About the job

Job summary

Are you a resilient and flexible individual who can work in a fast paced environment?

Can you use your creativity to overcome potential setbacks?

Do you have the skills to motivate others to perform and exceed expectations?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

Job description

This role works within the Department for Transport’s Road Safety Division, leading a team working on the creation of a capability to investigate road safety incidents involving Automated Vehicles (AVs). This capability forms a critical part of the safety and regulatory framework needed to ensure new technologies on our roads are safe. The capability will investigate safety incidents to learn valuable road safety lessons and make independent safety recommendations to organisations such as Government and vehicle manufacturers to better shape the future of road safety policy. 

The project to develop and set up this capability is dynamic and fast-paced, in a constantly evolving, challenging, and exciting environment. This is a high-profile role, offering the rare opportunity to play a pivotal part in the development of a new policy area in Government, while gaining experience in legislation, strategy and policy.

A key part of this role is to develop and see through the passage of both the primary and the secondary legislation necessary to enable the investigative capability to operate. Working closely with colleagues in our operational, legal and analysis teams, other Government departments and the police, you will possess excellent communication, stakeholder engagement and negotiation skills.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Work with the G6 Head of Policy to lead the development and passage through Parliament of primary legislation to create the investigation capability;
• Work with colleagues across DfT and OGDs to develop, draft and agree secondary legislation to underpin the operational capabilities;
• Work closely with the Grade 6 Head of Operations to support the recruitment of and develop the training and delivery of the interim Inspector team;
• Represent the Department in discussions with other government Departments, elected members, senior internal and external stakeholders;
• Lead the development and roll-out of a bespoke digital application to support Police Forensic Collision Investigations;
• Motivate, develop and line manage a team.

For further information, please see the attached Role Profile.

Person specification

About you:

• Candidates should be able to demonstrate a range of policy experience.
• Experience of working with senior internal and external stakeholders is key.
• You will be able to work quickly and under pressure while remaining calm and focused.
• You will also work as part of the wider Divisional team in support of the Department’s priorities and objectives.
• You should be a strong team-player, with a desire to develop a positive, supportive and inclusive culture.
• Experience of the development and roll-out of digital systems would be beneficial.

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. 

If you are not based in London, you will be required to travel twice monthly to our London office where you will meet with your stakeholders and senior officials in person.

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.

https://careers.dft.gov.uk/dftc/ 

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.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

When considering applying please look at how your experience relates to the role, and within your CV and Personal Statement please provide detailed evidence of your experience of the following: 

• Experience of working on a range of policy issues.
• Experience of working with senior internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience of delivering to tight deadlines and in complex, changing environments.
• Experience of working on legislation.

Please fully utilise the 1000-word count when completing your personal statement.

The sift is due to take place from Monday 5th February 2024.

Interviews are likely to be held from Wednesday 21st February 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 will be conducted online via MS Teams. 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, 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 meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (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.