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 have experience of developing, implementing and delivering effective policies?

Would you relish an opportunity to shape and influence policy to deliver benefits to rail passengers?

If so, we are seeking three self-motivated and hardworking individuals to support our policy teams, and we would love to hear from you.

Job description

These policy roles sit within our Policy, Operations and Change (POC) Directorate, which is responsible for setting the policy and strategic direction for rail passenger services. Our team is leading on the implementation of the Plan for Rail’s recommendations on a range of reforms.

As one of our policy advisers, you will collaborate with colleagues from across the Department, Government, and the wider rail industry to help shape and drive delivery on the following policies:

• Fares Policy.
• Stations Reform Policy.
• Ticket Retailing Policy.

These challenging and rewarding roles provide the opportunity to influence and implement policy and deliver real benefits for people. You will also gain valuable skills to further develop within the policy profession.

This high-profile work attracts significant attention from Parliament, the media, and the public. You will lead on parliamentary briefing and correspondence, managing our responses to a wide variety of external and cross-government partners.

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

Key responsibilities for all three roles will include:

• Working collaboratively with your team and colleagues from across the Department, as a subject matter expert.
• Supporting the development and delivery of initiatives to tackle ongoing challenges facing passengers and the rail industry.
• Supporting on business-as-usual policy work to ensure that each area is managed effectively, considering the passenger experience.
• Working with colleagues to develop, implement and deliver commitments in the Plan for Rail White Paper on rail reform.
• Providing high-quality written briefings and advice to Ministers and senior leaders.
• Leading the resolution of day-to-day regulatory issues and providing analysis for complex issues that need to be referred to senior colleagues.

Person specification

About you

You will bring previous experience of developing and delivering policies and drafting documents and briefings for senior leaders.

You will have the capability to grasp complex information quickly and build your knowledge in a highly political and high-profile policy area.

You will have excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrate a high standard of drafting skills to effectively respond to correspondence and produce concise Ministerial briefings.

You will confidently engage with internal and external partners at all levels and enjoy bringing together diverse views and perspectives.

You will be highly motivated, comfortable working independently and have excellent time management skills to proactively prioritise workloads and conflicting demands.

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. 

You will have the option to be based either in London attracting the London pay scale, or in Leeds or Birmingham attracting the national pay scale.

Occasional travel to other DfT offices may be required.

At interview we will ask you for your preference of policy area from Fares Policy, Stations Reform Policy, or Ticket Retailing Policy. Please note that we will be appointing for these roles based on merit and so your preference will be considered (if successful) but this is not guaranteed.

Policy Profession Standards Framework

For more information on the policy profession within Department for Transport

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 and personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

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

• Developing, implementing and delivering effective policies.
• Working collaboratively and building relationships with a range of internal and external partners.
• Managing workloads and prioritised conflicting demands.

The sift is due to take place from 18/03/2024.

Interviews/assessments are likely to be held on weeks commencing 08/04/2024 and 15/04/2024.

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.