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.  

Have you got a passion for the environment?

Do you have strong communication skills and can adapt and communicate complex information various audiences?

Can you build effective working relationships with a range of stakeholders?

Have you got good organisational and project management skills?

If so, we have an exciting role working on top priority work where you can really help to make a difference and we would love you to apply!

Job description

We are recruiting for an HEO policy advisor to work within the Roads Planning and Environment (RPE) division, part of the wider Roads Strategy directorate.

Our team’s aim is to support the planning, development and operation of strategic roads in England in being compliant with the government’s environmental legislation.​ ​

We are seen as the source of subject matter expertise in the application of all aspects of environmental legislation and policy to the strategic roads sector.

Through proactive engagement with stakeholders from National Highways, the wider department and across government, the team leads on key Ministerial environmental policies of air quality, noise, and litter, within the national roads context. In achieving this, the role also supports the wider RPE team in contributing to their related environmental objectives such as reducing carbon emissions from road constructions and maintenance, adapting and being resilient to climate change, biodiversity net gain and water quality.

Responsibilities

• Working on air quality (NO2 and PM5), litter, noise pollution in the team and support on additional environmental policies, such as carbon, water and biodiversity, where required. Ensure the needs of the strategic roads sector and any associated impacts are considered in wider policy making, developing strategies or legislation. This will involve regular engagement with National Highways, departmental colleagues, and other government departments.
• Understanding of complex information and being able to put that information into clear and concise briefings.
• Build and maintain strong and effective links with teams elsewhere in the department and other Departments across government working on air quality, litter and noise.
• Proactively working with all our stakeholders to set priorities and objectives, monitoring the policy progress of improving environmental outcomes on the road network, identifying risks and resolving issues efficiently.
• Coordinate roads environment briefing papers, often covering a range of complex issues, and summarising these clearly for Ministers and senior officials. Contribute to ministerial advice and information requests on behalf of strategic roads, working with internal and external stakeholders of varying seniority to ensure timely delivery of information.

For more information, please see the attached Role Profile.

Person specification

About You  

To thrive in this role, you will need to demonstrate the following:

• Evidence of environmental experience and/or passion for the environment.
• Ability to communicate complex information to a general audience.
• Organisational skills, to effectively plan and manage important environmental workstreams within the directorate.
• Experience building excellent relationships and working effectively across the team, the wider Department and externally.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence senior officials and stakeholders.
• Good drafting skills and attention to detail.
• Policy development background, or willingness to learn.

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. 

The role may require occasional travel to other DfT locations and to visit stakeholders.

Find out more about working within policy at the Department for Transport https://careers.dft.gov.uk/policy/

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 a CV and Personal Statement (750 words). Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. Please tailor your CV to suit the role. For your Personal Statement, please provide detailed evidence of the following:

• Experience working on environmental matters and/or a passion and understanding of the environment.
• Strong attention to detail and excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence seniors and stakeholders.
• Experience building excellent relationships and working effectively across the team the department and externally.

The sift is due to take place 28th-31st May 2024.

Interviews/assessments are likely to be held 12th-14th 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 and 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 become familiar with the role profile and Policy profession standards - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 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.