Contents Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information Location London. Travel to other sites may be required. As a member of the SCS you will be leading teams working on a hybrid basis. The expectation is that you will spend over the 60% workplace attendance requirement of your time in the workplace. Some travel to other DfT workplaces may be required About the job Job summary This role is one of seven Market Leads who are accountable for the delivery of passenger rail services within the Markets (North) and (South) Directorates. You will be one of three Deputy Directors within the Markets (South) Directorate supporting the Director in delivering the strategic, commercial and operational requirements for passenger services within this geographical market, but with the expectation of a particular focus on the Great Western operator. Great Western The role demands robust oversight and management of the Great Western National Rail Contract (NRC). The contract operates in a challenging environment including but not limited to a sustained period of poor performance for passengers, industrial relations challenges, the pressing need for more modern rolling stock, revenue growth ambitions and long term strategic operational planning with the construction of the Old Oak Common station for HS2. The full introduction of the Elizabeth Line since May 2023 and the interaction with Heathrow Express operations have created additional pressures on capacity and performance. There is an ongoing focus on the affordability and value for money of the railway which creates an environment where strong commercial and stakeholder management will be particularly important in this high value market. Additionally, with the enactment of the Public Ownership Bill, the transfer of the GWR NRC to public ownership in due course will require careful management and engagement with internal and external stakeholders. Job description Key responsibilities of the role include: Be accountable for the commercial and contractual in-life management of the Great Western Market team; also, for the delivery of the market objectives, Annual Business Plans, and implementation of progress towards rail reform; Laser-like focus on the improvement of performance on the rail network and reducing the net subsidy; Take responsibility for all submissions and business cases regarding the Great Western market to the governance boards within Rail Services Group, e.g. Strategic Investment Advisory Panel (SIAP), Strategic Operational Advisory Panel (SOAP) and to other Approvals Boards, e.g. Rail Tier 2 Investment Board (RT2IB) and Investment Project and Delivery Committee (IPDC); Promote the delivery of the Departments broader transport policies and strategic priorities through the NRC agreements, enabling any changes of policies through negotiation and/or influence; Apply contract management policies to facilitate the identification and application of best practice within the Directorate and collaboratively across Rail Services Group; Lead a joined-up approach, championing cross-team working with colleagues elsewhere in Rail Services Group, in Public Transport and Local Group (PTLG), in Major Rail Projects Group (MRPG) and across DfT ; Develop and foster collaborative relationships with relevant Network Rail Routes and Region; Be accountable for the development and management of industry and stakeholder relationships including, but not limited to, board level relationships with train operating companies and rail owning groups operating within the market, the routes and regions of Network Rail that are covered by your operator(s), and with other industry participants including Transport for London; and, Be accountable for including requirements for corporate social responsibility and ethical procurement; inclusion of, and support for community rail projects and other such initiatives. Flexibility to take on additional TOC leadership functions and/or support other initiatives as required to deliver requirements of Rail Services Group Management responsibilities of the role include: Lead a diverse team of approx. 10-15 people, ensuring the recruitment, retention and development of high calibre individuals across a hybrid working, multiple site environment. Act as a role model in demonstrating collaborative and partnership working with the operator, Network Rail and other stakeholders in robustly delivering our commercial and contractual responsibilities. Provide collaborative leadership alongside other parts of the Department especially colleagues within Rail Services Group, Public Transport and Local Group, and Major Rail Projects Group. Be a senior member of the Markets (South) and wider Market Leaders community, playing a key role in building and improving the Departments capabilities and capacity to successfully deliver the wider rail agenda including the industry changes associated with the implementation of rail reform. Key challenges Deliver ongoing value to passengers and taxpayers through high quality in-life commercial and contract management; Ensuring operational performance improves to address current poor levels, and to drive a reduction in net subsidy to meet the fiscal challenges of the railway; Working closely across the rail industry at a senior level to evaluate and develop operator markets, and to support the evolution of National Rail Contracts; Maintain and develop the resources within your team, especially in light of the contract changes and capability/ skill requirements, and the evolution of the sector operating model as part of the implementation of rail reform. 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. The industry is undergoing a period of intense change with the transition to new contractual arrangements, the implementation of rail reform and the consequential impacts on the work and staff management of our teams across Rail Services Group. The Market Lead role requires an individual with the breadth of experience who is confident in being able to make informed, well-balanced and clear decisions in a fast-changing environment and will need to evidence the following experience in their application: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence senior stakeholders particularly in sensitive, high-profile situations along with the political acumen to impact across Government and the rail industry. Knowledge and understanding of commercial and contractual management, financial control and confidence in stakeholder engagement to support decision making and effective communication of complex and/or sensitive issues. Confidence, authority and resilience to lead colleagues to support the resource requirements of the team during this period of change, both in terms of the development aspirations of those already in post but also the recruitment and capability needs for the successful delivery of the remit. Knowledge of the structure and workings of the rail industry OR evidence to show the ability and skills to obtain this very quickly. Benefits Alongside your salary of £85,000, Department for Transport contributes £24,624 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. 