About the job

Job summary

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).

The RaPID team client the work undertaken by National Highways specifying the outputs to be delivered, overseeing efficient delivery, undertaking sponsorship work with NH and others to unlock challenges at project and/or portfolio level, monitoring safe operations and ensuring that wider government strategic objectives including decarbonisation, levelling up, improving transport for the user and increasing our global impact are delivered through this investment. It works with the Roads Strategy Directorate to ensure understanding of future strategy and the right client setup to enable effective delivery now, and in the future.

This is a full time role and will be one of five Deputy Directors who will work together to oversee and support National Highways’ delivery of RIS2 and RIS3. 

You will also work closely with our sister Directorate, Roads Strategy, who lead future policy development in this area.

You will lead a team of policy, sponsorship and coordination professionals working closely with colleagues in DfT, the Infrastructure Projects Authority (IPA) and in HM Treasury, with our Ministers, and with National Highways, as well as playing a role in the senior leadership of our Directorate.

Job description

Main responsibilities:

• Leading on safety of the Strategic Road Network, working with National Highways to develop and implement safety measures in line with wider policy ambitions
• Leading on technology on the Strategic Road Network, working with National Highways to ensure robust plans are developed and implemented for technology provision and operation
• Overall accountability for the Smart Motorways policy, including advising the Secretary of State on key policy interventions, areas of legal challenge and operational matters.
• Managing the delivery of the billion-pound Smart Motorway investment programme, ensuring the programme delivers its stated outcomes on time and to budget.
• Developing a clear policy framework and evidence base to enable the Secretary of State to make an informed decision about the future of the smart motorways programme.
• Managing policy, operational and delivery risks associated with the Smart Motorways programme.
• Leading on cross-cutting policy issues through a team which includes the Directorate’s correspondence function.

Person specification

You will need to be able to show, through your application, that you have the professional skills, breadth of experience and personal qualities for this post, as well as the leadership skills to succeed at Deputy Director level in the Senior Civil Service.

The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate their experience and skills against the following:

• You have excellent communication skills, along with sound political judgement, and can deploy these to build effective relationships, manage conflicting views, and influence at the highest levels including with ministers and senior executives from our delivery partners. Experience of preparing for high profile media events is essential.
• You can see the big picture and ensure that in delivering our projects we remain outcome focussed and deliver benefits that properly reflect wider Government policy.
• You will be able to develop a good network within the Department and with the relevant delivery partners e.g. local authorities and National Highways as well as colleagues across Whitehall. 
• You will be a talented leader who can motivate and develop a diverse and inclusive team with a range of policy and project backgrounds and work across organisational boundaries. 
• You will be capable of demonstrating personal resilience during periods of pressure, scrutiny and ambiguity. You’ll be committed to providing empowering support to ensure individuals and teams remain effective at all times. 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £75,000, Department for Transport contributes £20,250 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

Application

To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online form. This should be completed no later than 23:55 on Sunday 19th May 2024

Should candidates like to discuss the role in more detail before submitting an application, please contact:

RS-RaPID-DirectorsOffice@dft.gov.uk

The application will include:

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
• A Statement of Suitability (no longer than 750 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the criteria in the person specification.

Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.

As part of the online application process, you will be asked a number of diversity-related questions. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the particular characteristics, you will have the option to select 'prefer not to say’.

All monitoring data will be treated in the strictest confidence and will not be provided to the selection panel. 

Should you encounter any issues with your online application please get in touch with us via scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Shortlist

Your application will be acknowledged when it is received.  

The panel will select a shortlist of candidates whose applications best demonstrate suitability for the role, by considering the evidence provided against the essential criteria set out in the Person Specification.

Candidates applying under the Disability Confident Scheme who meet the minimum selection criteria in the job specification are guaranteed an interview.

Assessment

Shortlisted candidates may be asked to take part in a series of assessments which could include:

• Staff Engagement Exercise - a presentation and Q&A with a representative staff group from across the DfT.

These assessments will not result in a pass or fail decision. Rather, they are designed to support the panel’s decision making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview.

Informal Discussion

Shortlisted candidates will have the opportunity to speak with Kate Cohen prior to the final interview.  This is an informal discussion to allow candidates to learn more about the role and is not part of the assessment process.

Interview

You will be asked to attend a panel interview in order to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification.   

The Success Profile Framework will be used to assess and recruit the most suitable candidate.  As well as Experience, we will also be using the following four behaviours will be used at the interview stage:

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

Further information about Success Profiles can be found here:

Interviews are expected to take place virtually, all shortlisted candidates will be asked to prepare a presentation as part of the process.

Offer and Feedback

Unfortunately, due to the anticipated number of applicants for this role, we are unable to provide feedback to those not successful at shortlist stage. Candidates who are shortlisted and attend an interview will be offered verbal feedback from a member of the interview panel.

The timeline later in this pack indicates the date by which decisions are expected to be made, all candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible thereafter, and we will advise on any delays.

Expected Timeline

We will try and offer as much flexibility as we can, but it may not be possible to offer alternative dates for assessments or interviews. You are therefore asked to note the below timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process, in order to meet the dates given. Please note that these dates may be subject to change.

The anticipated timetable is as follows:

Advert Closing Date: 23:55pm 19th May 2024

Shortlist: w/c 29th May 2024

Assessments: w/c 3rd or 10th June 2024

Panel Interviews: 20th June 2024 onwards

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.