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.  

Do you have experience of vehicle engineering or associated technologies/science? 

Have you got strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills?

If so, we have an exciting opportunity to play a leadership role in shaping the Department for Transport's regulatory strategy to improve road vehicles environmental impacts, and we would love to hear from you!

Job description

The impacts of road vehicles, in terms of air quality, noise pollution, resource consumption and climate change impacts affect everyone.

You will be working as part of the leadership team in International Vehicle Standards helping to shape the division’s international regulatory work. This will include working alongside the Head of Vehicle Engineering to further develop the division’s international strategy and priorities.

Your responsibilities will include working with different teams across the Department, its agencies, and other Government departments. 

You will also be expected to develop and strengthen our work at an international level, working to develop strategic relationships with other Governments with an aim to use international regulations to help deliver UK Government aims.

Achieving the UK’s desired outcomes will require a creative and imaginative approach; providing a unique opportunity for the successful candidate to liaise with a wide spectrum of vehicle manufacturers and system suppliers, and to work with Governments from across the world. Consequently, some international travel will be required.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Working alongside the Head of Vehicle Engineering to develop the UK’s strategy for engagement at UNECE WP.29, ensuring the UK maintains influence in WP.29’s activities helping deliver UK government ambitions.
• Working as part of the leadership team of International Vehicle Standards and across the Future Transport Systems directorate to develop the strategy and vision for addressing the UK’s strategic priorities on vehicle environmental impacts.
• Leading UK engagement on vehicle environmental regulation at the UNECE, with the European Commission, and other international partner organisations.

Line managing the Head of Vehicle Environment Team and setting the strategic direction for that team’s work both at national and international level.

The post-holder will oversee DfT’s technical work on the following areas:

• Air pollutant emission standards for all road vehicles and off-road machinery
• Noise emission standards and related issues such as replacement silencers
• Non-exhaust emissions – e.g. particulate emissions from tyres and brakes
• Tyre labelling – providing consumer information on the environmental impacts of tyres.
• Fuel quality standards for mainstream road vehicles and off-highway fuels.

For further information, please see the attached Role Profile

Person specification

About You

To be successful in this role, you will have strong motivation to achieve the desired outcomes, coupled with the knowledge and expertise to command respect and influence across other teams and key stakeholders from both other governments and industry.

You will require a basic understanding of the automotive industry, its research and development processes and procedures, and the technologies involved in both emissions and noise control systems.

You will have knowledge of UK and European international regulatory frameworks and vehicle type approval processes as well as understanding of government policy making.

You will have excellent presentational and stakeholder engagement skills and the ability to adopt a professional approach to project management.

You will have the ability to work flexibly, prioritising workloads and being willing to travel internationally.

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. 

This role will require occasional UK travel and the opportunity for some international travel.

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.

How to apply

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a CV and Personal Statement (1000 words). Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please tailor your CV to demonstrate your suitability to the role and the essential criteria. For your Personal Statement, please provide detailed evidence of the following:

• Your understanding of the automotive industry, its research and development processes and procedures, and the technologies involved in both emissions and noise control systems.
• Knowledge of UK and European international regulatory frameworks and vehicle type approval processes as well as understanding of government policy making.

The sift is due to take place week commencing 1st July 2024.

Interviews are likely to be held 17th-19th July 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 and presentation.

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, DfT is 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.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting.

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.