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.
Do you have strong communication skills and can adapt to your audience?
Can you see the big picture and think strategically when making decisions?
Have you got good organisational and project management skills?
If so, we have an exciting role in a high-profile area, where you will have the opportunity to drive the strategic vision of the Department’s work to decarbonise the aviation sector, and we would love you to apply!
Job description
We are looking for an enthusiastic, capable, and credible individual who can provide strategic leadership across our Jet Zero Programme (achieving net zero aviation by 2050). This role is rewarding and diverse and will suit motivated team players who are passionate about environmental issues and able to quickly get to grips complex policy and technical issues, while building effective working relationships across government, academia, and industry.
The role sits within the Aviation Decarbonisation Division working on a broad portfolio of exciting and important areas to ensure the aviation sector plays its part in the UK reaching our net zero commitments and will require working with other teams in DfT, and other government departments including the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero and the Department for Business and Trade.
You will be working on a policy area that is a key priority for the Government with growing public interest and high expectations. You will build expertise in green aviation policies, climate change science and policy, the wider aviation sector, technology and innovation, and will have the opportunity to engage and influence a variety of stakeholders across the sector, wider industry and government.
Responsibilities
- Developing a strategic understanding and oversight of the “Jet Zero” approach, and the various policies underpinning it, to support and challenge teams across Government in the delivery of key milestones.
- You will need to use your initiative to spot cross-cutting risks to strategic delivery and devise new and innovative solutions to keep UK aviation on track to achieving net zero aviation by 2050.
- Developing and embedding a monitoring and evaluation framework for the Jet Zero Strategy, including by building exceptional working relationships with policy teams across the Department and Government, developing expertise across the aviation decarbonisation portfolio, and gaining a detailed understanding of inter-dependencies required to achieve net zero aviation by 2050.
- Leading on Jet Zero programme governance to ensure implementation of net zero aviation by 2050 remains on track and maintain buy-in from key stakeholders in the DfT and across Government.
- Ensuring aviation decarbonisation policy and progress is accurately reflected in cross-transport and cross-economy net zero targets and reporting.
- Briefing Ministers and Senior Civil Servants, drafting submissions and correspondence. Working within a fast-paced policy team you may be required to pick up new areas during busy periods.
For more information, please see the attached Role Profile.
Person specification
- To thrive in this role, you will have good organisation and project management skills, teamed with the ability to provide strategic oversight to a programme.
- You are someone that has good verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to adapt your delivery to suit a wide variety of audiences, maximising both impact and understanding of complex policy matters.
- You are someone who can gain rapport quickly with others as you look to build effective working relationships both inside and outside government.
- You are someone who works well both autonomously and as part of a team to ensure that you deliver departmental objectives.
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 role will require occasional travel to other DfT locations.
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Making Effective Decisions
Technical skills
We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- 1. Strategy 1.1. Policy Context and Purpose Level 1: Developing Define the sought impacts and outcomes of a policy.
- 2. Democracy 2.1. Working with Ministers Level 1: Developing Deliver effective internal communication. Write for different audiences and purposes, including scrutiny.
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.
As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide:
- A written behavioural example in 250 words that provides evidence of you having demonstrated the behaviours listed in the advert.
- A tailored CV that demonstrates suitability to the role and the essential criteria.
- A Personal statement in 750 words providing detailed evidence of the following:
- Experience of managing projects, working independently and leading on specific pieces of work, demonstrating good organisational skills and attention to detail. With experience/understanding of governance.
- Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders at all levels to achieve progress on shared interests.
- Experience producing high quality, concise written papers, drawing on evidence to set out compelling arguments and justifications for recommendations suitable for a range of internal and external audiences, including senior leaders.
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using your behavioural example of Seeing the Big Picture.
Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.
The sift is due to take place from the 13th to the 16th of May 2024.
Interviews/assessments are likely to be held from the 27th of May 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 written policy exercise.
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 and Policy profession standards – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 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.
Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter
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 undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
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.
Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
More Information
- Address Birmingham, Leeds
- Salary Offer £40,808
Department for Transport
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