About the job

Job summary

Are you organised, motivated and an excellent team player?

Would you embrace the opportunity to make a difference to passenger experience on the railways?

If so, we have an exciting opportunity available to be central to ensuring rolling stock meets and exceeds passengers’ needs and expectations, and would love to hear from you!

Job description

As Senior Rolling Stock Policy & Contracts Advisor, you will join the Rail Strategy and Services Directorate, who are responsible for taking Britain’s railway into the future – delivering a sustainable and customer-focused railway which puts passengers at the heart of the journey.

The Rolling Stock Team provides a Centre of Excellence on rolling stock policy, commercial and accessibility issues to the whole of the Department.  It is a cross cutting team with a high degree of engagement from the public, industry, Ministers and senior directors.

The rolling stock market consists of over 15,000 vehicles totalling some £1.5 billion in lease rentals to the private sector per annum. You will be responsible for leading and supporting rolling stock activities, including reviewing procurement transactions, lease and contract variations, and advising both industry and internal stakeholders. You will ensure that rolling stock policy supports Passenger Services contracting objectives, which in turn supports the wider Department and Government objectives.

This role is very much outward facing. You will have the opportunity to travel within the UK, meeting industry stakeholders and visiting operational sites to gain the insight to carry out the varied requirements of the role.

If you would like to find out more about what it's like to work at DfT Rail, please click here.

Your key responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Leading on rolling stock related contracts, acquiring expert knowledge of designated operators ensuring that the Secretary of State position as operator of last resort is not compromised or reduced in anyway.
• Providing expert support to the Market teams through managing rolling stock matters, keeping them abreast of emerging issues in the rolling stock market that could impact on operators.
• Managing the whole rolling stock element of implementing National Rail Contracts (NRC) and Passenger Service Contracts (PSC) including being integrated as far as possible in development of the specification, pre drafting and expert policy advice to the development teams on current state of the market and evaluation of bids.
• Collaborating with and managing key external stakeholders in operating contract competitions and when executing Direct Agreements.
• Developing rolling stock policy (in conjunction with the Head of the team) ensuring that policies remain up to date and relevant, using your expertise to brief ministers and senior civil servants on relevant policy.
• Preparing briefings for Ministers and senior officials, attending meetings with regard to rolling stock, depots and other related matters.

For further information, please see the attached Role Profile.

Person specification

About you

You will have an understanding of the structure of the UK railway network and how the industry operates, including understanding the interactions between industry stakeholders such as train operating companies, rolling stock owners and the Department. You will also possess an understanding of complex contractual transactions.

You will be highly organised and motivated with the ability to manage multiple conflicting tasks, re-prioritising when required. You will confidently make evidenced decisions and present those decisions to other stakeholders.

You will have excellent interpersonal skills and will enjoy being part of a busy team, developing commercial experience, contract and negotiation skills. You will enjoy developing and maintaining positive working relationships and meeting professional people across the legal, rail and consultancy fields, across the country.

You will be a confident and articulate communicator, both verbally and in writing, who is comfortable liaising with a diverse range of stakeholders to make recommendations. You will have the ability to explain technical information in a way that is easily understood by all, and will confidently manage challenge received in a professional and constructive manner.

Additional Information

This role is available to individuals who wish to be spending their office time in Leeds or Birmingham, and we would also expect the individual to be willing to occasionally travel to visit different locations relevant to the route and meet industry stakeholders.

A minimum 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 and Experience.

How to Apply

When considering applying please look at how your experience relates to the role, and within your CV and Personal Statement (maximum 1000 words) please provide detailed evidence of your experience of the following:

• A good understanding of the structure of the UK railway network and how the industry operates, including the interactions between industry stakeholders such as train operating companies, rolling stock owners and the Department.
• A good understanding of complex contractual transactions such as a procurement process or commercial mobilisation.
• A proven ability to analyse commercial and technical information and understand the impacts of such information.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing with people at all levels.

The sift is due to take place from 23/01/2024

Interviews are likely to be held from week commencing 05/02/2024

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 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, 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.