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.  

Have you got strong communication and stakeholder management skills?

Are you looking for an exciting new role which you can shape and that gives you the opportunity to lead on important high priority work?

If so we would love for you to apply!

Job description

The Local Transport Directorate Directorate’s work is front and centre of all of the Department’s three priority outcomes. Local Transport directorate’s work improves transport for its users; helps decarbonise transport and grows and levels up the economy.

Local Integrated Transport Settlements (LITS) were announced as part of Network North in October 2023. The new £4.7bn fund is for the local transport authorities (LTAs), outside city-regions, in the North and Midlands. The LITS fund includes £2.5bn for local authorities in the North and £2.2bn for local authorities in the Midlands. Funding will be available from 1 April 2025. 

Local communities know best what transport improvements work in their areas and so LITS will be designed to empower local authorities to fund the transport interventions that meet the needs of local people and communities.

LITS is a Prime Ministerial and Departmental priority and represents a huge opportunity to deliver a step-change in local transport in these areas by providing a significant, long-term uplift in their local transport funding. This funding should be transformational, enabling regeneration and unlocking housing. 

The LITS delivery team is a brand-new part of the Highways, Active Travel and Strategy Division, headed by a Grade 6, and these two new Grade 7 roles each provide an excellent opportunity to lead on important aspects of this top priority area.

Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part time basis, there is a business requirement, for the successful candidates to be able to work at least 30 hours per week. 

Responsibilities:

The two new G7 posts we are creating in the Local Transport Funding and Strategy team will both be at the centre of developing the plan to deliver at pace on this ambitious government priority. While the precise split of responsibilities between the two roles has not yet been finalised, each will include some or all of the following elements.

• Forming constructive working relationships with the central DfT Network North and Strategic Finance teams.
• Developing the department’s understanding of the LITS recipients, how best to engage with them, and what long-term support they may need to deliver on the LITS opportunity.
• Working collaboratively with the Regions and Cities Directorate to understand the varied devolution settlements of the LITS recipients.
• Supporting the G6 on the transition to the new long-term BAU LITS team, including inputting into discussions on future team structures, using their insights into the LITS area needs.

Some of the particular responsibilities of the post holders will be in the following areas:

• Provide leadership to the LITS programme, alongside the Grade 6.
• Respond to any emerging commissions from HM Treasury or Cabinet Office as part of the Network North programme and build strong working relationship with the Network North team.
• Work with DfT Strategic Finance and HM Treasury to agree details of LITS allocations as needed.
• Build relationships with DfT Area leads and the LITS recipients, and work with them to understand how the department can best support LITS recipients.
• Build relationships across local transport, DfT and wider Government to ensure successful delivery of LITS.
• Help to build and enhance the reputation of the Division and help ensure that the Highways, Active Travel, and Strategy Division is a brilliant and inclusive place to work.

For more information about the role and responsibilities please see the attached Role Profile.

Person specification

About you

To thrive in this role, you will be an excellent communicator with strong stakeholder management skills. You will have experience handling complexity and ambiguity, with the ability to think creatively to deliver outcomes.  

You will have experience working with significant levels of funding and the challenges this may bring.

We would love someone with experience or an understanding of running a programme or project.

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. 

These roles will require monthly travel to visit stakeholders and other DfTc offices.

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 . 

For more information about Policy roles within the department please visit https://careers.dft.gov.uk/senior-policy-roles/

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, Experience and Technical skills.

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 suit the role. For your Personal Statement, please provide detailed evidence of the following:

• Excellent communicator with strong stakeholder management skills.
• Experience handling complexity and ambiguity.
• Experience working with significant levels/complexity of funding.

The sift is due to take place 21st-23rd February 2024.

Interviews/assessments are likely to be held 5th-8th March 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 a written policy exercise.

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, and Policy Professional Standards 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.

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.