About the job

Job summary

We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) 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.   

Do you have excellent written and verbal communication skills?

Can you deliver clear and convincing messages with the confidence to directly influence ministers and senior leaders?

Would you enjoy having the opportunity to shape the public perception of two of Britain’s largest infrastructure programmes? 

If so, we are looking for someone like you to join our high-performing Public Affairs team at the Department for Transport!

Job description

The Major Rail Projects Group (MRPG) within DfT brings together two of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in the country – High Speed 2 (HS2), and Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR). 

The Public Messaging Lead is a challenging and rewarding role that sits within the MRPG's Public Affairs team. The team is made up of 5 roles that oversee the public messaging and perception of the HS2 programme – from managing public announcements through ministerial visits, media monitoring, stakeholder mapping, correspondence, parliamentary questions and Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, to briefings for ministerial meetings, parliamentary debates and select committee hearings.

The team sits within the Group’s wider Strategy division, helping the Department navigate some of the complex comms and delivery challenges facing HS2 and NPR. We have an important cross-cutting role that requires close interaction across all teams within the Group alongside HS2 Ltd, Private Office and communications colleagues within the Department. 

This unique role looks after an area of work that is high-profile, often controversial, sensitive, and fast-moving, offering exposure to the management of two programmes that are at the forefront  of the Government's transport infrastructure plans. Therefore, it will be essential for you to utilise your policy, strategy, communication and stakeholder management skills to influence and collaborate with senior leaders, Parliament, Ministers, internal colleagues and external partners.

Responsibilities

• Building and maintaining effective relationships with colleagues across the Major Rail Projects Group and beyond, to enable the coordination of timely and high-quality public products and provide messaging and handling advice to colleagues on public developments and announcements.
• Acting as a central repository of knowledge for the Group’s public messaging, helping maintain a central Message Pack that provides colleagues with detailed public material on all areas of HS2.
• Working with the Head of Public Affairs and relevant leads to coordinate Group input into the Department’s public comments for press queries, and monitor media reports to maintain an understanding of public discussions around HS2, informing colleagues of developments where appropriate.
• Developing a strong understanding of key stakeholders and their positions on the rail programmes to build  stakeholder mapping and advise colleagues on their handling strategies.
• Working with communications colleagues across the Department and HS2 Ltd to help promote the Government’s narrative on its major rail projects, looking at a wide range of activities – ministerial site visits, events, public announcements, research into public perceptions – to develop an effective and comprehensive approach.
• Working closely with the Head of Public Affairs, alongside the Deputy Head, to manage and oversee the products, commissions and cases that the team leads on.
• Providing strategic advice and support to the Group’s senior leadership on matters relating to the public perception of the Government's major rail projects.

If you would like to find out more about what it's like to work at DfT Rail, please click here.

Person specification

You will be able to develop strong networks and collaborative relationships within and outside of the Department. You will have outstanding stakeholder management and interpersonal skills, be articulate and credible, and able to build positive relationships at senior level across the Department, HS2 Ltd and other Government bodies.  

You will display high-quality drafting and communication skills with an ability to write concisely for diverse audiences. You will be proactive and comfortable working independently, using your initiative when required to provide constructive challenge to colleagues and deliver effective public messaging and stakeholder handling across the Group. 

You will develop a strong awareness and understanding of both programmes and the political, economic and financial context in which they operate. You will monitor the media landscape, understand the positions and influence of various stakeholders, and act as a central point of contact for colleagues who wish to know more about the public standing of HS2 and NPR. 

You will be comfortable managing a variable workload, which requires regular re-prioritisation. You will be committed to providing empowering support to ensure individuals and teams remain effective.  

Further information

You will have the option to be based in Leeds or Birmingham attracting the National salary. If based in Leeds or Birmingham, occasional travel to our London office will be required for key meetings and team events.

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, Strengths and Experience.

When considering applying please look at how your experience relates to the role. Please tailor your CV to match the role and its responsibilities and within your Personal Statement (max 750 words) please provide detailed evidence of your experience of the following:

• Securing positive outcomes, buy-in and/or support through effective drafting of written material intended for an external audience.
• Building effective working relationships within and across teams, developing a wide network of contacts who you can rely on to drive delivery of cross-cutting work.
• Providing constructive challenge to colleagues confidently to help improve a piece of work.
• Working autonomously and/or driving work proactively, thinking about the needs of the work area to seek continuous improvement.

The sift is due to take place from the 29th of April 2024.

Interviews/assessments are likely to be held from the 13th of 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.
• A written 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.