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.  

Would you relish the chance to make a tangible and direct impact to Transport Resilience and Response?

Do you thrive in a fast-paced environment?

If so, we are looking for three hardworking individuals to join our team to support the delivery of a prepared and resilient transport system, and we would love to hear from you.

Job description

The Resilience, Analysis, International and Sanctions Directorate within DfT is the home to the Transport Security Operations Centre (TSOC) Division. TSOC’s principal objective is to ensure that the Department is able to prepare for, mitigate and respond to a major incident impacting the UK transport network and wider UK Government interests.

We currently have vacancies across the ‘Intelligence, Risk, and Contingency Planning’ unit. This unit is responsible for leading the Department’s identification and preparedness for catastrophic and other security and resilience risks; and developing and implementing a new approach to resilience within the Department in line with the HMG Resilience Framework. The team also works on planning for one-off, major government priorities including ceremonial, political and sporting events.

These roles are ideal for individuals looking to take on a challenge and broaden their experience. There will be opportunities to brief senior officials and Ministers and represent the Department at cross-Whitehall discussions and multinational fora.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Leading the department’s contingency and response planning for catastrophic risks such as nationwide blackouts, severe space weather events, and biological attacks.
• Building relationships with analysis, science and research teams, and with experts across government and beyond, to provide evidence for the team’s work.
• Collaborating with modal policy experts to understand the impacts of different risks facing the department, and escalating appropriately to senior leaders.
• Leading and working with others to implement the HMG Resilience Framework within the Department and more widely with the transport sector.
• Supporting the planning for major events to ensure transport is factored into central government Concepts of Operations.

For more information, please see the attached Role Profile.

Person specification

To thrive in this role, you will:

• Have the ability to quickly grasp new complex subject areas.
• Possess experience of breaking down a problem into component parts, and developing a work programme to achieve a solution.
• Hold experience of collaborating with internal and external stakeholders, building trusted working relationships.
• Have excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience of developing briefings and presentations.

Additional information

There may be the opportunity for some international travel, but this is not a requirement.

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 requires DV clearance however candidates can onboard with SC Clearance and undergo DV whilst in post. Should the successful candidate not obtain DV then there will be a requirement to be re-deployed to an alternative post should a position be available.

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 complete a CV and Personal Statement (500 words). Please tailor your CV to suit the role. For your Personal Statement, please provide detailed evidence of the following:

• Experience of breaking down a problem into component parts, and developing a work programme to achieve a solution.
• Experience of collaborating with internal and external stakeholders, building trusted working relationships.

The sift is due to take place from 11th March 2024.

Interviews are likely to be held from week commencing 25th 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. 

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.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). 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.