About the job

Job summary

At the Department for Transport (DfT) we’re working to improve every kind of journey.  We’re harnessing new technology to create safer, more sustainable transport.  And, creating better connections between people and places, we’re enabling greater growth opportunities for communities UK-wide.  It all means that here, you are part of something very different and special.

DfT and our agencies employ around 15,000 staff, of whom about 3800 are in the core Department, and we have the largest and most complex capital project portfolio in Government, delivered principally through delivery partners including Network Rail, HS2 Ltd and National Highways.

We are broadening our presence around the country and are growing new locations in Leeds and Birmingham.

More information about DfT can be found on our website here 

Departmental Vision

All DfT employees are guided by the Civil Service core values of honesty, integrity, impartiality and objectivity.

Everything we do to achieve this is reinforced by our values.

• Confidence: to challenge, to take action, to innovate.
• Excellence: in our professionalism, in our delivery, in our learning.
• Teamwork: we are inclusive, we collaborate and we support each other.

Job description

You will be responsible for a wide range of communications activity that supports Departmental delivery and the Government’s agenda.

As Head of strategic communications, yours will be a key role in setting direction, guiding the implementation of activity (alongside other disciplines), ensuring measurable outcomes are achieved and telling the government’s transport story effectively.

You will provide support, advice and challenge to senior leaders and you will influence and inform stakeholders inside and outside of Government.

You will have experience and a proven track record in delivering high profile communications strategies. You will be able to lead highly effective strategic and internal communications activity, leading with energy and enthusiasm.

As lead for Internal Communications, you will have a significant leadership role in facilitating ways to inspire and engage colleagues to build a brilliant, high-performing organisation and work collaboratively with the senior leadership team to achieve this.

You will provide support, direction and development of your team and champion innovation and creativity.

The Communications Directorate comprises around 80 communications staff.

You will report to Wendy Fielder as Director of Communications and be part of the Directorate’s senior team.

You will also play a key role in the broader leadership and development of the organisation. 

Across the Group you will be a senior leader and work with the Department’s network of agencies and other bodies to help coordinate communications and plan and prepare in case of shared crisis. 

You will be part of the leadership of the Government Communication Service (GCS) with access to its training and tools.

Responsibilities of the role

•  Setting strategic direction

Strategic thinking is at the heart of good communications. You will deliver the priorities of the Government by understanding the most effective ways to influence within the resources that we have, making deliberate choices to provide the most effective outcomes for the public benefit. You will consider the big picture, including the social and political context, being flexible and responsive to a rapidly changing world and understanding the changing needs of our audiences. You will spot and manage reputational risks, display judgement and political acumen, articulate a clear plan of action, foster innovation and provide calm and authoritative leadership for your team.

• Deploying campaign communication

In collaboration with the Head of Creative Hub, you will align communication delivery to using media and marketing strategy, internal communication and stakeholder engagement to inform the public, create understanding and change behaviour for the public good in support of policy and service goals.

• Trusted advisor fostering collaboration and influence

As a senior communications adviser at DfT you will lead your team in providing expert communications advice to senior leaders. You are expected to build effective relationships in and outside the department with policy and operations counterparts in the Civil Service, and with political colleagues.

• Understanding context  

You understand the political and cultural operating context inside and outside the Civil Service to help inform your advice and lead your teams. This includes the environment and the sector in which the Department for Transport operates.

• Building capability

You will role model continuous professional development and make sure your teams have the capability and skills they need to deliver. As a leader within GCS you will play an active role in raising professional standards and improving efficiency more broadly. You will work alongside senior leaders in the directorate to foster best practice.

• Leading beyond the function

As a senior leader within the Department you will play your part in leading the organisation, including taking on corporate roles and projects which support the GCS and Civil Service’s corporate agenda. You will work to improve diversity and inclusion in your Department and across the profession and create an environment where everyone can flourish.

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 Government Communication Service is determined to ensure that the profession is representative of modern Britain and welcomes applications from the widest range of people of different backgrounds, cultures and experiences. You can find out more by visiting Civil Service - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 

• A strategic thinker you should be able to deliver the priorities of the Government by understanding the most effective ways to influence within the resources that we have, making deliberate choices to provide the most effective outcomes for the public benefit. You consider the big picture, including the social and political context, being flexible and responsive to a rapidly changing world and understanding the changing needs of audiences.
• An inspiring leader with proven success in developing and implementing compelling and creative communication strategies which connect with audiences in a large and complex organisation driving organisational priorities. You will also have had experience of developing and implementing crisis communications plan.
• You understand changing context to manage risk, and have the ability to work under pressure, manage competing priorities and changing deadlines and can deliver effectively at pace.
• Highly developed interpersonal and influencing skills, with the ability to establish credibility quickly with a diverse network of senior stakeholders and to present complex issues simply and effectively.
• Experience acting as a source of expertise and innovation to set professional standards, future capabilities, strategies, creativity and driving continuous improvement in communication delivery.
• Sound management of resources and, including identifying and realising no- and low-cost ways of delivering communications.
• An ability to foster trusted relationships within their own teams, provide trusted counsel to senior leaders, and feel able to speak truth to power while holding themselves to the highest professional and ethical standards in their public communications.

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 Tuesday 16th July 2024.

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 1000 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

Your application will be acknowledged when it is received.

Selection Process and Shortlist

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 to Wendy Fielder 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.   

Interviews are expected to take place face to face in our London office, all shortlisted candidates will be asked to prepare a 5-minute presentation.

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

Advert Closing Date: Tuesday 16th July 2024

Shortlist: Monday 22nd July 2024

Assessments: Monday 29th July 2024 or Tuesday 30th July 2024

Panel Interviews: Thursday 8th August 2024 or Friday 9th August 2024

Contact Us

Should candidates like to discuss the role in more detail before submitting an application, please contact: dftresourcing@dft.gov.uk 

This campaign is being run on behalf of the department by the team at Government Recruitment Service, part of Government Business Services, a central government expert service specialising in the attraction, assessment and recruitment of senior civil servants.

The team is regularly commissioned by departments and other government organisations to deliver end-to-end recruitment for some of society’s most important leadership and specialist positions. 

Our work is regulated by the Civil Service Commission where necessary and supported by the equality campaign group Stonewall.

Cabinet Office is a Disability Confident employer.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). 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.