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.

 Do you fancy a role in one of the most innovative areas in government?

 Are you passionate about climate change, cars and making a difference?

If so, the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) needs you to help the UK's transition to Electric Vehicles.

Job description

The office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) is recruiting five policy advisors who are passionate about supporting the transition to electric vehicles (EVs), a critical component of the UK’s transport decarbonisation and Net Zero goals.

OZEV is a joint unit sitting across the Department for Transport and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, leading on essential strategy, policy and regulatory frameworks to deliver the transition to zero emission vehicles.

The move to EVs is the biggest change to personal transport since the move to internal combustion engines from horse and carts. OZEV has teams working across all parts of this transition including vehicle regulation, charging infrastructure and consumer experience. We are recruiting for roles across this whole remit, and we encourage innovative and creative individuals who are passionate about tackling climate change to apply to help shape this policy landscape. Teams with vacancies include:

• Strategy and Vehicle Policy
• Consumer Data and Policy
• Vehicle Incentives
• Private Charging
• Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund

 Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Drafting submissions and providing briefings for ministers and senior civil servants on policy and delivery.
• Building and maintaining close relationships with the internal and external experts needed to support policy development, including the charge point industry, vehicle manufacturers, fleet operators, local authorities and NGOs.
• Collaborating with colleagues in other Government departments to ensure the EV transition is built into wider priorities. This may include working with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ofgem, the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities, HM Treasury and Number 10.
• Contributing to wider cross-cutting work across OZEV.
• Drafting responses and statements to members of the public and the media.

For further information, and more specific responsibilities, please see the attached Role Profile.

Person specification

About you:

We are looking for motivated and enthusiastic individuals to join our teams within OZEV.  Someone who can help support our cross-cutting agenda and deliver on high profile policy development, often to tight timescales.

Excellent organisational skills are required and you will be able to manage and filter workflow as well as organise and prioritise your work to maximise productivity and achieve all deadlines. You will be highly adaptable and flexible, adjusting to the requirements of the role.

We are looking for someone who has exceptional communication skills and can express themselves in a confident and concise manner with colleagues at all levels. You will represent the department both professionally and clearly, ensuring key messages are delivered to both internal and external stakeholders in a timely fashion.

 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. 

At interview we will ask you for your choice of role. Please note, that we will be appointing for this role based on merit and so your preference will be considered (if successful) but this is not guaranteed.

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 30 hours per week. 

You may be required to travel to other DfT offices to attend meetings. This is on an adhoc basis and not a regular requirement of the role.

If you have any further questions, please email Alex Wallis on alexander.wallis@ozev.gov.uk or Harry Duguid on harry.duguid@ozev.gov.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.

When considering applying please look at how your experience relates to the role, and within your CV and Personal Statement please provide detailed evidence of your experience of the following: 

• Excellent communication and drafting skills, being able to draft high-quality pieces of information to present/share with others.
• Experience of building strong and productive relationships with colleagues and external stakeholders.
• Experience of project delivery, bringing together differing stakeholders to coordinate and manage delivery.

Please fully utilise the 750-word count when completing your personal statement.

During the interview process,  you will be assessed against the Technical element of the Success Profile Framework. One Policy Profession Standard is being assessed: Policy profession standards - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The sift is due to take place from Monday 4th March 2024.

Interviews and assessments are likely to be held from Wednesday 20th 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
• A written exercise

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.

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.