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 strategic thinker who is not afraid to take forward creative and innovative ideas to help reach the target audience?

Are you looking for a role where you can lead a highly effective marketing team?

Would you like to work on high profile behaviour change campaigns such as THINK! Road safety?

If so, then we would love for you to apply!

Job description

We are a high-profile department at the heart of government. We pride ourselves on first-class, creative communication that tells compelling stories about transport through the people that use it.

We are looking for an experienced and ambitious Head of Marketing to lead a highly effective Marketing team that works across a range of the Government’s high profile, behaviour change communications, including the award-winning THINK! road safety campaign.

The team is responsible for THINK! road safety, Inclusive Transport and other emerging departmental and across Government priorities.

We are an ambitious and innovative team – this role requires someone with a sophisticated blend of strategy and communication skills, the confidence to lead and develop a fantastic team and the passion and determination to develop effective audience focused communications.

The wider communications team combines expertise in digital and content; external affairs; strategic communication; media relations; and marketing.

If you share our vision of being the 'best in class’ and you have the expertise and enthusiasm to deliver in this role, then we look forward to receiving your application.

Responsibilities

Key accountabilities of the role include:

• Plan and deliver the development of overarching strategies for the department’s behaviour change communications based on insight and evaluation.
• Develop campaigns using best practice behaviour change techniques and deliver them in a timely manner, within budget and in close collaboration with policy colleagues, stakeholders, and communication agencies.
• Ensure all campaigns are measured effectively, with a clear ROI, and activity is refined based on insight and evidence.
• Brief and procure agencies as appropriate. Manage suppliers, budgets, agencies and contracts effectively ensuring accountability and continuous improvement.
• Review, provide challenge and input to all DFT Professional Assurance cases for Cabinet Office approval. Build key relationships with Cabinet Office ensuring all communications spend is delivered in line with set conditions.
• Provide professional communications advice to Ministers, senior policy officials and communication colleagues.
• Play an active role on the Senior leadership Team within the Communications Directorate.
• Manage the marketing budgets in line with departmental financial processes ensuring there is no overspend keeping value for money front of mind.
• Manage Parliamentary Questions, Freedom of Information requests and other correspondence to time.
• Lead a team of ten Marketing specialists.
• Line manage two direct reports ensuring personal development plans are implemented and followed for the whole team.

For an in-depth insight into the role please refer to the Role Profile.

Person specification

To be successful in this role you will have ability to lead a team across locations, to deliver evidence-based behaviour change campaigns. You will have solid strategic thinking to inform campaign planning and development.

You have experience of building and maintaining relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders. You can lead innovative and creative campaigns. You have excellent communication skills, communicating concisely, clearly and with impact. You will have excellent understanding of the wider communications mix and media trends. You can lead a high-profile team in a fast-paced environment, being flexible to emerging priorities and demonstrating a willingness to get involved when required.

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 other DfT offices will be required.

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.

How to apply

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:

• Ability to lead a team across locations, to deliver evidence-based behaviour change campaigns.
• Solid strategic thinking to inform campaign planning and development.
• Experience of building and maintaining relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience of leading innovative and creative campaigns
• Leading a high-profile team in a fast-paced environment, being flexible to emerging priorities and demonstrating a willingness to get involved when required.

Your personal statement will be limited to a maximum of 1000 words.

The sift is due to take place from 7th March 2024 

Interviews/assessments are likely to be held w/c 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.

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

• an interview

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.

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.

Please see attached candidate notes for further information about our recruitment process.

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.