About the job

Job summary

We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) 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 possess the expertise to shape early policy thinking and engagement, delivering impactful economic analysis in a dynamic environment?

Can you lead a team to effectively prioritise and shape economic policies, ensuring high-quality analysis and evidence-based decisions?

If so, we'd love to hear from you!

Job description

This is an exciting time to join a multi-disciplinary team in Motoring and Freight Insights (MFI) division which is part of the Motoring and Freight Directorate. Recent well publicised debates such as HGV driver shortage, electric vehicle take up, decarbonisation of road freight, costs of living, have brought road freight economic policy areas into sharp focus, and these areas are key priority for our directorate. Analysis is at the core of this and is highly sought after to ensure effective evidence-based decisions.

We are looking for an economist with a strong background in shaping and delivering high quality analysis for policy. You will have strong experience of doing appraisal and cost-benefit analysis, and be familiar with the Green Book principles (The Green Book (2022) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)). Experience in designing and delivering regulatory analysis, including impact assessments and de minimis assessments is desirable. You will also be confident determining approaches to bespoke analysis to shape early policy thinking and engagement, sometimes at pace, and informing stakeholders with advice using the best available evidence from a range of sources.

We are looking for someone with strong leadership skills to take ownership of their area, and effectively manage a complex programme of research and analysis. You will need to work closely with policy to understand priorities and ensure evidence feeds into the right decisions at the right time.

You will line-manage one operational researcher, and frequently task manage others. You will be passionate about supporting and developing junior analysts in their development and careers, and creating a supportive team setting which all can thrive in.

Responsibilities 

• Provide leadership for a portfolio of economic analysis for Motoring and Freight strategy, mode-shift assessments as part of decarbonising the freight sector and achieve reductions in external costs of freight, including appraisal and cost-benefit analysis to inform Impact Assessments (IAs), De Minimis Assessments (DMAs) and business cases, as well as strategic analysis to shape policy thinking.
• Support and lead your team to effectively scope out policy requirements, provide support and judgement to ensure proportionate and targeted advice is given, and lead and inform prioritisation decisions to ensure your portfolio has maximum impact.
• Promote and champion the use of evidence and analysis in policy, as a visible analytical leader. Support effective decisions through your advice, even where the evidence is uncertain. Communicate with impact to senior policy colleagues and senior analysts, using the best available evidence and analysis. Forward plan to identify future evidence needs.
• Develop, manage and lead your team, creating a supportive environment in which all can thrive.
• Collaborate with other analytical professions to deliver the best possible evidence and advice.
• Maintain and develop leading approaches for analysing the impact of regulatory decisions, using transport analysis guidance (TAG) and the Green Book appraisal guidance.
• Support the wider team in providing quality assurance to ensure economic analysis remains fit for purpose.

Please see the attached role profile for an in-depth view of the post.

Economists at DfT 

You will be part of a strong and active network of more than 150 economists across the DfT. There are central and embedded analytical teams, as shown below.   

There is also an active wider Analytical Community in DfT which also includes economists, statisticians and social and operational researchers and holds regular events and training.  We encourage continual professional development, with a mixture of internal and external training being supported.   

The DfT is in The Times Top 50 Employers for Women 2021 and promotes equality, diversity, and inclusion for all.   

Person specification

About you

We are looking for someone with strong technical and leadership skills to take ownership of their area, and effectively manage a complex programme of research and analysis. You will need to work closely with policy to understand priorities and ensure evidence feeds into the right decisions at the right time.

You will line-manage one operational researcher, and task manage others. You will be passionate about supporting and developing junior analysts in their development and careers, and creating a supportive team setting which all can thrive in.

You will need the following experience:

• Scoping, designing and delivering economic analysis to influence decisions, demonstrating an understanding of government analytical standards (e.g. the Green Book).
• Building and managing effective working relationships with people from a range of disciplines and across organisational boundaries.
• Communicating complex technical subjects to a range of audiences, including senior stakeholders.
• Developing and delivering a programme of work, ensuring appropriate resources are available and are reassessed to ensure performance can be maintained.

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, Experience and Technical skills.

How to Apply 

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a CV and Personal Statement (1000 words). Please tailor your CV to demonstrate your suitability to the role and the essential criteria. For your Personal Statement, please provide detailed evidence of the following:

• Scoping, designing and delivering economic analysis to influence decisions, demonstrating an understanding of government standards (e.g. the Green Book).
• Building and managing effective working relationships with people from a range of disciplines and across organisational boundaries.
• Communicating complex technical subjects to a range of audiences, including senior stakeholders.
• Developing and delivering a programme of work, ensuring appropriate resources are available and are reassessed to ensure performance can be maintained.

 Sift & Interview Dates 

The sift is due to take place 5th-8th July 2024.

Interviews and assessments are due to take 18th July 2024.

This interview will be conducted via a video interview, details of which will be provided to you should you be selected for interview. 

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 and presentation

You’re encouraged to become familiar with the role profile and with the Government Economic Service Framework  - Assessed at G7 level, as you may be assessed against any of the criteria recorded within.

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.    

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.