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 someone who enjoys building and delivering stakeholder communication?

Do you have public affairs or external affairs experience?

Would you like to work at the heart of government in an exciting fast paced environment, working with ministers?

If so, then we would love for you to apply!

Job description

We’re looking for an experienced External Affairs professional to join the team and support the Head of External Affairs in development and delivery of the Department’s stakeholder engagement strategy.

You will have oversight of a small team and be responsible for developing stakeholder handling and engagement plans for delivering Ministerial and senior official priorities across modes. On a regular basis, you will advise Ministers and senior officials on stakeholder issues, ensuring that there is a consistently strong strategic approach to engagement across the department. You will build internal and external relationships to support the Department’s objectives and advise Ministers and senior officials on how to best utilise their time and engagement to meet objectives.

You will quickly establish trusted relationships with the department’s key external stakeholders to successfully deliver the department’s strategic priorities and be comfortable representing the department in meetings and a strong track record in External Affairs/Public Affairs/Government Relations. The successful candidate will have a background in public affairs and/or communications. You will have strong influencing skills, the ability to manage competing demands and advise leaders on controversial and challenging reputational issues.

Responsibilities

Include, but not limited to:

• Provide timely and well-considered advice and support on our stakeholder communications approach, including possible announcements and media appearances.
• Contribute to the development of stakeholder mapping, and development of a detailed two-way engagement plan for each stakeholder group.
• Gather regular feedback, from stakeholders, from a variety of public channels and via direct engagement.
• Set a coherent strategy for your team’s projects and establish common engagement principles and best practice to improve the quality of stakeholder engagement across the department and its agencies;
• Provide effective leadership and management of direct reports and conduct performance management, training and development. Stretch the team to continually raise standards and focus on continuous professional development;
• Deputise for the Head of External Affairs where appropriate.

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

Person specification

You will have the confidence to work closely and influence senior officials. You will have experience of delivering effective external/public affairs strategies, including stakeholder mapping, insight gathering and evaluation. You will have experience of building trusted ongoing two-way engagement with key stakeholders, including developing influential networks and partnerships with external organisations.

You will have the willingness to develop policy-specific knowledge in order to effectively understand the potential for new and existing stakeholder development. You are organised and will have the ability to prioritise and manage competing demands.

Additional Information

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 and Experience.

How to apply

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

• A strong track record in External Affairs/Public Affairs/Government Relations.
• Proven experience of delivering effective external affairs strategies, including stakeholder mapping, insight gathering and evaluation.
• Proven experience of building trusted ongoing two-way engagement with key stakeholders, including developing influential networks and partnerships with external organisations.
• Experience of delivering stakeholder communications in a political environment.

Your personal statement will be limited to a maximum of 1000 words.

The sift is due to take place from w/c 8th January 2024.

Interviews/assessments are likely to be held w/c 22nd January 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

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.

Please see attached candidate notes for further information about our recruitment process.

Reasonable Adjustments

As a Disability Confident Leader employer, DfT is 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 meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist 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

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.