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 passionate about tackling climate change?

Would you like to support and help shape efforts to achieve net zero by 2050?

Would you like to be part of a team that is driving the decarbonisation of the transport sector?

Are you someone who enjoys working collaboratively with people across teams?

If so, we'd love to hear from you!

Job description

This role sits within the Decarbonisation Strategy division within the Department for Transport (DfT). The division leads on a wide range of exciting work to help end transport’s contribution to climate change, building on the commitments set out in the Department’s Transport Decarbonisation Plan.

We are looking for a Policy Advisor to help drive progress against DfT’s decarbonisation objectives. This role sits within Decarbonisation Strategy’s Domestic Net Zero Strategy team, the team responsible for ensuring transport delivers its overall contributions to net zero by 2050 and interim carbon budgets.

The successful candidate will need to develop close working relationships with colleagues across teams in DfT, as well as wider Government, to progress our decarbonisation agenda and priorities. 

Working to a Senior Policy Advisor, the successful candidate will act as the focal point for performance monitoring and reporting on the Department’s progress against its decarbonisation commitments.

The role offers invaluable development opportunities. You will work directly with senior leaders and will see first-hand how to effectively make decisions and drive forward key projects. You will gain an overview of the Department’s work on transport decarbonisation, with opportunities to build expertise in individual modal or cross-cutting work areas.

You will be joining a highly motivated, friendly team working on a key priority area, with growing public interest and high expectations. 

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities of the role include:

• Ensuring effective monitoring and reporting on cross-modal policies, projects and programmes.
• Building and maintaining effective working relationships with DfT teams and cross-Government stakeholders working on net zero and understanding progress and issues affecting delivery.
• Leading on specific products and commissions, including coordinating between DESNZ and DfT’s modal teams to articulate sector-specific challenges and summarise government policy, support and opportunities.
• Providing secretariat support for the Transport Decarbonisation Delivery Group – DfT’s Director-level forum for driving the Department’s net zero portfolio – and support on input to decarbonisation discussions at wider senior governance forums.
• Leading on correspondence and parliamentary products relating to the net zero portfolio.

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

Person specification

About you

You are an enthusiastic team player, motivated to help the wider team deliver key priorities and objectives, often at pace. You will be diligent and organised with the ability to effectively prioritise to deliver quality work. 

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.

Eventbrite open day

We will be holding a drop-in session for candidates to join and ask questions about the role on Tuesday 26th March, 14:30-15:30.

Please email Heidi.Lough@dft.gov.uk if you would like to attend.

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 provide:

1.Written behavioural examples (250 words) that provide evidence of you having demonstrated the desired behaviours:

2.A tailored CV that demonstrates suitability to the role and the essential criteria.

3.A Personal statement (500 words) providing detailed evidence of the following:

• Experience of making strong personal impact within a team and working collaboratively with others to ensure coordination and cohesion.
• Experience of working as part of a close team in a fast-paced environment, being flexible to changing priorities and demonstrating a willingness to get involved.
• Experience of working at pace and securing inputs from others also working under pressure.

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

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using your behavioural example of Communicating and Influencing. 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 15th-17th April 2024

Interviews/assessments are likely to be held between 25th April-1st May 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 will be conducted online via Teams. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

You’re encouraged to familiarise yourself with the role profile, as you may be assessed against any of the criteria recorded within. Please also familiarise yourself with the Policy profession standards - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

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.