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 a highly motivated and experienced professional who can bring your skillset to help Government develop policy to harness innovative technology?

Do you want to ensure that self-driving vehicles are safe when they arrive on our roads?

If so, we have an exciting opportunity for an Industrial Lead and a Self-Driving Data Policy Lead to join our team at the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV), and we would love for you to apply!

Job description

CCAV is a joint Department for Transport (DfT) and Department for Business and Trade (DBT) unit. Self-driving vehicles have the potential to bring safety benefits, boost the UK economy, increase accessibility of travel and change the nature of our towns and cities for the better. As part of the CCAV team, these roles offer the opportunity to be at the very heart of Government’s critical work to secure these benefits.

Vehicle automation has already begun with cutting edge development happening here in the UK and elsewhere and billions of dollars being invested globally. The next decade will see a step change in the way vehicles are made, owned and used.

There are two senior policy advisor roles available, these are:

Senior Policy Advisor: Self-Driving Data Lead (1 role)

Self-diving vehicles bring many potential benefits but also bring new safety assurance challenges. One of these is the significant amount of data the vehicles will collect and use. 

We are looking for an enthusiastic and talented Policy professional to join our committed and friendly team and support the development, coordination and implementation of policy on self-driving vehicle data. This will involve working with technical, legal and motoring agency colleagues; engaging external stakeholders such as manufacturers, data experts and parliamentarians; and contributing to the development of international legislation.

Primary legislative proposals have already been developed in this area and this role will support the progression of the Automated Vehicles Bill. You will also lead the development of secondary legislation by gathering and analysing evidence, making reasoned policy proposals, consulting on preferred options, and using influencing skills where appropriate.

As part of the self-driving vehicle safety team, you will also contribute to wider strategic thinking about safety issues.

Senior Policy Advisor: Industrial Policy Lead (1 role)

The post holder will be working closely with the DBT part of the CCAV team, reporting to the Head of Commercialisation to support the £66 million Commercialising connected and automated mobility (CCAM) programme, helping CCAV in securing the long-term benefits of the connected and automated mobility (CAM) technologies, products, and services.

The post holder will also support the Portfolio Management Office, to effectively manage and realise benefits of the CCAM programme. The post holder will gain the opportunity to support the development of the business case for designing future interventions under the new £150 million programme between 2025-2030. You will need to demonstrate flexibility and adaptability as you may need to support the CCAV’s work on AV bill and/or other policy areas, depending upon the business needs. 

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Leading detailed policy development for your policy area, including supporting legislative and/or operational development, through collaboration with the CCAV bill team, DfT legal teams and DfT’s agencies.
• Leading the coordination of your policies and processes for self-driving vehicles.
• Leading engagement between CCAV, Whitehall, industry, academia and research organisations at domestic and international level, including representing the team at national and international meetings and events.
• Potential specification, procurement and management of research including self-driving vehicle projects delivered by third party contractors.
• Attending national and international events to present on your policy area and the wider work of CCAV.
• Keeping abreast of domestic and international policy development in areas relating to your policy area.
• Deputising for the Head(s) of self-driving framework when they are absent.
• Working with leadership team on continuous horizon scanning to identify and prioritise new risks and opportunities.

As a member of CCAV, you will also have responsibility for:

• Engaging and influencing other government teams and stakeholders affecting the development and deployment of self-driving vehicles, to support CCAVs aims.
• Contributing to the strategic thinking underpinning the self-driving programme, ensuring it is responding to the changing technological and other changes.
• Briefing Ministers and responding to correspondence relating to self-driving and connected vehicles.

For more information about the role and responsibilities please see the attached Role Profile.

At interview we will ask you for your choice of role. Please note, that we will be appointing for this role based on merit and so your preference will be considered (if successful) but this is not guaranteed.

Person specification

About you

• To thrive in this role, you will be responsible for helping shape the future, alongside a dedicated team. You will be self-sufficient and enthusiastic, with a passion for problem solving, with excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills. 
• You are an excellent communicator, with the ability to understand and explain complex subjects.  You will be able to engage with, and successfully influence, different stakeholders, ranging from industry experts to lay people. 
• You will be required to effectively manage a complex portfolio of work, delivering at pace throughout to meet the team’s priorities with limited guidance.

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 roles will involve some UK and overseas travel. We do not expect it to exceed 15 working days per quarter. However, this is not an essential requirement – please do get in touch if this may be a barrier and the hiring manger would be happy to discuss further

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 Personal Statement and evidence of 2 behaviours. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

For your Personal Statement, please provide detailed evidence of the following:

• Excellent communicator with the ability to explain complex subjects and influence a range of stakeholders
• Ability to work at pace, respond quickly, flexibly and imaginatively and prioritise under pressure

For your behaviour examples please provide evidence of when you have demonstrated the following behaviours:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Working Together

Your Personal Statement will be limited to 500 words. Each behaviour example will be limited to 250 words.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour which is Seeing the Big Picture. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview/assessment.

The sift is due to take place 21st-23rd February 2024.

Interviews/assessments are likely to be held 6th-15th 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 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.