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 looking for the next step in your career that is both exciting and rewarding? 

Are you looking to move into cyber and National Security? 

Can you bring fresh ideas and use your creativity to deliver strong outcomes? 

Do you have experience of working on across a wide range of stakeholders to deliver strategy? 

If so, we'd love to hear from you!

Job description

Our team is part of Land Transport National Security (LTNS) division. LTNS leads on national security and long-term resilience issues across rail and other land-based public transport, and wider preparedness for incident response. It is made up of five teams covering Rail Resilience Liaison, Policing and Crime, International Rail Security, Domestic Rail Security, Roads and Vehicles Security, and Compliance activities for any regulations covering these areas. 

This exciting role sits in the Roads Transport Security team. You will play a key part in developing cyber security policy across both the road and rail sectors which will have lasting, real-world impact on safety and security. This will require collaboration  with policy colleagues across DfT, other Government Departments (OGDs), industry, and law enforcement agencies to develop a new workstream on cyber security and state threats to complement activity already underway by central coordinating teams, so you will need to be comfortable in forging effective working relationships.

Responsibilities

You will:

• Initiate a new workstream on rail and road transport cyber security and state threats, scoping the problem and making suggestions on priorities and approach.
• Be the lead advocate for cyber policy within LTNS with the key aim of understanding current activity taking place to combat cyber risks across both the road and rail industries.
• Build a strong relationship with DfT’s Cyber strategy team to support wider DfT ambition.
• Build connections across the sector to identify new opportunities and develop a communications strategy to promote good cyber security practice.

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

Person specification

About you

We are looking for someone who preferably has an interest in cyber, is highly organised, and brings fresh and original thinking to policy challenges.

You will display excellent oral and written communication skills, and the ability to clearly present complex technical information to non-specialists. With excellent collaborative skills you will confidently engage to build constructive relationships with policy colleagues, internal and external industry partners.

You will have effective decision-making skills and be comfortable taking on new responsibilities and working flexibly in response to new and changing business pressures.

You should hold or be prepared to undergo security clearance to SC level and there is an expectation to progress the level to DV in the future.

Further information

You will have the option to be based in our London office attracting the London salary, or 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.

In the event of a terrorist attack or other emergency situation, the postholder may be required to be involved in the department’s incident response, including working outside normal business hours.

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.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement (750 words). Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

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 please provide detailed evidence of your experience of the following:

• Ability to communicate in a succinct, engaging manner using appropriate styles, methods and timing, including digital channels, to maximise understanding and impact ability to stand ground when needed.
• Ability to collect, analyse and draw conclusions from a range of evidence and material to support decision making.
• Ability to establish relationships with a range of stakeholders to support delivery of business outcomes.
• Excellent written skills.

The sift is due to take place from the 11th of June 2024.

Interviews/assessments are likely to be held from the week commencing the 24th of 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.

This interview could be conducted online via Teams or face to face at one of our offices (depending on personal circumstances/reasonable adjustments). 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.

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

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 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

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.