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.  

Can you build positive working relationships?

Are you an experienced leader who can empower a team to deliver?

Do you have the passion and drive to develop excellence?

If so, then this is the perfect role for you!

Job description

This is an exciting and ground-breaking policy area that sits at the heart of Ministers’ ‘growth’ and ‘green’ priorities.  It will lead the formation of the governance structures to support the Future of Flight Industry Group in developing and delivering an Action Plan, as well as the world-leading Spaceflight Safety Regulatory Council.  Most importantly, it will help articulate a clear journey for delivery of the innovative technologies that will play a key role in the future of aviation.

The role will involve working in close partnership with the Civil Aviation Authority, UKRI, key industry stakeholders and other Government Departments including DSIT, HO, DBT and DfT colleagues to ensure a credible yet ambitious programme, and high quality briefings and responses to correspondents.

You will be work in close partnership with the Deputy Director of Future of Aviation and the G6 policy lead on Future of Flight, as well as policy leads across Aviation Directorate. You will need to effectively represent the DfT with external stakeholders and in cross Government meetings and brief Ministers and Senior Officials with confidence and authority.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Leading the development and delivery of the programme management, including financial, for Future of Flight to ensure seniors and Ministers are equipped to make the required decisions. This will including working across several departments, agencies and industry organisations.
• Overseeing the secretariat for the Ministerially chaired Future of Flight Industry Group and the Spaceflight Safety and Regulatory Council, and the related internal governance groups.
• Provide leadership for the Directorate correspondence and briefing hub ensuring they act as a centre of excellence and continue to deliver high quality products.
• Lead and build capability of your team, line managing 2 individuals and leading a team of 8.

For more information, please see the attached Role Profile.

Person specification

About you

To thrive in this role, you will:

• Be able to demonstrate a high level of experience in governance within a complex project or programme, including financial management.
• Possess significant experience of collaborating and influencing stakeholders in a complex environment; evidence of excellent communication skills, building good working relationships and managing conflict.
• Have visible leadership experience, promoting diversity, inclusion, and equality of opportunity, and influencing and engaging stakeholders across organisational boundaries.
• Have significant experience with briefing and correspondence.

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. 

The team is split across London, Birmingham and Leeds so it would be expected for the candidate to visit the other two locations at least quarterly and when there were specific business needs for the team to gather face-to-face or specific stakeholder or external meetings.

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, Strengths, 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 suit the role. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

For your Personal Statement, please provide detailed evidence of the following:

• High level of experience in governance within a complex project or programme, including financial management.
• Significant experience of collaborating and influencing stakeholders in a complex environment; evidence of excellent communication skills, building good working relationships and managing conflict.
• Leadership experience, promoting diversity, inclusion, and equality of opportunity, and influencing and engaging stakeholders across organisational boundaries.
• Experience of delivering high quality briefing and correspondence.

The sift is due to take place by 8th March 2024.

The Policy exercise and Interviews are likely to be held in tandem from week commencing 18th March 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. 

You will be assessed against the Technical element of the Success Profile Framework. Two Policy Profession Standards are being assessed: Policy profession standards - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

The selection process will be designed specifically for the role. As a result, your assessment will include: 

• A policy exercise and an interview

This interview will be conducted online. 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 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.