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.

Would you relish an opportunity to work on one of the largest infrastructure projects that will transform peoples train journeys?

Are you looking for a role that provides exposure working with senior leaders and industry partners?

If so, we have an exciting opportunity to lead on the design development for Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR), and we would love to hear from you.

Job description

Our NPR upgrades programme will see significant improvements made to the rail network in the north of England, improving connectivity to key cities in the north of England, including Sheffield, Leeds, Hull, Bradford, York and Newcastle.

As Infrastructure Development Lead, you will join our Major Rail Projects Group. We lead on some of the UK’s largest infrastructure projects.

In this role, you will be responsible for leading on the development of NPR infrastructure upgrades, which aims to improve connectivity and help to close the productivity gap between the North and the rest of the UK. This will involve working collaboratively with HS2 Ltd, Network Rail and local authorities to develop NPR and build positive working relationships.

NPR is a unique and unprecedented area of policy development. Your role will be stretching and outward facing, as you will be shaping the future of the rail network in the north of England. Therefore, you will be provided with a range of opportunities for both personal and professional development within an innovative area of the department.

If you would like to find out more about what it's like to work at DfT Rail, please click here.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Acting as a sponsor and intelligent client to Network Rail to commission, monitor and challenge design development work of a set of upgrade line options for rail infrastructure across the north of England.
• Working with the Project Management Office to contribute towards the governance of decision-making, negotiating remits and writing papers for Sponsor and Programme Boards Drafting.
• Co-ordinating the interaction between multiple projects within NPR and across the wider transport sector to ensure efficient delivery models.
• Building effective relationships with our primary delivery partners to resolve issues to ensure the programme is successfully delivered to the Department’s requirements.
• Ensuring there is a robust and reliable cost and delivery schedule for the project.
• Providing guidance, support and insight on issues surrounding your area of sponsorship and being a focal point of leadership.
• Ensuring lessons learned are shared with other sponsorship teams across the project and with other major projects.
• Possibility of line management responsibilities in the future.

Person specification

About you

You will have experience of project delivery and/or programme sponsorship and an understanding of planning and project management tools and techniques.

You will display outstanding interpersonal skills and be a trusted adviser, with the credibility to influence and challenge effectively to support decision making. You will have experience of building trusted relationships with internal and external partners to successfully deliver a project or programme.

You will be comfortable working strategically to address issues and display resilience dealing with ambiguity and uncertainty.

You will be confident working with data to analyse management information to track, monitor, and report on project performance.

An innovative and creative thinker, you will be able to deliver written and verbal communications clearly and effectively to a diverse range of senior leaders.

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.

Occasional travel may be required to attend meetings with industry partners.

Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part time basis, there is a business requirement for the successful candidate to be able to work at least 28 hours per week.

For more information on the Policy Profession Standards Framework.

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, Experience and Technical skills.

How to apply

When considering your experience, please tailor your CV and personal statement (maximum word count 750) to provide evidence of the following experience:

• Working within the sponsorship and delivery of major transport projects and programmes.
• Contributing to strategy development for projects or/and programmes.
• Developing productive relationships with key partners outside your own team or organisation to ensure a project or programme was delivered on time and within budget.

The sift is due to take place from 11th July 2024.

Interviews/assessments are likely to be held week commencing 29th July 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.

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.