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 significant experience working in a Health and Safety role within a large organisation?

Would you like the opportunity to work with a wide range of stakeholders to help drive forward Health and Safety initiatives and agendas?

Can you react at pace and make effective decisions?

If so, this is a fantastic role where you can influence and have a positive impact on the health and safety culture, with great learning and development opportunities, and we'd love to hear from you!

Job description

Group Property provides property leadership across the Department for Transport’s (DfT) agencies and arms-length bodies and has direct responsibility for the Department’s central estate covering the whole property lifecycle.  It manages the DfT property portfolio to maximise value, reduce costs and increase returns.  

The largest DfT office, with some 3,000 staff, is in Whitehall, with DfT Hub offices in Leeds and Birmingham, and smaller presences in Swansea and Hastings and some desks in the devolved administrations.  DfT Central includes the Accident Investigation branches based in Southampton and Farnham and the Government Car Service in Bermondsey.

This is an influential role, being part of a team of four H&S subject matter experts whose primary function is to provide advice and assurance to DfTc on compliance with H&S legislation and Departmental standards develop H&S related policies and guidance on the management of H&S risks and investigative and project support as needed.  

The successful candidate will build trust with staff at all levels, communicating with clarity the importance of an H&S culture and how to enable effective delivery.  

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: 

• Promote and support the development and implementation of a positive health & safety culture and environment across the estate
• Serve as a focal point for all H&S matters, including regular liaison with key stakeholders to ensure roles and responsibilities are clearly defined
• Seek and provide assurance to ensure compliance with legal and departmental standards and ensure effective risk assessments are in place
• Ensure effective H&S management systems are in place up to date, including policies and guidelines
• Investigate and respond to incidents on the estate
• Receive and communicate on regional and national safety alerts, ensuring communication has a clear purpose and maximises understanding and impact
• Actively contribute to H&S Committee, H&S Forum and other DfTc Boards as needed
• Provide expert advice, guidance and support to all managers and staff in DfTc

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

Person specification

About You

To thrive in this role, you will be an strong communicator and enjoy working with a wide range of stakeholders.

You show resilience and remain calm under pressure, which enables you to manage conflicting priorities with ease.

You are flexible in your approach to work and if new or urgent priorities are presented, you can take them forward with confidence, understanding how everything fits together for the bigger picture.

Your excellent IT skills support you in understanding and analysing complex data and information, which you can then translate into comprehensive and easily understood reports for all members of staff.

You will have significant experience within a Health and Safety environment, and hold the NEBOSH General Certificate with the willingness to work towards gaining AIOSH or TechIOSH and CMIOSH with our support.

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.  

Frequent 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, Strengths and Experience.

How to apply

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a CV and Personal Statement (1000 words). 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:

• Significant experience in a dedicated Health & Safety role within a large organisation
• Broad knowledge of Health and Safety, including property related legislative, statutory and professional requirements
• Sound working knowledge of H&S Management Systems
• Experience of driving a health & safety culture, risk management, governance arrangements and control procedures in complex property operating structure

The sift is due to take place between 31st July and 7th August 2024.

Interviews are likely to be held week commencing 19th August 2024.

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. 

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.