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.  

Have you got experience of delivering high quality work across multiple disciplines?

Do you enjoy building good working relationships and being able to effectively collaborate with a wide range of team members and stakeholders?

Can you communicate effectively in both written and verbal communication styles and enjoy using the various tools available?

If so, we have an exciting opportunity where you can develop your skills; becoming familiar with sponsorship and stakeholder management issues and we would love to hear from you!

Job description

The Motoring Services Agencies Sponsorship (MSAS) Division supports, challenges and champions the work of the 3 Executive Motoring Agencies (DVLA, DVSA and VCA), the Traffic Commissioners and wider government. We are a small, dynamic team where there is plenty of opportunity to shape the role, get involved around the policy and delivery of the agency functions, lead on discrete projects, and work with the team to build continuous improvement to our existing processes.

The role of a Sponsorship team is to provide support and challenge to our Sponsored bodies to ensure alignment with Ministerial priorities and the strategic aims of the Department.  We do this by being informed across multiple policy areas and disciplines and building strong networks of colleagues across DfT and its Executive Agencies.  This requires a wider range of skills such as using personal influence, relationship building, and time management. Strong stakeholder engagement skills are integral to the success of these relationships.

One of the key responsibilities for this role is to support the Traffic Commissioner Sponsorship Lead in building the relationship with Traffic Commissioners, which includes a programme of governance, recruitment, and reform. You will be working on a day-to-day basis with a variety of stakeholders, including the Office of the Traffic Commissioners, DfT financial, legal and HR advisers to support the TC function to operate effectively and reform.

You will also be performing a vital role in communicating and championing the work of the 3 Executive Motoring Agencies and supporting work streams to deliver on key programmes of work including Business Planning, Agency risk management and some policy portfolio areas.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Drive effective joint working between DfT policy teams and the Traffic Commissioners on strategic and high priority issues, including recommendations of recent review of the Traffic Commissioner function, to ensure opportunities are grasped and challenges overcome wherever possible.
• Playing an essential role in developing the governance of the Traffic Commissioner function, including strategy, framework documents, guidance letters, and involvement in the wider sponsor network across DfT.
• Build and make use of strong relationships with DVSA colleagues working in the Office for Traffic Commissioners and with the Traffic Commissioners and Deputy Traffic Commissioners themselves to understand their work and their priorities.
• Providing briefings and recommendations to a wide range of colleagues and stakeholders including interaction with Ministers, senior officials and their private offices.

For more information, please see the attached Role Profile.

Person specification

About you

To thrive in this role, you will have:

• Have some experience of building strong working relationships across complex organisational structures.
• Have enthusiasm and passion for understanding this highly challenging sponsorship area where ambiguity, complex strategic and regulatory factors combine.
• Have excellent verbal and written communication skills, being able to communicate effectively to a range of colleagues and stakeholders, with credibility and gravitas to influence at all levels.
• Be able to maintain strong and collaborative working relations with a wide range of colleagues and stakeholders.
• Be highly organised and able to prioritise and manage a challenging workload effectively and having strong attention to detail.
• Display strong attention to detail and ability to make quick and considered decisions in response to fast moving and sensitive situations.

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. 

The role will involve occasional travel to DfT’s other office locations other than your chosen location in order to keep in touch.

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 Personal Statement (1000 words). Please tailor your CV to suit the role. For your Personal Statement, please provide detailed evidence of the following:

• Experience of working with multiple stakeholders both external and internal with the ability to influence and communicate effectively to reach positive outcomes.
• Experience of dealing with competing and changing priorities in multiple complex area in a short amount of time.
• Strong governance skills, good political judgement and an understanding of policy making.

The sift is due to take place 22nd-24th April 2024.

Interviews/assessments are likely to be held 7th-10th 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: 

• An interview and a written policy exercise

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, 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, 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 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.