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 youll benefit from regular performance and development reviews to ensure this development is ongoing. As a Civil Service employee, youll 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 employees). This is in addition to 8 public holidays. This will be complimented by one further day paid privilege entitlement to mark the Kings Birthday. (Leave is Pro rata basis for part time/job share) Staff Wellbeing Flexible working including part-time or term-time working and access to Flexible Working Schemes allowing you to vary your working day as long as you work your total hours. Generous paid maternity and paternity leave which is notably more than the statutory minimum offered by many other employers. Childcare benefits (policy for new employees as of 5 April 2018): The government has introduced the Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) scheme. Working parents can open an online childcare account and for every £8 they pay in, the government adds £2, up to a maximum of £2000 a year for each child or £4000 for a disabled child. Parents then use the funds to pay for registered childcare. Existing employees may be able to continue to claim childcare vouchers, so please check how the policy would work for you here. Any move to the DfT from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. Onsite facilities Opportunity to use onsite facilities including fitness centres and staff canteens (where applicable). Things you need to know Selection process details Application To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online form. This should be completed no later than 23:55 on 15/01/2025 The application will include: A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years. A Statement of Suitability (no longer than 1000 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the criteria in the person specification. Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification. As part of the online application process, you will be asked a number of diversity-related questions. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the particular characteristics, you will have the option to select 'prefer not to say. All monitoring data will be treated in the strictest confidence and will not be provided to the selection panel. Should you encounter any issues with your online application please get in touch with us via scscandidate.grscabinetoffice.gov.uk Shortlist Your application will be acknowledged when it is received. The panel will select a shortlist of candidates whose applications best demonstrate suitability for the role, by considering the evidence provided against the essential criteria set out in the Person Specification. Candidates applying under the Disability Confident Scheme who meet the minimum selection criteria in the job specification are guaranteed an interview. Assessment Shortlisted candidates may be asked to take part in a series of assessments which could include: Individual Leadership Assessment a combination of psychometric assessments These assessments will not result in a pass or fail decision. Rather, they are designed to support the panels decision making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview. Interview You will be asked to attend a panel interview in order to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification. The Success Profile Framework will be used to assess and recruit the most suitable candidate. As well as Experience, we will also be using the following five behaviours at the interview stage: Leadership Seeing the Big Picture Making Effective Decisions Communicating and Influencing Working together Further information about Success Profiles can be found here: Interviews are expected to take place face to face in our London office, all shortlisted candidates will be asked to prepare a 5-minute presentation. Offer and Feedback Unfortunately, due to the anticipated number of applicants for this role, we are unable to provide feedback to those not successful at shortlist stage. Candidates who are shortlisted and attend an interview will be offered verbal feedback from a member of the interview panel. The timeline below indicates the date by which decisions are expected to be made, all candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible thereafter, and we will advise on any delays. Expected Timeline We will try and offer as much flexibility as we can, but it may not be possible to offer alternative dates for assessments or interviews. You are therefore asked to note the below timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process, in order to meet the dates given. Please note that these dates may be subject to change. The anticipated timetable is as follows: Advert Closing Date: 15/01/2025 Shortlist: c27/01/2025 Assessments: W/C 03/02/2025 Panel Interviews: W/C 10/02/2025 Security Clearance Please note that the successful applicant will need to hold or be prepared to apply for BPSS clearance. Reasonable Adjustment If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: Contact Government Recruitment Service at: scscandidate.grscabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs. Complete the assistance required section in the personal information page of your application form to provide information we should be aware of that will enable us to support you further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if youre deaf, a Language Service Professional. Reserve lists A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months, which the Civil Service may use to fill future suitable vacancies across government for candidates who are considered appointable following interview. Contact Us S hould candidates like to discuss the role in more detail before submitting an application, please contact: Jim.Richardsdft.gov.uk This campaign is being run on behalf of the department by the team at Government Recruitment Service, part of Government Business Services, a central government expert service specialising in the attraction, assessment and recruitment of senior civil servants. The team is regularly commissioned by departments and other government organisations to deliver end-to-end recruitment for some of societys most important leadership and specialist positions. Our work is regulated by the Civil Service Commission where necessary and supported by the equality campaign group Stonewall. Cabinet Office is a Disability Confident employer. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise. As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above. 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. 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 : SCS Recruitment Team Email : scscandidate.grscabinetoffice.gov.uk Recruitment team Email : scscandidate.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 you should contact scscandidate.grscabinetoffice.gov.uk in the first instance. 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 DD Market South Final CIP (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 2603kB) 383937 - Accessibility Pack - DD Market South (1) Opens in new window (docx, 25kB) Share this page Print Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn GMail