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 someone who enjoys working collaboratively with different business areas?

Do you enjoy the challenge of influencing others to achieve business outcomes?

Can you work confidently with data and use this to inform decision making?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

Job description

We are recruiting for a Senior Policy Adviser to join the Ports and Shipping division within the Maritime Directorate. Ports play an integral role within supply chains and economic growth, so our policies have a real positive impact on our sector and the wider economy. The Ports and Shipping team are responsible for championing the industry across DfT and government in order to facilitate their economic contribution to the UK.

This is a dynamic team that has recently been instrumental in the delivery of new legislation to make fair seafarer pay a condition of port access, coordinated government’s response to port industrial action and is in the process of driving forward a number of policy and legislative improvement opportunities for the sector.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Build close relationships with road and rail teams in DfT, National Highways and Network Rail to represent ports transport connectivity interests when investment decision are being made for future road and rail infrastructure.
• Drive the prioritisation of options for future road and rail infrastructure need at ports and work with industry to maintain a live understanding of port transport connectivity needs.
• Support wider areas of the Ports and Shipping portfolio of work as necessary – notably supporting consultation on secondary legislation for the Seafarers’ Wages Bill and ongoing port sector engagement.
• Work closely with industry to better understand their future electricity energy needs, on site energy generation and storage potential and the barriers or opportunities these present – including assisting with forthcoming call for evidence on port emissions and energy infrastructure.

For more information, please see the attached Role Profile.

Person specification

About you

To thrive in this role, you will

• Have experience in designing or delivering policy, with the ability to work proactively to drive forward progress for different work streams.
• Enjoy working with energy and pace and is proven to be able to deal flexibly with uncertainty and change.
• You will need to be experienced at establishing and maintaining strong working relationships with government and external stakeholders that that supports the successful delivery of government policy and strategy.
• Possess Excellent prioritisation and organisational skills.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including experience of preparing briefings and writing correspondence.

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. 

Occasional travel to other DfT offices will be required. 

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 displaying strong written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to present complex issues clearly and succinctly to senior stakeholders.
• Experience of being a collaborative team player, able to lead, engage, influence, and build relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Experience of approaching challenging policy problems and proactively using evidence to arrive at recommended solutions.
• Experience of managing competing priorities and using tools or processes to continue to deliver against high priority work.

Technical Skills

You will be assessed against the Technical element of the Success Profile Framework. Two Policy Profession Standards are being assessed: Policy profession standards - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Strategy 1.1. Policy Context and Purpose Level 1: Developing

• Define the sought impacts and outcomes of a policy.

Democracy 2.1. Working with Ministers Level 1: Developing

• Deliver effective internal communication. Write for different audiences and purposes, including scrutiny.

The sift is due to take place 12th January 2023

The Policy exercise is due to be conducted 22nd January 2024

Interviews are likely to be held from week commencing 29th January 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 two assessments will include: 

• A policy exercise
• an interview

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, 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.