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 experience creating high quality analysis and modelling? 

Do you enjoy working with others to achieve common goals? 

If so, we have an exciting opportunity to work at the heart of the strategy to accelerate the shift to greener transport and would love to hear from you!

Would you like to find out more about the role, and what it’s like to work at DfT? If so, we are organising a familiarisation session where you can virtually 'meet the team' on Thursday 28th March at 12:30pm.

Please click here to book on.

Job description

Reaching Net Zero is one of the biggest and most pressing challenges facing Governments across the world. In this role you will be at the heart of the Department’s strategy to accelerate the shift to greener transport, and drive more sustainable travel behaviours, to ensure that transport plays its part in meeting this challenge.

Transport is now the largest contributor to UK domestic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, contributing 27% of domestic emissions in 2019. In recognition of the need to go further and faster, the Government published the UK’s first Transport Decarbonisation (TD) Plan in October 2021, which lays out a bold and ambitious programme of coordinated action to end the UK’s transport emissions by 2050. This was followed by the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan, which set out the policies we will be delivering and the associated emissions savings out to 2037. Government is now entering a period of preparation for setting the next carbon target covering 2038-2042 (Carbon Budget 7). 

To deliver against these ambitions we are looking to recruit an SEO economist or operational researcher to provide analysis and modelling to support upcoming decisions on Carbon Budget 7, and to play a pivotal role in tracking our progress against already committed policies to decarbonise transport. This includes all forms of transport covered by the Department (Road, Rail, Maritime, Aviation and Active Travel). 

You will be part of the Decarbonisation Analysis (DA) team – a high-performing and dynamic team of 12 analysts responsible for providing timely and robust analysis and specialist advice to the TD directorate in DfT. Among other high profile workstreams, our team delivered the analysis for the recently delivered Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate – the biggest carbon saving measure across the economy.    

This is a wide and varied programme of work, and as a core member of both DA and TD you will have the opportunity to work with colleagues across the full range of policy areas. Your primary focus however will be on helping to develop the strategy and plans required to reduce transport carbon emissions for carbon budget 7 and ensure the Government is able to meet its ambitious targets and legal commitments. 

You will work closely with the policy and analytical teams in TD and across the Department responsible for developing these plans and strategies for all forms of transport, and with colleagues across Whitehall including DESNZ, HMT and the Climate Change Committee.

Your key responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

Taking the lead on workstreams within our Carbon Budget 7 preparation: This will include developing new evidence on potential policies and ensuring that our evidence base is up to date and that we have information on the costs and benefits of current and potential policies to ensure that we can achieve the levels of decarbonisation required and do so in a cost effective way.

Building the team’s modelling capabilities: Decarbonising transport is a complex problem with multiple interacting policy options. You will be responsible key modelling capabilities needed to assess strategies and ensure policies are deliverable and cost effective. 

Coordinating strategic transport decarbonisation analysis: You will lead in coordinating and commissioning analysis from across the Department, working with colleagues to understand and analyse the effectiveness of different policies across DfT (covering a wide range of areas including rail, walking and cycling, public transport, aviation and shipping). 

Wider analysis and advice on transport decarbonisation: You will support the wider transport decarbonisation agenda, by providing input and advice to Ministers, providing up-to-date analysis and modelling on emissions to teams across DfT, and leading engagement with key external stakeholders, including in DESNZ, the Climate Change Committee, and external experts. 

For further information, please see the attached Role Profile.

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.  

Person specification

To thrive in this role, you will have experience delivering Excel based analysis with knowledge/experience of spreadsheet modelling best practice. 

We are also looking for experience of development of analysis to support policy development.

You will enjoy working collaboratively and confident working with a range of colleagues at differing grade. 

The role is suitable to economists or operational researchers with experience of developing, using and scrutinising analytical models for the purposes of forecasting and/or assessing the impacts of policy proposals. You will need to confirm in your application which profession you belong to.  

If you are currently not part of the Government Economic Service Profession or Government Operational Research Profession, you will have the opportunity to apply for membership for your profession should you wish to do so. Candidates who are already members of a profession will be badged at this particular grade.

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, Experience and Technical skills.

How to apply 

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

When considering applying please look at how your experience relates to the role. Please tailor your CV to match the role and its responsibilities, including the person specification. 

Within your CV please also confirm if you are already a member of the Government Economic Service (GES) or the Government Operational Research Service or which profession you aspire to join.

You will also be required to provide a 250 word statement on each of the requested Behaviours from the Civil Service Behaviour Framework.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, Working Together. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

The sift is due to take place from Monday 8th April 2024.

Interviews are likely to be held from Thursday 18th April 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.

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.