and assurance, working closely with colleagues in National Highways, HM Treasury, the Infrastructure & Projects Authority (IPA) and across DfT.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Build an open and honest relationship with your key counterparts in National Highways sponsorship teams, alongside developing a network of contacts in the Department with specialist knowledge in strategy, economics, finance, commercial, project management, governance, strategic communications and local knowledge.
• Develop your own knowledge of how National Highways and delivers schemes – the stages in the lifecycle of a road improvement scheme, National Highways approach to internal governance/assurance, the project control framework, cost estimating and scheduling.
• Support the wider Roads and Project Infrastructure Delivery directorate on project delivery matters as and when required and encourage the sharing of lessons with other teams and wider department, and vice versa.
• Ability to provide advice and analysis assessing client performance and collaborating closely with our main stakeholder to identify emerging problems and working as part of a multi-stakeholder team to resolve them.

For more information, please see the attached Role Profile.

Person specification

About you

To thrive in this role, you will

• Have strong experience of working on Project Delivery
• Be able to build and maintain effective working relationships
• Be a resilient individual who can work to effectively when problems arise to maintain work flow
• Have excellent communication skills through both written and verbal communication

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. 

Occasional travel to other DfT Locations will be required.

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.

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. 

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 the following:

• Experience of building and maintaining effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience of working on delivering complex programmes or projects.
• Experience of dealing with uncertainty in a time of change when dealing with project delivery.

The sift is due to take place 16th January 2024.

Interviews are likely to be held from week commencing 22nd 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 could be conducted online via Teams or face to face at one of our offices. 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. 

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.