About the job

Job summary

Are you a project delivery professional who has worked in a policy environment? 

Can you bring structure and direction to areas of ambiguity?

New technologies bring new challenges and opportunities, especially as they are translated from R&D trials to commercial deployments. Connected and automated mobility (CAM) technologies are developing rapidly with significant investments from stakeholders across a diverse range of sectors, in the UK and around the world.

These technologies promise to make transport safer, cleaner, and fairer, with significant economic growth and new jobs. No country has yet brought all the components together successfully and the UK can secure a place among European leaders.

Through this mission critical role, you will help shape the UK policy to achieve these outcomes as part of the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV), a joint policy unit between DBT and DFT which was set up in 2015. You will manage a portfolio of two DBT programmes, working across departmental boundaries, with up to £150m announced for further programme activities through to 2030 (subject to approval by new ministers), extending the ongoing £66m R&D programme, supporting the implementation of the Automated Vehicles Act, and building on more than £400m of previous joint industry and government programmes, as well as underpinning regulatory and social behavioural research programmes.

Job description

The job holder will lead a team of two SEOs managing the CCAV portfolio, acting as the senior project delivery professional for the division, whilst providing support to each programme. Priorities include:

• Working with Deputy Directors to set direction at portfolio level,
• Supporting the Senior Responsible Officers (SROs) and Programme Directors in delivering CCAV programmes.
• Lead the team to support and maintain appropriate governance and assurance for the programmes, building positive relationships and ensuring it operates optimally to support the SROs in decision-making and ensuring delivery and value for money.
• Building Capability: In conjunction with the DBT’s Project Delivery profession team, lead work to ensure CCAV as a whole has the right level of delivery skill, and are always using DBT’s standard methodologies.
• Be able to look across a broad portfolio and project pipeline to find opportunities, risk and interdependencies, and offer strategic insights
• Ensure risks and issues are an integral part of the governance cycle and boards give enough time to consider key risks and issues.
• Work with project leads to ensure effective control process are in place, agreeing tolerance and escalation points. Oversee compliance with change request process, calling out non-compliance.
• Work with the Infrastructure and Projects Authority and DBT/DFT Project Delivery Directorates to ensure that CCAV’s projects receive Departmental assurance where required.
• Lead the team to support boards & reporting for individual programmes/projects as well as for the portfolio, and deliver timely updates to corporate risk and monitoring processes.
• Lead the business to develop mechanisms for measuring benefits. Review business cases regularly to assess progress towards benefits realisation, and use this to foster end of project evaluation.
• Guide the DBT programme team through finalisation of their business case at Investment Committee.
• Leading development and implementation of a stakeholder engagement plan.
• Lead a team of two SEO project managers (one from each department).
• Maintain a portfolio delivery map and critical path to supervise project progress. Recognise and supervise interdependencies across projects - and use this information to champion wider business planning.
• Knowledge and information management: Set processes that conform with the organisation’s standards. QA and challenge the project/business to follow the agreed processes. Disseminate lessons learned within projects team.

The Person

The role requires a high degree of collaborative working, across both DBT and DfT, with SROs and Programme Directors. The role is extremely varied, so the ability to work across several strands of activity at one time is vital. Decision-making and professionalism are also necessary attributes.

Person specification

You are a self-starter and comfortable in navigating complex, ambiguous environments.

You have the ability to create and share a clear vision of the future, whilst considering the wider factors and long-term implications of decisions.

You identify connections and bring people together to overcome challenges and seize opportunities.

You can influence others, gaining agreement while maintaining positive, professional, and trusting relationships.

You are highly driven and inspire others to move things along and make things happen, even under pressure and demanding deadlines. 

Essential criteria

• Strong Portfolio/Programme/Project Management (P3M) experience and relevant qualifications, such as APM MSP.
• The ideal candidate will either be accredited under the cross-government IPA scheme or willing to become so.
• Experience developing and managing an effective reporting regime and suitable governance structures to ensure transparent and effective decision making.
• A collaborative, delivery focused, team player able to build working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders rapidly with the credibility needed to persuade, influence and secure confidence.
• Experience of leading a team working with complex projects.

The candidate must have, or show potential for:

• Running a portfolio office, and leading a team
• Analytical, planning, and execution skills with strong attention to detail
• A working understanding of risk & issue management, planning & reporting, and knowledge management,
• Practitioner level of experience of governance, frameworks & methodologies and assurance; and an awareness of change control.

Behavioural Competencies

• Willingness to listen, find routes through tensions and difficult decisions, and handle ambiguity
• Excellent communication skills and experience of engaging with stakeholders to achieve buy-in
• Enthusiasm for building capability within teams and embedding a culture of continuous improvement
• Practitioner level of experience of teamwork and influencing
• Flexibility to adapt as programme requirements evolve

Qualifications – at least one of the following at Practitioner level

• MSP, PRINCE2, MoR, MoP, Benefits Realisation

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Changing and Improving
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivery at Pace

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Project Delivery

Please note that, as part of the interview process, we will ask you to do a 5-minute presentation – details will be provided as part of the invitation to interview.

Desirable Criteria

Experience of policy development and delivery in across numerous sectors and themes, with the ability to see the big picture while working through detail.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £53,560, Department for Business and Trade contributes £14,461 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

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.

Interviews for this vacancy will be conducted virtually. We will, however, consider in-person interviews by exception.

Please ensure that you check your emails regularly as all updates from us will be sent to you this way.

To apply for this post, you will be asked to complete the following as part of the online application:     

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Provide employment history that relates to the essential criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained. The CV should not exceed more than 2 x A4 pages.  
• A Personal Statement of up to 500 words, explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the essential criteria. 

It is likely that the sift will take place 1-2 weeks after the closing date and interviews 3-5 weeks after the closing date, though this is subject to change. 

In the event of a large number of applicants, an initial short sift will be conducted on the CV. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.  

As part of your interview, you will be asked to deliver a short oral presentation, details will be provided prior to your interview. 

Reasonable Adjustments

We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process. In order to request an adjustment: 

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section on the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. 

Alternatively contact the Government Recruitment Service at DBTrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.  

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Candidate Support

You may want to join a virtual Candidate Support Session. These sessions include helpful tips and advice on the recruitment process, from application to interview.  

Please see attached Candidate Pack for further information on: Diversity and Inclusion; Benefits; Learning and Development; Working Patterns and what we deliver as a department. 

Further Information:

• A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. Reserve Lists will be for each location and appointments made in merit order based on location preferences.   
• Any move to the Department for Business and Trade from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments.
• The Department will not consider sponsoring a visa or issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship. We are unable to offer advice on any Visa and Immigration cases.  
• New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.  
• 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. Any applicant who has 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.  
• Terms and Conditions are attached.  Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
• Please note – the successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before being released for another role.
• This role may be considered as a secondment opportunity. Please reach out to the hiring manager listed at the bottom of this advert to discuss.  

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service /Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading. 

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

For further information on the Access NI confidential checking service telephone: the Access NI Helpline on 0300 200 7888 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email accessni@ani.x.gsi.gov.uk 

Vetting

The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years. Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.   

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). 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

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission. 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.