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 passionate about tackling climate change?

Would you like to support and help shape efforts to achieve net zero by 2050?

Would you like to be part of a team that is driving the decarbonisation of the transport sector?

Are you someone who enjoys working collaboratively with people across teams? Do you think ‘big picture’ alongside getting down in the detail?

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

Job description

This role sits within the Decarbonisation Strategy division within the Department for Transport (DfT). The division leads on a wide range of exciting work to help end transport’s contribution to climate change, building on the commitments set out in the Department’s  Transport Decarbonisation Plan.

We are looking for a Senior Policy Advisor to help drive progress against DfT’s decarbonisation objectives. This role sits within Decarbonisation Strategy’s Domestic Net Zero Strategy team, the team responsible for ensuring transport delivers its overall contributions to net zero by 2050 and interim carbon budgets.

The successful candidate will play a key role in assuring delivery of Government’s commitments to reduce transport’s carbon emissions in line with stretching, legally binding cross-economy targets. You will do this by building and maintaining deep, effective working relationships with colleagues across policy, analyst, strategy and other teams in DfT, as well as wider Government. 

This is a dynamic, busy role with a focus on driving further ambition. Working to the Head of Domestic Net Zero Strategy, you will act as the lead and single point of contact for a ‘portfolio’ of individual areas of the transport decarbonisation portfolio. 

The role offers invaluable development opportunities. You will work directly with senior leaders and will see first-hand how to effectively make decisions and drive forward key projects. You will gain an overview of the Department’s work on transport decarbonisation, with opportunities to build expertise in individual modal or cross-cutting work areas.

You will be joining a highly motivated, friendly team working on a key priority area, with growing public interest and high expectations. 

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities of the role include:

• Acting as the lead and single point of contact on individual areas of the transport decarbonisation portfolio, to assure delivery of cross-modal policies, projects and programmes.
• Identifying opportunities and strategic risks across these areas, keeping senior leaders updated and ensuring their appropriate escalation, including to senior governance boards and to Ministers. 
• Building and maintaining relationships with DfT teams and cross-Government stakeholders working on net zero.
• Making strategic recommendations on how to use DfT’s climate governance (including the Transport Decarbonisation Delivery Group and the Permanent Secretary-chaired Reducing Environmental Impacts Board) to achieve decarbonisation goals.
• Drafting advice and briefing to Ministers and senior officials on DfT’s cross-cutting decarbonisation activities, as required.

For more detail on the role, please refer to the Role Profile.

Person specification

About you

• You are strategic, big-picture thinker who can drive progress on key priorities.
• You have the ability to build relationships with key stakeholders across different professions, apply judgement and communicate effectively to deliver positive outcomes.
• You have the confidence to challenge and propose solutions when things aren't going to plan.
• You can work as part of a close-knit team, being flexible to changing priorities and demonstrating a willingness to get involved when required. 

Additional Information

A minimum of 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.

MS Teams open day

We will be holding a drop-in session for you to join and ask questions about the role - on Wednesday 13th March, 1530-1630. Please email Heidi.Lough@dft.gov.uk if you would like to attend.

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 complete:

1. Written behavioural examples (250 words) that provide evidence of you having demonstrated the following behaviours:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace

2. A tailored CV that demonstrates suitability for the role and the essential criteria.

3.A Personal statement (500 words) providing detailed evidence of the following:

• Experience of making strong personal impact within a team and working collaboratively with others to deliver shared objectives.
• Ability to see the big picture and ensure work is aligned with wider strategic priorities.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely on complex topics.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using your behavioural example of Seeing the Big Picture. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

The sift is due to take place 20th-22nd March 2024.

Interviews/assessments are likely to be held between 5th-12th April 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 and a written policy exercise.

This interview will be conducted online via Teams. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

You’re encouraged to familiarise yourself with the role profile, as you may be assessed against any of the criteria recorded within. Please also familiarise yourself with the Policy profession standards - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 

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.