GRS – DFT
English Devolution Policy Leads
Ref: 290756
Salary: £50,238
Location: Birmingham, Leeds

Closing date: 11:55pm on Monday 5 June 2023.

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 the ability to negotiate and effectively handle challenge from senior stakeholders?

Have you got sound judgement, and can you quickly understand requirements to achieve the task at hand?

Are you an experienced policy professional seeking a new and exciting challenge?

If so, we would love to hear from you!

Job description

Regions, Cities and Devolution Directorate is the cross-cutting team leading the Department’s relationships with places – local authorities, Combined Authorities and Sub National Transport Bodies – right across England. Stakeholder engagement is a vital part of what we do, but our work is so much broader and deeper than that: our mission is to support DfT in taking a place-based approach to better transport, local and regional economic growth and productivity, and wider Government objectives including Levelling Up, as well as improving transport for the user and reducing carbon emissions. The directorate provides local insight on a whole range of transport issues related to specific localities, unblocks issues affecting scheme development or delivery, ensures policies impacting a particular place are aligned and works with teams across DfT and Government to support the best outcomes for places and government. Our work makes a huge difference to the daily lives of millions across England, whether they drive, walk, cycle or hop on the bus or tram.

Within RCD, the English Devolution Division leads for DfT on the Levelling Up White Paper mission that by 2030, every part of England that wants one will have a devolution deal with powers at or approaching the highest level of devolution and a simplified, long-term funding settlement. We lead the DfT input to a DLUHC-led cross-Whitehall programme of devolution deals, with transport being a top priority of all places for their deals, given its vital role in unlocking opportunity, increasing pride in place and supporting economic growth.

We are looking for a number of motivated and effective Policy Leads to join our newly established division. This is an opportunity to be in at the start and help shape the division and its work as well as the future of English devolution. Our work involves the nexus of policy, legislation and funding, and cuts across all main areas of DfT. Successful candidates will need to work across the Department to deliver on our commitments, quickly understanding and working with a range of complex policy issues across the modes; deploy negotiating and influencing skills within government and with local places; and be flexible to support new and emerging priorities.

Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part time basis, there is a business requirement, for the successful candidate to be able to work at least 30 hours per week.

Additional information
A minimum of 40% 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. While the post is open to applicants based in either Birmingham or Leeds, the team has existing Leeds-based members and we are particularly keen to hear from other applicants who are based there. There will be an expectation that team members not based in Leeds will need to travel there for face to face meetings and team activities from time-to-time.

There may be opportunity for travel to engage with stakeholders.

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 [email protected] as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

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.

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.

Before submitting your application, we encourage you to visit our Recruitment in detail page of the DfT Careers website. You will find detailed information about the entire recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role in the Civil Service. Throughout this job advert there are links to the DfT Careers Website, which provides you further information to support your application. Should you be unable to access the information on our website, please email [email protected] for assistance.

Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard checks.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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.

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 initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction.

For further information and to apply, click here.

Contact point for applicants

Ruth Harper, [email protected] 
Recruitment team, [email protected] 

Further information
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email: [email protected]

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission.