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 drafting skills and the ability to create good quality documents?

Are you someone that can simplify complex information with ease, and present this to others?

Would you like to be a part of a small, supportive team who work collaboratively with stakeholders and senior officials?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

Job description

We have a fantastic opportunity for a Planning Casework Manager to join the Transport Infrastructure Planning Unit (TIPU). 

Our team’s role is to provide Ministers with the advice they need when they are deciding whether or not to grant planning consent and other powers which are necessary for the delivery of new infrastructure.

The role is central to the delivery of the team’s objectives. You will support the team leader by handling a portfolio of applications for Transport and Works Act Orders (TWAO’s), developing familiarity with the issues raised by each one and ensuring that they are progressed expeditiously and in line with legal requirements. This will involve assessing the merits of schemes against planning, transport and environmental policies and advising potential applicants on the process as well as drafting the formal decision letters and submissions to Ministers where required.

The post also requires you to gain an understanding of legal principles, ensuring applications are taken forward and decisions made in line with the relevant legislation. You will be required to review draft Statutory Instruments and apply legal and policy requirements. However, you are not required to have any legal qualifications or prior experience for this post as the team works closely with DfT Legal Advisers and full training will be provided.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• To assess the representations made about transport projects and evaluate reports from the Planning Inspectorate to make recommendations to Ministers about the proposed decisions. This will require you to assimilate, understand and distil large volumes of detailed information and complex arguments.
• To draft decision letters on applications for TWA Orders that are soundly reasoned, sufficiently robust to withstand legal challenge and delivered in a timely way.
• To manage the procedural stages of applications for Transport and Works Act ("TWA") Orders in line with statutory Rules and published guidance, impartially and in a timely manner.
• To ensure that all TWA Orders are consistent with Government policy, are legally acceptable and meet the required drafting standards for Statutory Instruments.

For further information, please see the attached Role Profile.

Person specification

The successful candidate will have experience in the following key areas:

• Experience of stakeholder management across all levels of the business.
• Proactively forward plan and track ongoing work, ensuring the delivery of high-quality outcomes, showing resilience and tenacity to manage changing priorities and recognise key areas of work that will need urgent attention.
• Working closely with other team members, collaborating with others to achieve a common goal.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills. Experience of drafting technical detail for a non-technical audience ensuring attention to detail.

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. 

There may be occasions where you will be required to travel to other DfT offices and attend meetings and visits around the UK.

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.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a CV, Personal Statement and evidence of 1 behaviour. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

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

• Proactively forward plan and track ongoing work, ensuring the delivery of high-quality outcomes, showing resilience and tenacity to manage changing priorities and recognise key areas of work that will need urgent attention.
• Working closely with other team members and experience of stakeholder management across all levels of the business.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills. Experience of drafting technical detail for a non-technical audience ensuring attention to detail.

For your behaviour examples please provide evidence of when you have demonstrated the following behaviours:

• Making Effective Decisions

Your Personal Statement will be limited to 750 words. Each behaviour example will be limited to 250 words.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour which is Making Effective Decisions. 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 week commencing 26th February 2024

Interviews are likely to be held from week commencing 11th 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
• Written policy exercise

You will be assessed against the Technical element of the Success Profile Framework. Two Policy Profession Standards are being assessed: Policy profession standards - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

This interview will be conducted online via MS 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.

Further Information

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.