Senior Policy Advisor – Ukraine Humanitarian & Reconstruction (2 x roles)

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 developing meaningful relationships with a range of stakeholders?
Would you thrive in a fast – paced role and embrace the opportunity to deliver some of the Department for Transport’s core objectives relating to critical international policy?
If so, then this is the perfect role for you!, DfT’s Humanitarian & Reconstruction team was stood up following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 to support the people of Ukraine and manage the impact on the UK. Although initially established as an emergency response team, the team has transitioned to a permanent policy team. The team runs its own policy initiatives and projects, as well coordinating work across all modes to ensure a coherent response from the Department.
DfT’s Humanitarian & Reconstruction team has three core objectives:
+ To ensure a coordinated Departmental response to Ukraine’s recovery.
+ To support Ukrainians arriving in the UK, by facilitating access to transportation.
+ To harness British transport expertise to support Ukraine’s early recovery and reconstruction.
DfT’s Humanitarian & Reconstruction team’s main focuses of work include:
+ Leading a Transport Working Group within the DBT-led UK-Ukraine Infrastructure Taskforce. This brings together UK policy officials and transport businesses with Ukrainian officials, to foster collaboration and solve problems to rebuild and strengthen Ukraine’s transport infrastructure.
+ Running the UK-Ukraine Transport Partnership, which includes approximately 150 UK transport businesses with an interest in supporting Ukraine’s transport reconstruction.
+ Delivery of a maritime and aviation skills package for Ukrainian Transport Workers. This includes scholarships for Ukrainians to undertake merchant navy officer training in the UK, and training for Ukrainian Air Traffic Controllers.
+ Delivery of a multi-modal transport strategy to the city of Kharkiv, to underpin reconstruction master planning
+ Assisting Ukrainians in the UK to access UK transport systems.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
+ Supporting the delivery of the Kharkiv Reconstruction Transport Strategy.
+ Managing a grant to our charity partner for scholarships for Ukrainians to undertake merchant navy officer training. This includes leading communication with the charity, overseeing reporting, budgetary oversight and ensuring compliance with the grant agreement.
+ Leading work with DfT modal colleagues and transport operators to maintain the UK’s free onwards travel offer for Ukrainians.
+ Collaboration with DfT Road Safety team, transport operators, DVLA and xWH to provide clarity to Ukrainians on the use of vehicles and driving licenses in the UK.
+ Management of the UK-Ukraine Transport Partnership, including managing stakeholders, developing regular newsletters, content and maintaining the database.
+ Providing briefings for Ministers and DfT Seniors ahead of Ukraine-related meetings.
For more information, please see the attached Role Profile., 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.
There may be some opportunities for overseas travel to assist in delivery of the above objectives.
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:
+ Working Together
+ Delivering at Pace
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Seeing the Big Picture
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
+ Working Together
+ Delivering at Pace, 2. Two written behavioural examples in 250 words each that provides evidence of you having demonstrated the following:
+ Working Together.
+ Delivering at pace.
3. A Personal statement in 250 words providing detailed evidence of the following:
+ Experience of working within Policy Development.
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using your behavioural example of Working Together. 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 W/C 21st October 2024.
Interviews are likely to be held from w/c 4th November 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 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, 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., 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.
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 security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
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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+ Be able to build effective relationships with stakeholders, including internally, externally and with senior officials.
+ Be able to communicate clearly and concisely, with strong personal impact and the ability to produce high quality written material for diverse audiences.
+ Have the ability to react at pace and make effective decisions.
+ Be a team player, flexible in their role and responsibilities to help support demands.
+ Be able to demonstrate project management skills, with the ability to spot risks and opportunities, and manage finances with willingness to work towards a Contract Management accreditation.
+ Possess experience of working within Policy Development.

Please note, the above example is based on the National minimum salary. The employer pension contribution will be 28.97% of your specific salary.
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.