Deputy Director - Analysis, Enablers and Strategy, Future Transport Systems

Job summary

This is a senior leadership role in a dynamic and future-facing part of the Department for Transport. The role-holder will take responsibility for a large, multidisciplinary team which does essential work to enable the delivery of Future Transport Systems (FTS) Directorate strategic priorities. As an SCS analyst, the role-holder will also play a decisive role in shaping and delivering the Department’s strategy for analysis and data. This is a permanent role.

As part of the Road Transport Group, FTS is committed to delivering a world-leading safe, sustainable and equitable road transport system for the user. We do this by developing and applying evidence, forging strategic partnerships and leveraging technology to deliver high-quality outcomes and enable effective operational delivery. Our values are that we are professional; we are curious; and we deliver.

The Directorate leads across a range of critical areas, including road safety, international vehicle standards, connected and autonomous vehicles and sponsorship of the motoring agencies (DVLA, DVSA and VCA).

Analysis and evidence are critical to everything we do. This role’s focus is on overseeing timely and high-quality analysis that shapes the Directorate’s policy development and delivery plans. The role-holder is also responsible for managing i) the FTS Hub for business support, portfolio management, briefing and correspondence, ii) motoring agency sponsorship coordination, and iii) a programme team delivering Road Transport Group’s capital spending on technology and innovation.

Job description

Responsibilities of the role include:

• Lead a large, multidisciplinary team (economics, social research, statistics, policy, project delivery, strategy, administration and corporate support) spread across four DfT office locations. The team comprises of:
• The road vehicle technology analysis unit, supporting the policy work on vehicle standards and self-driving vehicles.
• The road safety and motoring agency analysis branch.
• Road safety, vehicle and EV charging infrastructure statistics.
• The FTS Hub comprising of the Portfolio Office, briefing and correspondence and the Director’s Office.
• Motoring Agency sponsorship coordination.
• The road transport innovation and technology programme team.
• Lead on and take responsibility for the fast-paced and demanding work of each of these components, which are all frequently subjected to shifting priorities and external demands.
• Play a critical leadership role across the wider Future Transport Systems Directorate as the most senior analyst.
• Oversee quality and timely delivery of analytical outputs, such as options assessments, business cases, evaluation and strategic analysis and evidence development.
• Support the wider Department, its Chief Analyst and Director of Data in shaping and executing wider goals on analysis.
• Take responsibility for the execution of the road transport innovation programme, keeping the team motivated and well-connected across the Department and acting as Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for two of the major projects.
• Build and develop relationships with key stakeholders within the organisation, the wider public sector and externally.
• Take responsibility for the professional development of self and team.

Person specification

You will need to be able to show, through your application, that you have the professional skills, breadth of experience and personal qualities for this post, as well as the leadership skills to succeed at Deputy Director level in the Senior Civil Service.

Experience

• Leading multidisciplinary teams in a confident and inclusive way.
• Managing change and being flexible in the face of shifting priorities and deadlines.
• Knowledge of appraisal and social cost benefit analysis techniques, principally those set out in the HM Treasury Green Book, in settings that are relatable to Government practice.
• Building strategic partnerships with stakeholders both within DfT and externally.
• Setting clear goals, objectives and vision for a team and following through on those.
• An outstanding track record of leading large and complex analytical programmes to solve problems and drive change through delivering high impact analysis that directly influences strategic, policy and operational approaches and decision-making.​
• Strong communication skills with a proven ability to communicate clearly and work effectively with a range of stakeholders at all levels, including Ministers and other senior stakeholders in a fast moving and complex policy environment.

Technical

You must be a member of, or eligible to become a member of, one of the Government analytical professions:

• Economics (GES)
• Social Research (GSR)
• Statistics (GSS)
• Operational Research (GORS)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £86,000, Department for Transport contributes £24,914 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

Whatever your role, we take your career and development seriously, and want to enable you to build a really successful career with the Department and wider Civil Service.

It is crucial that our employees have the right skills to develop their careers and meet the challenges ahead, and you’ll benefit from regular performance and development reviews to ensure this development is ongoing. As a Civil Service employee, you’ll be entitled to a large range of benefits.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

The Civil Service values and supports all its employees.

We have strong and pro-active staff networks, special leave policies for hospital appointments, reasonable adjustments put in place for those who need them, and diversity talent programmes to help everyone irrespective of background, to achieve their potential.

Pension

Your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package.

A competitive contributory pension scheme that you can enter as soon as you join where we will make a significant contribution to the cost of your pension; where your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken; and where your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire. Visit Civil Service Pension Scheme for more details.

Generous Annual Leave and Bank Holiday Allowance

25 days annual leave on entry, increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service (allowance is pro rata for part-time employ