About the job

Job summary

Do you champion environmental sustainability and feel passionate about having a positive impact?

Would you embrace the opportunity to support managing environmental issues on the strategic road network?

If so, we have a unique opportunity available for a Policy Advisor to join our team and would love to hear from you!

Job description

You will join the Roads Planning and Environment division, which sits within the Roads Strategy directorate, and are seen as the source of subject matter expertise in the application of environmental legislation and policy to the strategic roads sector.

The division is also accountable for the National Networks National Policy Statement (NNNPS) review. This is a high-profile project with considerable interest from No 10, Ministers and other Departments across Whitehall.

Within this role, you will engage with a diverse range of stakeholders, such as National Highways, the wider department, and across government, to support short and long-term goals. The team lead on environmental policy related to the planning system and road infrastructure, including reducing carbon emissions from road construction and maintenance, adapting and being resilient to climate change, biodiversity net gain and water quality.

You will be responsible for leading on water quality and climate adaptation policy in the team. You will have opportunities to contribute to additional environmental policies, such as carbon and biodiversity, where required. This will include working flexibly where needed, taking on additional tasks and supporting the rest of the team.

Your key responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Ensuring the needs of the strategic roads sector and any associated impacts are considered in wider policy making, developing strategies or legislation. This will include regularly engaging with National Highways, departmental colleagues, and other government departments.
• Leading on water quality and climate adaptation policy in the team and support on additional environmental policies, such as carbon and biodiversity, where required.
• Organising monthly DfT and National Highways Environment Forums, bringing together knowledge and expertise to resolve environmental issues related to the strategic road network.
• Coordinating roads environment briefing papers, often covering a range of complex issues, and summarising these clearly for Ministers and senior officials.

For further information, please see the attached Role Profile.

Person specification

About you

• You will have a passion for environmental sustainability and driving positive, meaningful outcomes.
• You will have excellent verbal and written communication, adept drafting abilities and a keen eye for detail, enabling you to effectively convey ideas. You will have excellent interpersonal skills, enabling you to develop positive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders across the sector and externally.
• You will be a proactive and self-motivated individual, who comfortable working independently, as well as working well as part of a team. You will remain flexible when faced with ambiguity, enabling you to adapt to shifting priorities and handle multiple workstreams effectively.  

Additional Information

This role is available to individuals who wish to be spending their office time in London, Leeds or Birmingham, and there will be opportunities for the individual to be occasionally to travel to alternative DfT offices.

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. 

https://careers.dft.gov.uk/senior-policy-roles/

You will be assessed against the Technical element of the Success Profile Framework. Two Policy Profession Standards are being assessed: Policy profession standards - GOV.UK (www.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.

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.

When considering applying please look at how your experience relates to the role, and within your CV and Personal Statement (maximum 1000 words) please provide detailed evidence of your experience of the following:

• Ability to communicate complex information to a general audience.
• Evidence of environmental experience and/or relevant qualifications and/or membership of a relevant professional institution and/or passion for the environment.
• Organisational skills, to effectively plan and manage important environmental workstreams within the directorate.
• Ability to build excellent relationships and work effectively across the team, the wider Department and externally.

The sift is due to take place from 01/02/2024.

Interviews/assessments are likely to be held from 15/02/2024.

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 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, 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.