About the job

Job summary

A maximum weight Heavy Goods Vehicle is presented to you for its annual test.

Your ability to spot a defect is crucial.

Your understanding of road-worthiness standards is essential.

You determine if the vehicle is legally compliant.

You protect the public from unsafe vehicles.

You are a Vehicle Standards Assessor.

Please note: this role is known internally as a Vehicle Standards Assessor and will be referenced as this throughout.

Job description

As a Vehicle Standards Assessor, you will:

• Conduct annual test inspections.
• Record results digitally and issue documentation.
• Offer advice on vehicle safety and maintenance.
• Ensure larger vehicles are safe to be on Britain’s roads.
• Contribute to the safety of all road users.
• Be deployed from home and travel to a number of 3rd party testing facilities.
• Work flexibly in-line with the operating model.

To view the responsibilities of the role in more detail, please see the attached Candidate Pack. 

To find out more about the job and DVSA, please join us either at one of our virtual events or at one of our face-to-face open days. You will have an opportunity to ask lots of questions. You can register for an event here. There are a number of DVSA events scheduled, so please be sure to select one of the Vehicle Standards Assessor events.

Person specification

To be successful in this role, you must have a minimum of 3 years hands-on experience in the repair, maintenance or inspection of at least one type of road vehicle, e.g. car, HGV, PSV. 

Additional Information

You must be willing to travel a wide geographical area on specific DVSA business, where there maybe the occasional overnight stay.

You will be provided with a fully insured and taxed modern lease car, which is for both work and personal use. Other running costs are also covered. You can also have up to two additional drivers use the vehicle.

Vehicle Standards Assessors work an average of 37 hours per week, and conduct tests out of 3rd party Authorised Testing Facilities (ATFs).

Whilst Vehicle Standards Assessors are deployed from home, please carefully consider the location you apply for. We recommend you are within 30-45 minutes travel time of your chosen location as you will be required to conduct tests at a number of ATFs within that area.

We encourage part time applicants but please be aware, for this role there is a business requirement for successful applicants to be available to work 28 hours per week. 

This role doesn’t require physical repair work, but there is a physical nature to the role which involves climbing up into larger vehicles to inspect the inside, and also a need to climb in and out of a pit to inspect the underside.

There will be extensive training on all aspects of the role, which includes the use of a laptop and smartphone. The training will last around 16 weeks, with the majority of it taking place at ATFs and online using Microsoft Teams. There are also a few weeks of expenses paid training that takes place in DVSA training locations, usually in Bristol or Manchester. Please note: the training is completed on a full-time basis, which is non-negotiable.

Reserve List Information

Some of the locations advertised will not have posts available immediately. However, we will hold a Reserve List for up to 6 months and will be in touch with the successful candidates when they become available.

During your application, you should indicate which location you wish to be considered for and, if successful, you will be placed on an individual list of candidates for each location.

Candidates will be held on that list and drawn from it in merit order. We advise you to carefully consider which location you wish to be considered for. If you decline an offer for a location you have expressed a preference in, you will be withdrawn from any lists you may be held on.

We may also offer candidates a location that they have not expressed a preference for where we have the requirement to do so but this will again be done on the basis of your place in the overall merit order and, in this event, you will not be removed from the list if you decline. 

About Us

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) helps keep Britain moving, safely and sustainably. 

We do this by helping people through a lifetime of safe and sustainable journeys, helping them keep their vehicles safe to drive, and protecting them from unsafe drivers and vehicles. 

 

We’re working hard to:  

• make roads safer 

• improve services for our customers 

• make road transport greener and healthier 

• harness the potential of technology and data 

• grow and level up the economy 

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the https://dft.tal.net/and the https://dft.tal.net/. 

 
To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace and making DVSA a great place to work visit our Careers website.  

Benefits

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits.

This includes:

• Alongside your base salary of £23,847, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency contributes £6,438 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

  • A fully insured and taxed modern lease car, which is for both work and personal use. Other running costs are also covered.
  • An environment with flexible working patterns, which encourage a great work-life balance
  • Generous Annual Leave - 25 days holiday, increasing by 1 each year of service, up to 30. And additionally:-
  • 8 paid Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.
  • Modern IT and Tech devices, e.g. laptop and smartphone
  • All PPE, uniform, tools and equipment is provided
  • A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues
  • Excellent learning and development tailored to your role, including paid apprenticeships up to Masters level.
  • Career path; opportunities to progress within DVSA and the wider Civil Service
  • Wide range of discounts schemes on high street names
  • Employee assistance program for health and wellbeing
  • Cycle to work scheme and Gym membership offers.   

  For more information see visit our careers page.

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.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours and Experience

We will be running webinars and open days to help explain what these mean. You can register for an event here.

As part of the application process you will be required to provide a response to an experience question. Following the close of the advert this response will be sifted from the 1st August 2024. Interviews for successful candidates will then be completed week commencing 14th August 2024. 

We’ve designed the selection process specifically for this role. So your interview/assessment will include:

• A multiple-choice technical assessment.
• An interview.

Interviews/assessments are likely to be held from 14th August 2024 and take place over a 3-week period.

This interview could be conducted either face-to-face or via a video interview. Details will be provided should you be selected for interview.

We’ll try to meet the dates we’ve set out in the advert. But there may be occasions when these dates will change. We’ll give you plenty of notice of any important dates.

You’re encouraged to become familiar with the candidate pack attached, as you may be assessed against any of the criteria recorded within. 

The Department for Transport recruits using Success Profiles. For each role, we consider what you need to demonstrate 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.  

You can read more about Success Profiles here. 

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

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.