About the job

Job summary

Are you strong leader who can inspire, motivate and support teams to deliver stretching projects?

Can you build trusted relationships and have the credibility to influence senior leadership?

Would you like to work at the heart of government and at the centre of decision making with ministers and senior officials?

If so, then we would love for you to apply!

Job description

The Department for Transport has a key role to play in delivering the Government’s priorities.

We are guided in our work by our three strategic aims: to grow and level up the economy; to reduce environmental impact; and to improve transport for the user.

We need great people from all backgrounds to deliver on our ambitious transport agenda in the coming years – and we want to hear from you.

We are seeking an exceptional individual to join the policy team within the Strategy Unit at the heart of Department for Transport (DfT). Policy work in government is broad and varied, encompassing policy development, stakeholder engagement, briefing and supporting ministers and senior officials, developing legislation, shaping strategy, and more. You will have a unique opportunity to influence national policy through your advice to senior civil servants and ministers, and to deliver on ministers’ decisions.

The work of the team spans the department and helps set its future policy agenda. Our high-performing team builds creative and compelling analysis and brings together strategic thinking to ensure the Department has a continually relevant strategic vision that will frame, guide, and influence its work internally and externally.

This interesting and rewarding Policy Adviser role provides the opportunity to make your mark on a variety of high-profile policy issues as we seek to build a modern transport system that works for people across the country and responds to emerging challenges and opportunities - including changing travel patterns, the advent of new technologies, and the Government’s priorities around growing the economy and meeting net zero commitments. You will deliver high quality outputs in a project-based team whilst deploying strategic thinking and engaging with ministers, senior managers and external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

Key accountabilities of the role include:

• leading specific projects as tasked by DfT’s Executive Committee (ExCo) and Strategic Committee (StratCo), on a range of high profile and interesting policy areas as part of the Department’s commitment to evidence-based policy-making
• influencing Ministers, ExCo and other senior managers on cross-cutting and strategic issues, including through insightful papers, high quality briefing, and business case reviews for significant and contentious projects
• building and maintaining high quality relationships with policy leads and analysts across DfT, Whitehall and externally to share information and ensure we are influencing the right people at the right time
• responding to requests from Ministers, senior officials, and the centre of government on emerging topics or cross-cutting issues
• ensuring Strategy Unit is outward facing and open to new insights by engaging with key stakeholders and keeping abreast of the wider environment and Government agenda

For an in-depth insight into the role please refer to the Role Profile.

Person specification

You have excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate complex strategic problems clearly, succinctly and with passion, to a wide range of audiences across the department. You build trusted relationships and have the credibility to influence senior leadership. You are comfortable working with high levels of ambiguity in project-based teams where priorities can change rapidly as needs dictate. You have strong drafting skills and can deliver at pace.

You demonstrate an understanding of policy procedures and processes and the capability to work creatively and effectively across organisational boundaries to lead strands of complex projects and project teams.

You display strong leadership skills to inspire and support teams to deliver stretching projects under scrutiny from senior officials within the Department.

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 to other DfT offices will be required.

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 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:

• Leading complex pieces of work which take into account a broad spectrum of factors, views, information and data to produce clear recommendations for action
• Building strong relationships within and beyond your team and organisation in order to deliver improved outcomes
• Being articulate and credible at senior levels with internal and external stakeholders, including experience in influencing senior stakeholders

Your personal statement will be limited to a maximum of 750 words.

After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Verbal Test and a Civil Service Numerical Test If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application. 

Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23:55 on 2/1/2024. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

The sift is due to take place from 3rd January 2024 

Interviews/assessments are likely to be held w/c 15th January 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 with 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.

You’re encouraged to become familiar with the role profile and the Policy Profession framework, 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.

Please see attached candidate notes for further information about our recruitment process.

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.