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.

Have you got excellent written and verbal communication skills?

Do you have strong organisational skills and enjoy working in a fast paced, varied environment?

Can you build robust relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

Job description

We have an exciting opportunity for a highly organised individual with excellent communication skills to join our team as Head of Director’s Office within the Future Transport Systems (FTS) directorate, as part of the Department for Transport (DfT). FTS’s mission is to build a sustainable transport future by considering the system, driving innovation and building incentives, regulations and choices that work for the user. 

This role offers a fantastic opportunity to gain exposure to issues at the top of the policy agenda and play a leading, visible role in the functioning of a Directorate reporting directly to the Second Permanent Secretary. As Head of Directors’ Office you will need to be comfortable working at pace in a busy, but interesting role. You will need excellent judgement to help the Directors decide where to best focus their energies, prioritise their engagement, and take decisions on their behalf when needed. You will need to be a confident decision maker and be responsible for coordinating tasks, briefing and work across the Directorates. You will be the source of authoritative advice on their views and preferences, as well as seeing first-hand what it takes to be a senior leader, help run a large dynamic and high performing team, with direct access to senior figures across the Department and Whitehall.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Proactively and effectively manage the Directors’ workflow, liaising with internal and external stakeholders at all levels of seniority, commissioning and coordinating work on their behalf.
• Develop and maintain a strong understanding of issues relevant to the Directorate, using your judgement to prioritise issues as they arise and advising the Directors as needed.
• Lead and support on the full suite of Business Support Functions including Management Assurance action plan, Management Information and quarterly performance reports, Business Continuity and Workforce Planning, FTE and Headcounts and budget.
• Play a proactive role in the Directorate, helping to drive improvement in the business support and corporate wide functions, supporting other team members in busy periods.

For further information, please see the attached Role Profile

Person specification

An expert communicator with internal and external stakeholders at all levels, both verbally and in writing. You engage effectively to build trusted relationships, demonstrate a high degree of discretion to deliver classified information in a sensitive and considerate manner. With high attention to detail, you have the capability to write and approve correspondence. You demonstrate resilience, good judgement and the ability to remain calm under pressure. You are responsive to unexpected change and confident in your own ability to apply good judgement when making balanced decisions. You work well independently and as part of a team.

To succeed in this role you will have:

• Experience of working collaboratively with internal stakeholders to meet reporting deadlines.
• Experience of Corporate Support and Business Management.
• Stakeholder engagement and management and the ability to build successful and professional working relationships.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to track and manage multiple priorities at once.

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. 

You may be required to travel monthly to other DfT offices and attend meetings and visits around the UK.

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 and Experience.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a CV, Personal Statement and evidence of 1 behaviour.

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

• Experience of Corporate Support and Business Management.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to track and manage multiple priorities at once.

Your Personal Statement will be limited to 500 words. Each behaviour example will be limited to 250 words.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour which is Communicating & Influencing. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

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

Interviews are likely to be held from week commencing 13th May 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 will be conducted online via MS Teams. 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.