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 addressing sustainability challenges and reaching net zero? 

Do you have policy or strategy development experience within a decarbonisation, low carbon fuels or renewable energy setting?

Can you work confidently and professional with a diverse range of senior stakeholders and have the ability to deliver complex technical information?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

Job description

We have an exciting opportunity for 2 x Senior Policy Advisors to join the strategy team of our Low Carbon Fuel (LCF) division within the Department for Transport (DfT). The roles would provide opportunities to learn about transport decarbonisation, low carbon fuels, the energy system, international negotiations,  collaborating with other government departments and working with Parliament to deliver legislation. These roles will suitable candidates who have a passion for climate sustainability and a strategy or policy background.

We are looking for motivated experienced policy / strategy professionals with a good scientific background and/or experience in the fields of climate change, renewable energy or sustainability, to develop and implement low carbon fuels strategy.

This is a challenging and exciting area of policy, combining technical complexity and controversy with a strong international and commercial dimension. Low carbon fuels are key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transport. They currently provide a substantial contribution to meeting domestic carbon budgets, and there are targets to increase their uptake. There are strong links to other government policies (e.g. renewable energy, waste, hydrogen, CCS), with significant opportunities for international collaboration.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Lead policy development, implementation, and delivery, such as:

• Delivering the Low Carbon Fuel Strategy by developing and assessing different policy options, drafting key documents and contributions, compiling evidence, scoping research projects, and planning stakeholder engagement and workshops. You could lead on implementing specific aspects of the upcoming Low Carbon Fuel Strategy’s action plan. This could include leading on feedstock availability, wider supply chain, maritime fuel regulations, infrastructure transition and resilience, higher biocontent fuels, and international or trade policy implications.
• Advising on trade and international issues, to reflect the UK position on sustainable low carbon fuels, ensuring the UK low carbon fuels industry is a global leader in terms of sustainability.
• Working closely with modal transport teams on any potential fuel regulations in their area and ensure alignment with existing regulations such as the RTFO.
• Engage with key stakeholders. You will need to build relationships across DfT and Government including with the DfT’s legal advisors, the Science Office, Defra and DESNZ, and with academia and industry to develop, test and promote low carbon fuels policy.  
• Provide advice and briefing to ministers, and draft responses to correspondence
• Monitor and develop policy and contributions relating to low carbon policy across Government, supporting the team’s wider work.

For further information, please see the attached Role Profile.

Person specification

About you:

You will be responsible for developing policies, advising on strategic matters, including international and trade aspects, helping to secure buy-in from a diverse set of stakeholders, and inputting to advice for Ministers on how best to decarbonise transport and stimulate the UK low carbon fuels industry including through incentivising novel low carbon fuels.

We are looking for people with experience in policy delivery in decarbonisation or science settings. You will have knowledge of low carbon fuels/climate change and/or sustainability.

You will have strong decision-making skills, whilst effectively managing a high quality service, to deliver at pace. You should demonstrate the ability to be forward thinking and innovative.

You can confidently assess complex technical information and work with stakeholders from a diverse range of backgrounds in a constructive way, working with a network of colleagues and contacts in and outside of government.

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 occasions where you will be required to travel to other DfT offices and attend meetings and visits around the UK.

https://careers.dft.gov.uk/senior-policy-roles/ 

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.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV and Personal Statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Within your CV and Personal Statement please provide detailed evidence of your experience of the following: 

• Degree in Science or Environmental Studies or relevant work experience for example within decarbonisation, low carbon fuels or renewable energy.
• Experience in providing evidence-based recommendations against tight deadlines.
• Communicating complex information to a wide variety of stakeholders.
• Policy development / strategy experience.

Please fully utilise the 750-word count when completing your personal statement.

The sift is due to take place from week commencing 8th April 2024.

Interviews are likely to be held from week commencing 22nd 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.
• A written policy exercise.

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, 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.