Correspondence Lead and Policy Advisor

The CPTE team is responsible for setting the high-level policy and legislative framework by which local authorities in England manage enforcement of on-street parking, bus lanes and moving traffic restrictions.
The successful candidate will be responsible for handling external correspondence from a wide range of stakeholders including MPs, members of the public, large organisations or campaign groups. You will lead as necessary on responding to correspondence relating to on-street parking, moving traffic and bus lanes. An example of a possible emerging policy issue that you may receive correspondence on is a review of the current penalty charge levels nationally to ensure they are fit for purpose.
Communicating effectively with stakeholders and the wider public is a fundamental part of how we do our job. You will support the team in shaping and influencing policy and providing briefing to Ministers while maintaining good relationships with key external stakeholders including the British Parking Association, Adjudication Service, London Councils and the Local Government Association. You will also work collaboratively with colleagues from across DfT to help shape policy positions and resolve issues.
The CPTE team sits within the Traffic & Technology Division which is responsible for how the road network is designed and managed. What we do is all around us and is part of the social fabric; think of traffic signs, pedestrian crossings, road works, and traffic lights, as well as the emerging technology in these fields; think e-scooters and smart parking solutions. Our work affects everyone in one way or another whether we walk, cycle, drive, catch a bus or have things delivered. The Division also has close links with other policy areas within Department for Transport, particularly road safety, cycling and walking policy, and accessibility.
Responsibilities include, but not limited to:
+ Using your knowledge and judgement to help establish how cases should be dealt with.
+ Using our electronic correspondence handling system confidently, including the accurate inputting and updating of data.
+ Managing and maintaining positive, professional and trusting working relationships across a range of internal and external stakeholders.
+ Identifying sensitive correspondence cases and raising these with senior colleagues appropriately, with suggestions on how to deal with them.
+ Drafting high-quality, timely responses to Parliamentary Questions, Ministerial Correspondence and other forms of official correspondence.
+ Ensuring that work is undertaken within the set standards, protocols and timelines.
+ Drafting Ministerial briefing contributions. There will be opportunities to attend associated briefings, meetings and work more widely on policy areas.
For more information, please find the role profile attached., 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.
Find out more about working within policy at the Department for Transport: https://careers.dft.gov.uk/policy/

Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Working Together
+ Delivering at Pace, As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement (500 words). Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
In your Personal Statement please provide details of the following:
+ Ability to build and maintain effective networks, and work confidently with internal and external stakeholders to bring together views and perspectives of a diverse range of stakeholders.
+ Experience of communicating complex information to a general audience.
+ Drafting skills and attention to detail.
The sift is due to take place week commencing 30th September 2024.
Interviews are likely to be held week commencing 21st October 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. 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., 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.

Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

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).
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Do you have excellent verbal and written communication skills?
Are you confident working with and building strong working relationships with a range of stakeholders?
If so, the Civil Parking and Traffic Enforcement (CPTE) Policy team are looking for an enthusiastic individual to join and lead on the team’s correspondence, and we would love to hear from you!, + Can build and maintain effective networks, and work confidently with internal and external stakeholders to bring together views and perspectives of a diverse range of stakeholders.
+ Is a motivated individual who is comfortable working independently to proactively identify key areas of work.
+ Can help develop, implement and deliver policies, and can build knowledge quickly.
+ Can think creatively to identify the best approach or solution.
+ Excels at verbal and written communication that delivers high quality and clear messages.
+ Proficient using Microsoft Office packages, e.g. Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Teams and OneNote.

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.