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 a role where you can lead on policy work and stakeholder activity?

Can you use your superb interpersonal skills to be able to communicate messages with others effectively?

Would you like the opportunity to be involved in a high profile policy area, helping to reducing carbon emissions from transport in one of the most ambitious nations in the world?

If so, then this is the perfect role for you!

Job description

Decarbonisation Strategy is leading exciting new work in the Department and across the sector to end transport’s significant contribution to climate change. Our role is to push forward the environmental agenda in the Department for Transport (DfT), and to ensure we have the best policies and emissions regulations in place to meet the Government’s ambitious target of net zero by 2050 and other important carbon goals.

Our work is vital as the transport sector remains the largest single contributor to the UK’s domestic greenhouse gas emissions – responsible for 27% of UK domestic emissions in 2019.

To tackle this, the UK is one of the most ambitious countries in the world when it comes to road vehicle decarbonisation commitments. We have committed to ending the sale of all new non-zero emission cars and vans by 2035; all new non-zero emission HGVs weighing under 26 tons by 2035; and all other road vehicles (including heavier HGVs) by 2040. Our team are responsible for policy and delivery of regulatory frameworks to deliver phase out dates for these vehicles.  There are up to 3 policy roles available across the Zero Emission Vehicle regulations team.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Lead the development and delivery of new legislation that regulates CO2 emissions and/or zero emission vehicles , ensuring that the world-leading 2035 and 2040 phase out dates for new non-zero emission road vehicles can be enforced in law.
• Ensure effective functioning of existing regulatory requirements to reduce CO2 emissions from new road vehicles.
• Lead on policy work to develop future regulatory proposals, including leading public consultations, developing policy positions to advise ministers, and ultimately guiding legislation through the Parliamentary process.
• Proactively manage stakeholder relationships with the vehicle manufacturers, infrastructure operators, NGOs, fleet managers and others to support successful delivery of legislation.
• Being the key contact across Whitehall and externally for anything related to vehicle CO2 reduction/zero emission vehicle regulations.
• Working with Government Departments, Government agencies, colleagues across DfT and industry representatives to deliver the wider team’s priorities.
• Drafting of briefing, correspondence, parliamentary questions, and other documents as required.

For more information, please see the attached Role Profile.

Person specification

About you

To thrive in this role, you will:

• Have a keen eye for detail and be able to interpret and understand complex information.
• Be able to communicate messages effectively both written and orally to stakeholders of all levels and on time.
• Be pro-active in taking forward policy development and tackling any issues that may arise.
• Effectively establish relationships and working collaboratively with a wide variety of colleagues and representatives, both internal and external, to support complex policy development.
• Be highly adaptable and open to change to deliver multiple outcomes on time and to a high standard.
• Be able to demonstrate an ability to understand Parliamentary and/or legislative processes.

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. 

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 and Experience.

How to apply

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a CV and Personal Statement (1000 words). Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

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

• Experience of having a keen eye for detail and are able to interpret and understand complex information. 
• Experience of communicating messages effectively both written and orally to stakeholders of all levels and on time.
• Experience of being pro-active in taking forward policy development and tackling any issues that arose.
• Experience of effectively establishing relationships and working collaboratively with a wide variety of colleagues and representatives, both internal and external, to support complex policy development.

The sift is due to take place 4th March 2024.

Interviews are likely to be held from week commencing 11th March 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 will be conducted online via 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, 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.