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.

Would you embrace the opportunity to work at the heart of significant, high-profile reform with ministerial interest?

Are you a Policy Professional (or have a policy or operational background) who enjoys handling complex policy problems?

If so, we have a unique opportunity available to shape and influence the future of a key part of the transport network and would love to hear from you!

Job description

You will join the Rail Workforce Transformation Directorate, as Head of Rail Workforce Reform Strategy and Cross-cutting Policy, as we seek to deliver the most fundamental reform of the railways in a generation. The delivery of these reforms will help support the post-Covid recovery of the railways, improve the passenger user experience, and maximise value for taxpayers and communities.

In this role, you will lead a dynamic team dedicated to ensuring that a comprehensive understanding of the industrial relations landscape is at the heart of the workforce reform programme, and that we take a strategic perspective on key policy enablers across the industry. Your team supports the wider delivery of the industry-led rail workforce transformation programme to enable the development of an industry that is operationally and financially sustainable and able to evolve in response to its own changing environment in the 21st Century.

A key aspect of your role will be engaging closely with the industry as it responds to workforce reform related challenges and ensuring that the impacts are fully considered. This includes acting as one of the key contacts for senior leads in the industry on important developments and moving the agenda forward on reform.

If you would like to find out more about what it's like to work at DfT Rail, please click here.

Your key responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Leading a team to develop strategic approaches and cross-cutting policies against the backdrop of an industrial relations landscape.
• Supporting the delivery of workforce reforms across the Directorate, and wider stakeholder policy development in areas like contract design for the future development of the industry.
• Overseeing the business-as-usual engagement with the Department’s market teams on workforce reform-related issues, and ensuring decisions reflect wider policy on workforce reform.
• Overseeing of communications, engagement and briefing teams.
• Leading the governance of stakeholder forums for ongoing strategic input to handling of workforce reform issues.

For further information, please see the attached Role Profile.

Person specification

About you

You will have an understanding of trade unions and relevant regulations and policies, including understanding the role they play in the employer/employee relationship, their structures and behaviours.

You will be a proactive leader with capability for providing strategic thought leadership and ability to anticipate and respond to changing industry conditions. You will think strategically, will be able to identify potential challenges and opportunities, and develop effective policies and plans to address them.

You will be an articulate and confident communicator, with excellent negotiation and interpersonal skills. You will enjoy developing and maintaining positive working relationships with a range of contacts, and will be comfortable handling discussions where there may be strong views and differences of opinion.

If you would like to find out more about what it’s like to work within the DfT Policy Profession, please click here - https://careers.dft.gov.uk/policy/

Additional Information

This role is available to individuals who wish to be spending their office time in London, Leeds or Birmingham, and we would also expect the individual to be willing to occasionally travel to visit different locations relevant to the route.

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 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)

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

When considering applying please look at how your experience relates to the role, and within your CV and Personal Statement (maximum 750 words) please provide detailed evidence of your experience of the following:

• Understanding of trade unions, including the role they play in the employer/employee relationship, their structures and behaviours.
• Dealing with complex and demanding policy issues, and establishing policies and plans to address them.
• Ability to think strategically and demonstrate thought leadership to anticipate and respond to changing conditions.

The sift is due to take place from 29/04/2024.

Interviews/assessments are likely to be held from 14/05/2024.

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
• A written policy exercise

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.

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.