Engagement Lead - Rail Sector Transformation Programme

I> 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 enjoy collaborating and building meaningful relationships with a range of stakeholders?
Would you relish the opportunity to be part of one of the UK Government’s largest transformation programmes to drastically improve the railways?
If so, we are looking for a G7 Policy professional to join our team as Engagement Lead and we would love to hear from you!, This is an exciting time to join the Rail Sector Transformation Programme (RSTP), as we deliver the biggest shakeup to the railways in decades, and help shape a key part of the future transport network. With work happening at pace, and with considerable external industry and political interest, the role will suit a self-starter who is used to leading through fast-paced and but exciting environments, keen to build effective working partnerships across the sector, and support delivery of major reforms.
This role will be based in the Delivery and Engagement Division, which sits within the Rail Reform Directorate, part of the wider Public Transport and Local Group. Our team lead on all the cross-cutting work to deliver and drive rail reform benefits. A key aspect of your role will be to collaborate with teams across the Programme and partner organisations, to choregraph and deliver effective and strategic engagement with the rail sector. This will include colleagues in the Directorate, policy and communications teams across the Department, Network Rail and Shadow Great British Railways (SGBR) organisations and other key rail sector stakeholders. You will also work closely with Ministers and senior officials, deploying them effectively to build support and consensus for reform, and ensure consistent messaging and narrative across the Programme. You will manage a team of two, working with them to identify opportunities for engagement and ensuring it’s best tailored to
the Programme’s needs.
The role provides a challenging and rewarding opportunity to influence policy, work with a diverse range of stakeholders and deliver real benefits for people.
Responsibilities
Your key duties and responsibilities will include but not be limited to:
+ Leading on internal and external engagement on Rail Sector Transformation (RST), regularly working in partnership with Shadow GBR organisations, and rail sector stakeholders.
+ Develop, lead and implement the engagement strategy for RSTP, ensuring effective engagement is taking place across key policy areas, championing it as part of any policy development and implementation.
+ Proactively identify, develop and own key stakeholder relationships with stakeholders from the rail sector and beyond.
+ Lead delivery of engagement around RSTP milestones, including events, visits, speeches, roundtables, etc., You will have the option to be based in our London office attracting the London salary, or in Leeds or Birmingham attracting the National salary. If based in Leeds or Birmingham, occasional travel to our London office will be required for key meetings and team events.
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. Occasional travel to other DfT offices will be required.

Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Seeing the Big Picture
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Working Together
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
+ Seeing the Big Picture, We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
+ Policy Profession Standards and Descriptors: Strategy 1.1. Policy Context and Purpose Level 1 - Developing
+ Policy Profession Standards and Descriptors: Democracy 2.1. Working with Ministers Level 1 – Developing, As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
When considering applying please look at how your experience relates to the role. Please tailor your CV to match the role and its responsibilities and within your Personal Statement (max 750 words) please provide detailed evidence of the following:
+ Experience leading and driving forward policy development.
+ Your use of confident and compelling communication with experience of briefing Ministers and senior officials effectively.
+ Managing relationships with a diverse range of external stakeholders.
+ Experience of working in ambiguous environments and achieving by seeing the wider picture and purpose.
You are also required to provide a supporting Behaviour Statement (max 250 words) for Seeing the Big Picture.
The sift is due to take place from 02 December 2024.
Interviews/assessments are likely to be held from 11 December 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.
+ A written exercise.
This interview could be conducted online via Teams or face to face at one of our offices (for personal circumstances or reasonable adjustments). Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.
If you are shortlisted, you will first be invited to complete a written policy exercise which will take approximately 75 minutes, details will be sent to you beforehand. The written exercise will be conducted online and will be used to assess your ability as noted on the Role Profile against level 1 of the Policy Profession Standards
Policy Profession Descriptors
Interview/exercise may/may not be held on the same day (Individual invites will be sent).
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.
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You will be someone with strong personal impact who can look beyond the norm. We are looking for a confident, flexible, and organised individual who has experience to deliver policy in a fast-paced environment.
You will have effective decision-making skills, and enjoy proactively taking the initiative to find solutions to problems, identifying areas of improvement and handling risks with the ability to communicate issues to senior decision makers and external stakeholders and you are not afraid to challenge.
You will be someone who champions engagement and builds rapport quickly with others to build effective working relationships at all levels within the Department and sector.
You will have leadership experience in driving progress on policy or engagement, setting clear direction and empowering and supporting a team to deliver to their full potential.

Alongside your salary of £54,857, Department for Transport contributes £15,892 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
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.