About the job

Job summary

Are you an inspiring and confident leader, with the ability to build and motivate teams?

Can you engage and liaise with a wide range of senior stakeholders and officials?

Have you got extensive experience of managing a fast-paced and complex portfolio of work?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

Job description

We have an exciting opportunity for a Head of Innovation and Transport Research Engagement Professional to join our team. This role heads up the Innovation and Transport Research Engagement team, which sits in the fast-paced directorate of Science, Innovation and Technology (ScITech). This Directorate is led by the Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) and a key part of the Decarbonisation, Technology, and Strategy group within the Department for Transport. We are a small team but have grown rapidly - reflecting the importance the department places in having science, engineering, and technology as a strategic enabler, at the heart of our biggest challenges.

We are passionate about our culture and are looking for a leader that has the ability, passion, and effectiveness to maintain and develop it further. You will need to work across the organisation and with the rest of the ScITech leadership to help ensure we deliver our objective of being an excellent organisation and that our people can be the best they can be.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Strengthen and sustain a network outside of the Department for Transport (DfT), including other transport and innovation organisations, Other Government Departments, industry and academia to inform strategy, provide direction and support our work.
• Manage multiple teams within Innovation and Transport Research Innovation Board (TRIB). Driving forward change and growing the programme of collaborative delivery.
• Own the development and delivery of the Department’s cross-cutting Transport, Research and Innovation Board, including providing strategic oversight, support for the development of clear delivery plans based on member ambition, and the efficient functioning of the secretariat.
• Ensure that the right structures and culture to drive more effective, efficient innovation are embedded across DfT, including oversight of core spend and monitoring & evaluation.
• Oversee the implementation of DfT’s new approach to Grant Funding Agreements with key R&D partners, ensuring better strategic focus, increasing internal engagement and implementing robust governance and quality assurance.
• Working with Commercial, lead the Department’s response to improving innovation through procurement and the use of venture capital funding mechanisms.

For further information, please see the attached Role Profile

Person specification

About you:

To be successful 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 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, across government, industry and academia, with the ability to translate complex technical information to lay audiences and identify synergies across sectors and disciplines.
• 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. 

There may be occasions where you will be required to travel to other DfT offices and attend meetings and visits around the UK.

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.

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 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, across government, industry and academia, with the ability to translate complex technical information to lay audiences and identify synergies across sectors and disciplines.

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 5th 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 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.