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.

Are you a strong analytical leader with excellent team working and communication skills?

Would you relish an opportunity to help shape policy and strategy on fares, ticketing and retailing issues which impact millions of people using the rail network each year?

If so, we are looking for an engaging leader to join our team, and we would love to hear from you!

Job description

As Head of Fares and Ticketing Analysis, you will lead a high performing team of economists, responsible for delivering impactful and robust analytical advice on fares and ticketing policy issues. Rail fares and ticketing generates a lot of interest from Ministers, Number 10 and His Majesty’s Treasury given the importance to passengers and public finances. Research shows that ticket affordability continues to be a top passenger priority.

Fares and Ticketing policy is a priority area where Department for Transport (DfT) is looking to make tangible improvements to the passenger experience, and to make the railway more financially sustainable.

Your team will be responsible for providing advice on priority policy areas. These include annual fare setting, expanding Pay As You Go ticketing across the country, fares reform trials, passenger delay compensation and making the case for investment in modernising the way tickets are sold. You’ll also be responsible for leading the analytical work required to support future Spending Review bids.

You will be joining a talented, friendly, and supportive division of c. 70 analysts (economists, social researchers, statisticians and transport modelers) within Rail Analysis. Our teams are spread across the London, Birmingham and Leeds offices.

If you would like to find out more about what it's like to work at DfT Rail, please click here.

In this role, your main duties and responsibilities will include

• Scoping and overseeing delivery of a portfolio of fares and ticketing analytical work.
• Leading the team in providing authoritative and impactful analytical advice on all aspects of fares, ticketing and retail policy.
• Identifying and addressing gaps in the fares and ticketing evidence base.
• Building and maintaining trusting working relationships with internal teams and the relevant leads in the Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT) and His Majesty’s Treasury (HMT).
• Taking an active role in the Rail Analysis senior leadership team and supporting division-wide initiatives.
• Line management responsibilities for four Grade 7 Economist’s and leading the wider team.

Person specification

About you

You will demonstrate strong analytical expertise and a track record of producing and articulating high quality analytical work to support policy decision making. You will have the capability to quickly grasp analytical issues and influence policy makers in a fast-paced environment.

You will display excellent interpersonal skills, be a trusted adviser and enjoy collaborating across teams to build trusted relationships within and outside of the Department.

You will be an engaging and motivational leader, who is supportive during challenging periods to deliver impactful analytical advice and robust outputs. You will encourage an inclusive team spirit and be passionate about building team capability.

Additional information 

A minimum 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. 

Occasional travel to our London office to attend team meetings will be required. 

You will be assessed against one of the following analytical professions depending on your current professional membership, or your preference of which to join.

Please click on the links below for more information and qualification requirements:

Government Economic Service

Government Operational Research Service

Government Statistical Service

Government Social Research Service

Transport Modeller

If you are successful at interview and not currently a member of any of these professions at Grade 6, we can arrange a formal badging exercise for you when in post so you can gain membership to your chosen profession at Grade 6.

Please see below the different frameworks for the technical aspect of the Vacancy:

Transport Modeller

GSG Framework

GES Framework

GSR Framework

GORS Framework

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 complete a CV and personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

When considering your experience, please tailor your CV and personal statement (maximum word count 1000) to provide evidence of the following experience:

• Working in policy facing analytical roles to anticipate queries, negotiate new analytical work and delivering it at pace.
• Leading self and others on a programme of analysis that involves close multi-disciplinary analytical working to deliver high quality advice for policymakers.
• Demonstrating strong analytical expertise, and quickly grasping analytical issues and influencing policymakers.

Please highlight within your CV which profession you belong to, or would like to join, and would like to be tested against. Your CV will be assessed to determine if you meet any necessary qualification criteria. 

The sift is due to take place from the week commencing the 5th of August 2024.

Interviews/assessments are likely to be held from the week commencing the 19th of August 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
• A presentation exercise

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.

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.