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.  

Do you have exceptional verbal and written communication skills?

Can you build strong relationships with various stakeholders at all levels and do you have the ability to understand and represent their needs?

If so, then this is the perfect role for you!

Job description

We have an exciting, unique opportunity for a passionate, motivated individual to join the Department for Transport’s Aviation - Commercial, Strategy and Consumers team as a Commercial Policy Advisor. As a team we pride ourselves on creating an environment where everyone feels comfortable bringing their whole selves to work and comes together to support each other. You will see this reflected in our values – Authentic, Supportive and Connected – which run through everything we do.

The division was initially created to meet the challenges posed by the pandemic. However, our role has since evolved and sees us work on a range of critical commercial policy decisions and support the sector through a number of structural challenges.

The job holder will support the team’s work monitoring the commercial health of the sector. This includes working closely with the sector to get an updated picture of each company’s latest commercial and financial position and understanding the impact of various Government policies on the sector.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Developing and implementing an enhanced monitoring framework across the UK aviation market to support proactive risk assessment and wider policy making in the Department. 
• Produce briefings, submissions and recommendations which support senior staff and Ministers across a range of challenging and exciting policy areas.
• Engage and establish effective working relations with industry stakeholders, external financial and legal advisers, and the CAA to assess risk picture and continue to develop the Department’s understanding of the aviation sector.
• Work collaboratively across the internal team and wider Department to support policy development linked to the aviation sector.
• Lead on Parliamentary Questions across a range of topics, ensuring that accurate responses are provided, often to tight deadlines.

For more information, please see the attached Role Profile.

Person specification

About you

To thrive in this role:

• You will be someone who is capable of producing high quality written work at speed.
• Strong analytical skills, with an ability to understand and apply commercial advice and evidence to policy development and delivery.
• You will be capable of quickly digesting large amounts of new information, honing-in on the key points and deciding on the best course of action.
• You will be a team player, who works effectively with others and focuses on fostering a collaborative, inclusive working environment.
• You will be someone who tailors information to their audience, breaking down and synthesising complex information and conveying it in a format appropriate to your audience.
• You will be highly motivated, hard-working, conscientious and actively look for opportunities to make improvements to the work and processes of the team.
• You will be comfortable working under pressure and to tight deadlines.

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:

1. A tailored CV that demonstrates suitability to the role and the essential criteria.

2. A Personal statement in 750 words providing detailed evidence of the following:

• Strong analytical skills, with an ability to understand and apply commercial advice and evidence to policy development and delivery.
• Experience of being a team player, who works effectively with others and focuses on fostering a collaborative, inclusive working environment.
• Experience of tailoring complex information to suit general audiences, breaking down and synthesising complex information and conveying it in a format appropriate to your audience.

3. A written behavioural example in 250 words that provides evidence of you having demonstrated the following:

• Delivering at pace.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using your behavioural example of Delivering at pace. 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 6th May 2024.

Interviews are likely to be held from week commencing 10th June 2024

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. 

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, DfT is 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.