Contents Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information Location Birmingham, Leeds About the job 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. Are you a experienced leader who can lead and manage a team to deliver objectives? Can you tackle complex problems using your own creative solutions? Do you thrive on building and maintaining stakeholder relationships? Job description As Head of Major Events Planning, Exercising and Lessons, you will work with partners across DfT, other government departments and industry, to build the departments resilience and deliver the transport elements of reputationally significant events. Over the next 3 years there are a range of high-profile major events attracting national and international attendance, including the reputationally important VE and VJ Day commemorations; Womens Rugby World Cup; Commonwealth Games in 2026; and EUROS. In addition to this the successful candidate will oversee planning for ceremonial events and planning will likely be required for the G7 and G20 Summits. All of these events require operational transport planning and engagement. In addition to this you will shape the exercise and lessons programme for the Department. There will be some scope for individual tailoring of focus areas according to expertise and interest, and plenty of opportunity to expand your skills and knowledge, particularly in leadership. This role is ideal for an individual looking to take on a new challenge and broaden their experience. There will be opportunities to brief senior officials and Ministers and represent the Department at cross-Whitehall discussions and multinational fora. Responsibilities will Include, but not limited to: Effectively leading a small team, providing the strategic direction and vision for major events and exercising across the department Leading on the co-ordinated development and assurance of transport sector plans for major government events; Managing risk development and assessment for major event risks; Work with other teams such as Intelligence & Threats colleagues on transport security, the wider Department for resilience aspects and Transport Security Operations Centre during event live dates; Engaging with specialist teams within the Department and across government including Home Office, Cabinet Office, DCMS, DHSC and others to ensure join-up of resilience; Designing, embedding and running a new exercising programme to improve the skills and capability across the department; Implementing a lessons capture and recommendation process to support the preparation for new and existing risks as set-out in Department planning documents. For further information, please see the attached Role Profile. Person specification About You You will need to be able to work at pace, and happy to work in an environment where roles need to be flexible at times. You also need to be confident at communicating and influencing peers, seniors and key stakeholders within DfT and in other government departments, across a range of topics. Though previous experience in crises response, planning, strategy or exercising is not essential, you will need to familiarise yourself rapidly with the skills needed in such roles so that you can effectively develop the teams products and deliver. The ability to think around an issue, listen effectively, and solve problems will all be critical to making this role a success. Previous experience of managing or leading others is required, potentially in a matrix-management system. You will need to have strong leadership skills to lead the team and demonstrate leadership of wider networks to ensure effective delivery of transport objectives. You will have the ability to quickly grasp new complex subject areas. You will have experience of understanding complex problems and finding creative solutions considering risks and how to mitigate these. You will have experience of collaborating with internal and external stakeholders, building trusted working relationships. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience of developing briefings and presentations are required for this role. Additional Information 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. This role will include Overseas travel occasionally and there is a frequent requirement for the incumbent of this role to travel to London. Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Seeing the Big Picture Working Together Making Effective Decisions Communicating and Influencing We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form: Seeing the Big Picture Benefits 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. 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. Things you need to know Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience. How to Apply As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete: A written behavioural example in 250 words that provides evidence of you having demonstrated the following: Seeing the Bigger Picture 2. A tailored CV that demonstrates suitability to the role. 3. A Personal statement in 750 words providing detailed evidence of the following: Experience of understanding complex problems and finding creative solutions considering risks and how to mitigate these. Experience of collaborating with internal and external stakeholders, building trusted working relationships. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience of developing briefings and presentations. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, Seeing the Bigger Picture. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview. The sift is due to take place from 17th February 2025. Interviews/assessments are likely to be held week commencing 3rd March 2025. 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. Youre 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. 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 youre 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 dftrecruitment.grscabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs. Document Accessibility If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section. This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you cannot access the information on our website for any reason, please email DRGCommsdft.gov.uk for assistance. 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. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role. Pre-employment Checking 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 applicants 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. 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). Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records. Contact point for applicants Job contact : Name : Rosalind Redfern Email : Rosalind.Redferndft.gov.uk Recruitment team Email : dftrecruitment.grscabinetoffice.gov.uk 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: dftrecruitment.grscabinetoffice.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website Here Attachments Salary Information for DfTc Opens in new window (pdf, 324kB) Role Profile Opens in new window (docx, 69kB) Share this page Print Email Gmail Facebook LinkedIn