About the job

Job summary

Are you an inspiring and confident leader, able to build and motivate teams?

Can you confidently translate complex science and technology terminology to non-technical audiences?

Have you got exceptional communication skills with the confidence to liaise with senior stakeholders and officials?

Do you have strong stakeholder management and engagement skills?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

Job description

The Department for Transport has an exciting role available for a Head of Futures and Emerging Technologies professional to join the team! Within this role you will have the opportunity to make a positive impact on the future of travel. Transport touches all of our lives, every day. From the global shipping and aviation routes that deliver our food, fuel and medicine and link us physically to the rest of the world, to the roads and railways that are the arteries of our country. The role of the Department for Transport is to ensure that we can all access safe, secure and reliable services and infrastructure across the UK.

As the Department for Transport’s lead for futures thinking and owner of emerging technologies, you will be leading a portfolio of work to drive forwards the pace of technological development and adoption into the transport network.  This may include commissioning and leading specific research packages with world class experts in academia to accelerate the pace of development.    

You will be part of a network of Futures specialists across government, working closely with GO-Science. You will also be the national lead for transport emerging technologies working across government departments and with international partners, developing technology strategies specific for the UK’s transport network.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Lead the Futures team in developing and integrating an end-to-end process for identifying emerging risks and opportunities and referring these into the wider department for implementation.
• Own the development and delivery of the Department's cross cutting emerging technology strategy across the high-risk priority areas
• Lead the engagement and communication with policy professionals across the department, translating complex S&T for non-S&T audiences
• Attend and deliver briefings and advice for CSA, senior officials, Ministers and Secretary of State on Emerging Technologies and related activities

For further information, please see the attached Role Profile

Person specification

To succeed in this role you will:

• Be an inspiring and confident leader able to build and motivate a team, communicate purpose and direction with clarity, integrity and enthusiasm. 
• Have the ability to understand, interpret and communicate specialist technical detail into engaging and compelling communications
• The ability to grasp the big strategic picture and challenges and convert this into clear and deliverable plans and strategies.
• Extensive experience of managing a fast-paced and complex portfolio of work, including research and development programmes within government or industry equivalent
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience overseeing and driving delivery through senior boards and working groups.
• Degree, or equivalent work experience.

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. 

Monthly travel may be required across other DfT offices.

Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part time basis, there is a business requirement, for the successful candidate to be able to work at least 30 hours per week. 

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 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: 

• An inspiring and confident leader able to build and motivate a team, communicate purpose and direction with clarity, integrity and enthusiasm. 
• The ability to understand, interpret and communicate specialist technical detail into engaging and compelling communications
• The ability to grasp the big strategic picture and challenges and convert this into clear and deliverable plans and strategies.
• Extensive experience of managing a fast-paced and complex portfolio of work, including research and development programmes within government or industry equivalent

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

The sift is due to take place from week commencing 22nd January 2024

Interviews are likely to be held from week commencing 1st 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
• Presentation

This interview will be conducted online via MS Teams. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

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. 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.