About the job

Job summary

Can you think strategically to help shape policy decisions?

Are you able to build strong working relationships with stakeholders?

Would you like to work in a policy area that impacts people’s lives every day?

If so, this is an exciting opportunity to gain experience working on one of the highest-profile policy issues for bus travel in England, as we seek to build a modern transport system that works for people right across the country and we’d love to hear from you!

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.  

Job description

In the Roads and Local Group, we cover diverse and exciting issues ranging from large scale infrastructure delivery to local transport including buses, walking and cycling. Local Transport is responsible for all travel that primarily uses local highways e.g. buses, walking and cycling, light rail (trams), local roads, and the highways themselves (e.g. pavements, verges). We are committed to putting place at the heart of transport, working in partnership with other government departments to create places that people will be happy living in.

Buses are a crucial part of the Local Transport network and are the most used form of public transport – with over 3.4 billion journeys in 2022/3. This role would be part of the small, but important, team within the Bus Funding Division of Local Transport who deal with issues relating to English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) - think free bus travel for those at state pension age and with eligible disabilities.

The elderly and disabled bus pass is a lifeline for over 8.7 million people across England, connecting them with work, family, leisure and more; and helping prevent social isolation. Over 567 million bus journeys were taken using a concessionary bus pass in 2022/3.

We are seeking a motivated individual to help to develop and manage policy on the ENCTS, which supports over £900m of local and central government spending annually. This role will help to lead on the Government’s ongoing major review of the ENCTS in over a decade and will be pivotal in developing the Government’s response to this review.

The post-holder will also be working with bus operators, local authorities and communications colleagues to implement measures to boost concessionary ridership. There will also be the opportunity to look to the future by leading on examining the possibilities and routes to implementation for a digital ENCTS bus pass.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Engaging, influencing and negotiating with a range of stakeholders to help deliver desired policy outcomes as part of the concessionary travel review and the ability to talk the language of concessionary travel with stakeholders, particularly local authorities and bus operators.
• Supporting the team leader on cross-departmental and government engagement on concessionary travel strategy and policies, to secure cross government buy in and support from His Majesty’s Treasury for the review into concessionary travel.
• Developing and maintaining close relationships with internal and external experts needed to support policy development.
• Being a point of contact for queries from Ministers and others on concessionary travel and supporting responses across the work of bus funding.
• Potential line-management of an EO, overseeing their work on concessionary appeals and correspondence.

For further information, please see the attached Role Profile.

Person specification

About You  

To thrive in this role, you will have experience building strong working relationships with a range of stakeholders and awareness of the diplomacy this may require.

You will have the ability to digest complex and large volumes of information, drawing out necessary facts and effectively presenting this to others.

You have good organisational skills with experience working autonomously, managing a variety of work-streams.

We are looking for someone with experience of driving forward a policy or leading a project which lead to the successful delivery of a process change.

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. 

There may be occasional UK travel 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, Experience and Technical skills.

How to apply

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a CV and 1000-word Personal Statement.

Please tailor your CV to suit the role.

For your Personal Statement, please provide detailed evidence of the following:

• Experience building strong working relationships with a range of stakeholders and awareness of the diplomacy this may require.
• Ability to digest complex and large volumes of information, drawing out necessary facts and effectively presenting this to others.
• Good organisational skills with experience working autonomously, managing a variety of workstream.
• Experience of leading a policy forward or leading a project which lead to the successful delivery of a process change.

The sift is due to take place 8th-10th April 2024.

The written policy exercise is due to take place 22nd April 2024.

If you successfully pass the written policy exercise you will be invited to interview which is due to take place 2nd 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:

• A written policy exercise and an interview.

This interview will be conducted online via MS 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 Professional Standards 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.