About the job

Job summary

We are looking for a Lead Digital Assurance Officer to join our Digital Services Team.

The Department for Transport (DfT) delivers a unique and varied range of digital initiatives and projects. This role is crucial in ensuring that what we do is in line with the cross-government Spend Controls laid down by the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO), part of the Cabinet Office. This key post ensures we get best value and suitable services from the money we spend.

Job description

In the Lead Digital Assurance Officer role you will be responsible for:

Delivery and Spend Assurance

• Applying cross-government spend controls processes and approach to DfT’s digital, data and technology projects and initiatives.
• Guiding and influencing the way project plans are defined to ensure compliance with the requirements of the DSS (Digital Service Standard) and the TCOP (Technology Code of Practice).
• Acting as the main point of contact between the CO (Cabinet Office) and DfT for spend control assurance, providing project-related information, interpreting. and explaining government spend controls requirements and suggesting options to overcome non-compliance situations.

Governance, Control and Management

• Collating and analysing data on spend assurance, making this information available to management.
• Ensuring that risk levels and tolerance with regard to spend control are understood, articulated and communicated.
• Build and maintain trusted and productive working relationships with key stakeholders, including CDDO.

Advocacy and improvement

• Be an advocate for Spend Control across DfT, ensuring the process, its importance and relevance is understood and appreciated by key stakeholders.
• Identify and utilise opportunities to raise the profile and awareness of Spend Control.
• Play a leading role in the improvement of spend control policies and strategies across the DfT family by identifying, planning and implementing initiatives to improve our work in this area.

People and Organisation

• Line-managing at least one assurance professional.
• Continuously building and developing the required skills and capabilities of the people they manage.

For more details about the role please see the attached Role Profile.

Person specification

• As the Lead Digital Assurance Officer, you will be responsible for ensuring that the department's digital and technology spend is aligned with the Spend Control framework and other relevant cross-government standards and policies.
• You will work closely with senior stakeholders across the department and its agencies, providing advice, guidance and influence on how to comply with the Spend Controls process and how to deliver value for money and user-centred solutions.
• You will also lead a team of digital assurance officers who will support you in reviewing and assessing digital and technology spend proposals and business cases, as well as monitoring and reporting on the progress and outcomes of approved projects.

DfT: Digital Service

Find out more about what it's like working at DfT:Digital Service.

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. 

Occasional travel to other DfT offices will be required.

We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) 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.  

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 complete a CV and personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Within your CV and Personal Statement (up to 1250 words) please provide detailed evidence of your experience of the following: 

• Understanding of the structure, requirements and application of the government’s digital and technology spend controls process and related guidance including the Service Standard and Technology Code of Practice.
• Day to day application of the Spend Control process in a digital environment, including development and maintenance of a digital and technology spend controls pipeline.
• Line management of staff and providing a team approach for customers.
• Managing expectations, making well-judged decisions based on a sound understanding of customers’ requirements and the guiding process.
• Building and maintaining effective relationships with a broad range of stakeholders, including at senior levels to understand needs and priorities.
• Experience of identifying opportunities for improvement and implementing strategies to exploit them.

Sift & Interview Dates 

The sift is due to take place from 22nd April 2024.

Interviews are due to take place from 13th May 2024.

This interview could be conducted via a video interview, details of which will be provided to you should you be selected for interview. 

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.

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.