Contents Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information Location Birmingham, Leeds or London Frequent travel to other sites may be required. We currently work on a hybrid basis with 60% of our time working in an office location. About the job Job summary Rail connectivity underpins long term, economic development, supporting jobs and housing and allowing companies and workers widened choices about where they locate. The Major Rail Projects Group within the Department for Transport is responsible for the development and delivery of benefits from long term investment in strategic rail infrastructure from HS2 between Birmingham and London, the Euston Project, and Northern Powerhouse Rail linking our northern cities.Once delivered these will join up our biggest cities fostering agglomeration and faster growth. HS2 and Northern Powerhouse rail will provide new capabilities for the services that will be run by Great British Railways as it brings train operating companies into public ownership and takes an integrated view of track and train to focus on the best results for passengers. In order to realise these benefits for the country and travellers we need to deliver new infrastructure more efficiently and more reliably. We have recently appointed Mark Wild to lead and reset the delivery of the remainder of HS2 between Birmingham and London. Strengthening connectivity across the North is a manifesto commitment with cross-party and local support and there is now a big job to convert this into a robust and prioritised delivery programme. That will build on the improvements already being delivered between Leeds and Manchester through the Trans-Pennine Route Upgrade and apply the lessons from HS2 to ensure more efficient and controlled delivery. Leading a talented multidisciplinary team of around 50 people, the Director of Portfolio Management has a central role in this agenda and is responsible for the cross-cutting support to the directors sponsoring the delivery of both HS2, the Euston Project and Northern Powerhouse Rail. To do this the Portfolio Management Team provides funding, economic analysis, land and property policy and advice, and runs our governance and assurance across all our programmes, as well as owning the delivery agreements with HS2 Ltd and our work with Network Rail as the organisations developing and delivering the new infrastructure. I am committed to diversity and inclusion and your application is welcome whether you are disabled or able bodied and regardless of your social and ethnic background, sexual orientation and gender identity. If you are talented senior leader interested in supporting delivery of some of the countrys largest projects and making a difference at national scale then I encourage you to apply. Job description The Portfolio Management Director is responsible for the cross-cutting advice and support to the development and delivery of new rail infrastructure and its benefits, working closely with the five other Directors sponsoring development and delivery of HS2, the Euston campus and Northern Powerhouse Rail. The role holder is responsible for: Owning the contracting framework, sponsorship model and relationship between DfT and HS2 Ltd and Network Rail as our delivery bodies working alongside DfTs shareholder function on appointments and corporate governance and jointly ensuring the right capability and capacity. Funding HS2 Ltd and Network Rail to develop and deliver the railways including managing in-year spend, and supporting the Departments financial settlements with HMT through Spending Reviews including leading the Groups interfaces with DfTs finance function and HM Treasury. Leading the policy and powers allowing acquisition, management and disposal of the land and property needed to construct the railways including, safeguarding, compulsory purchase and statutory and voluntary compensation schemes working closely with DfT Group Property colleagues and interfacing with the independent Construction and Residents Commissioners. Providing programme management to the Groups programmes including resource management, capability and culture, assurance, dependency management and reporting and the provision of effective governance at ministerial, inter-departmental and programme level. Overseeing economic analysis, transport planning and social research support to HS2 and East West Rail to support business case development, cost-benefit analysis cost benchmarking, and benefits-led decision making. Identifying and sharing lessons to improve cost control and delivery within and between our programmes and more widely across government. 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 Director level in the Senior Civil Service. It is essential that in your written application you give evidence of examples of proven experience in each of the essential criteria of the person specification. These responses will be developed and discussed with those candidates invited for interview. In terms of strengths and experience we are looking for the following: An excellent leader of people who improves capability, leads through change, building a diverse, inclusive, and multi-disciplinary team. An ability to deliver results across organisational boundaries using soft power, influencing and contractual obligations to interface and align with partner organisations (such as our delivery bodies, their supply chains and other parts of government). Financially numerate to manage very large budgets and manage the trade-offs within the Group, with the wider Department budget and the whole of government budget. Commercially savvy to support and challenge our delivery bodies on value for money and budget management. Experience in working as part of a senior leadership team in shaping a complex operating environment and providing support and challenge to colleagues. Proven success in providing direction and leadership to expert teams including analysts, policy and finance professionals to promote a positive working environment based on openness, objectivity, fairness, non-discrimination and inclusion. Experience of working in infrastructure delivery or major project delivery would be useful but is not an essential criterion for this role. Benefits Alongside your salary of £120,000, Department for Transport contributes £34,764 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 Sunday 23 February 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 Your application will be acknowledged when it is received. Selection Process and Shortlist Elizabeth Hambley, Civil Service Commissioner, will chair the process. More detailed information can be found at the Civil Service Commission website: Civil Service Commission 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. Informal Discussion Shortlisted candidates will have the opportunity to speak to Alan Over prior to the final interview. This is an informal discussion to allow candidates to learn more about the role and is not part of the assessment process 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. I nterviews are expected to take place face to face in our London office. As part of the interview, shortlisted candidates will be given a scenario addressing a representative business problem and be asked to talk through their approach. This scenario will be given 30 minutes before the interview to allow time to prepare. 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 later in this pack 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 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 - 23:55 Sunday 23rd February 2025 Shortlisting - w/c 3rd March 2025 Panel Interviews - w/c 17th March 2025 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. Further Information If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact: scscandidate.grscabinetoffice.gov.uk Contact Us Should candidates like to discuss the role in more detail before submitting an application, please contact: psoverdft.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 Civil Service Commission Selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissions Recruitment Principles. In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Principles, our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of appointment on the basis of merit by fair and open competition. 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; scscandidate.grscabinetoffice.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commission at infocsc.gov.uk and more information can be found at www.civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk Attachments 388275 - Director of Portfolio Management, MRPG CIP Opens in new window (pdf, 9MB) 388275 - Director of Portfolio Management, Major Rail Projects Group - accessibility pack Opens in new window (docx, 23kB) Share this page Print Email Gmail Facebook LinkedIn