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.

Are you interested in a career in policy development and have good verbal and written communication skills?

Are you able to manage multiple workstreams, enjoy working with others, excel at investigating issues and have an interest in decarbonisation?

If so, we have an exciting and challenging role available within the Aviation Decarbonisation team, and we would love to hear from you. 

Job description

This role sits within the Aviation Decarbonisation Division – a diverse and fun team working on a broad portfolio of exciting and important areas to ensure the aviation sector plays its part in the UK reaching our net zero commitments as set out in the Jet Zero Strategy. This role will require working with other teams in DfT, other government departments, the Civil Aviation Authority, and industry. 

The successful applicant will work with a friendly and enthusiastic team, on a policy area that is a key priority for the Government with growing public interest and high expectations. You will build expertise in green aviation policies, the wider aviation sector, technology and innovation, as well as engage and influence a variety of stakeholders across the sector, industry, and government.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Leading the policy development for commitments set out in the Influencing Consumer chapter of the Jet Zero Strategy.
• Developing and launching a real-world trial to test the impact of environmental labels on consumer flight choices.
• Supporting the Aviation Decarbonisation’s Jet Zero R&D contract.
• Investigating and exploring any other potential measures to help decarbonise the sector and deliver further emissions savings.
• Drafting briefing, correspondence and submissions relevant to your policy areas and supporting the wider division by responding to briefing requests and commissions.

For further information, please see the attached Role Profile.

Person specification

About You:

We are looking for an enthusiastic, capable and credible individual who can provide expertise in the development and implementation of aviation decarbonisation policies. This role is rewarding and diverse, and will suit a motivated team player who is passionate about transport or the environment, able to get to grips quickly with complex policy and technical issues, while building effective working relationships across the government, with industry and even internationally.

We would love someone to join us who can develop rapport quickly with key people both internally and externally to build effective working relationships.

You are organised, able to manage and filter workflow as well as prioritise workloads to maximise productivity. You will also have a keen interest in learning and developing a career within Policy.

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. 

Occasional travel to other DfT offices may be required, along with meeting with external stakeholders.

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 complete a CV and personal statement. 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, and within your CV and Personal Statement please provide detailed evidence of your experience of the following: 

• Demonstrating strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Engaging confidently with others to collaborate on shared goals.
• Organising and prioritising workloads to maximise productivity.

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

The sift is due to take place from Thursday 30th May 2024.

Your Policy Exercise assessment will take place from Monday 17th June 2024.

Interviews are likely to be held from Thursday 27th June 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 policy 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.