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 enjoy a challenge and relish the opportunity to work on a diverse range of policy issues in a busy environment? 

If so, this role within our Aviation team offers an exciting opportunity for a strong candidate to join a friendly and inclusive team delivering an expanding international airspace policy portfolio.

Job description

The post is located in the Airspace, Resilience & Connectivity Division. It presents an excellent opportunity for working closely with senior officials, industry, the independent regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and a wide range of other stakeholders. There will also be opportunities to work with ministers. The postholder will report to the International Airspace Policy Manager and in the course of their duties also work closely with the UK’s State Liaison Officer to EUROCONTROL based in Brussels. In addition, there may be opportunities to undertake other work within the broader division.

You will be supporting key parts of the department’s strategic policy development to help deliver the government’s objectives in relation to UK and International airspace, with the opportunity to lead on a range of work tasks. The UK has some of the busiest and most complex airspace and it is essential to work collaboratively with our international partners to deliver for the passenger. You will also be supporting the maintenance and development of the UK’s regulatory framework for airspace and air traffic management to ensure that the UK is a world leader in this area working with the broader European and International framework.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Lead and support aspects of the policy and implementation of the Department’s European and International Airspace work. In particular this will include ensuring that the UK’s regulatory framework for air traffic management is maintained.
• Leading and supporting the delivery of big and challenging areas of policy for the branch. This will include working closely with the CAA, NATS, EUROCONTROL, airports, airlines, and other stakeholders.
• The work is likely to include: representing the International Airspace Branch in internal and external meetings; leading Parliamentary work; drafting policy instructions and briefings and; managing consultations
• You will play a key role in leading and supporting the delivery of big and challenging areas of policy for the branch. This will include working closely with the CAA, National Air Traffic Control Services (NATS), EUROCONTROL, airports, airlines, and other stakeholders.

For more information, please see the attached Role Profile.

Person specification

About you

To thrive in this role, you will:

• Be keen to develop your policy skills and enjoy the opportunity to work on a diverse range of projects as this is a high-profile area which attracts various departmental interest in its day-to-day work.
• Have exceptional organisational skills and an ability to work across multiple competing priorities.
• Be able to present technical information in a straightforward and easily understandable way.
• Possess strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to build strong long-lasting relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Need to confidently handle challenge, potentially managing difficult relationships and standing your ground when needed.

Additional information

A minimum of 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. 

Please note that this role will include some international travel (approximately twice a year to Europe).

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 (750 words). Please tailor your CV to suit the role. For your Personal Statement, please provide detailed evidence of the following:

• Experience of building and maintaining effective working relationships
• Experience of communicating technical information in a clear and concise way
• Experience of working to deliver against competing priorities

The sift is due to take place 5th -6th February 2024.

Interviews are likely to be held from week commencing 19th February 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 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.

Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist 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.