Deputy Directors

Salary: Circa £71,000 based on skills and experience (SCS PB1)

Location:  Birmingham, Leeds and London 

The Department for Transport (DfT) is leading investment, innovation and change in delivering a modern, technologically advanced transport system across the UK. Our work is dynamic and challenging, affecting most of the country’s population every single day. Our transport networks deliver goods to our shops, get people to work and reunite us with our loved ones. Our investment in infrastructure and connectivity unlocks growth, jobs, skills and opportunity across the UK. We need forward-thinking, inspiring leaders to help design, develop and shape the decisions that will make the UK a country that works for everyone. Together, we’ll bring lasting change to millions of people.

We are looking for a number of Deputy Directors to work at the heart of the Department to design, develop and deliver policy and programmes to meet our ministerial priorities and key objectives. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates and candidates with other protected characteristics. The policies you work on and the projects and programmes you will lead will have a direct impact on communities, achieving our ambition of connecting people and places and in driving prosperity. We are fast paced, innovative and unique in the breadth of work we lead, making DfT a truly exciting and rewarding place to work and progress your career.

It's important that our leadership represents the society it serves. DfT is committed to attracting, supporting and developing a diverse workforce. We want all of our staff - regardless of gender, age, religion, sexuality, ethnicity or whether they have a disability – to succeed. We invest in our leaders to support career development. Our teams are at their best when they include diversity of thought and we encourage a variety of ideas to ensure our work is the best it can be.

We are working on some of the largest and most complex infrastructure projects this country has ever seen. Our policy remit ranges from making travel greener, to autonomous vehicles, smart ticketing and what our exit from the EU means for the future of travel. Our policies affect everyone in the UK, and we’re looking for candidates who want new, complex challenges on a national scale.

About you:

We are looking for exceptional leaders to drive and deliver our policy agenda and projects; and grow and inspire diverse, high performing teams. As public servants we have a positive duty to promote equality and therefore we are looking for people who can show that they understand, value and can demonstrate how they have done this, both in their leadership of people, and development and implementation of policy.

We are actively seeking applications from every part of the community. We are especially interested to hear from candidates from underrepresented backgrounds (including BAME, LGBTQ+ and those with hidden and unhidden disabilities) and our recruitment process is specifically designed to be fair and accessible for all applicants.

Required skills and experience:

• An inspiring leader with exceptional emotional intelligence.  

• Experience of building strong relationships with stakeholders. 

• Have sound policy and analytical skills, with the ability to interpret complex data and inform decision-making. 

• Project and programme leadership skills that deliver tangible results across complex programmes. 

• Persuasive and engaging communicator and committed to providing empowering support to ensure individuals and teams always remain effective. 

At DfT, we offer our people an excellent benefits package, including attractive annual leave, a Civil Service pension with employer contributions, flexible working options, a range of family friendly policies as well as an employee discount scheme. We also offer a range of networking opportunities, coaching schemes from quality providers, as well as strong learning and development programmes.

To find out more about these exciting roles and for a confidential discussion, including about any accessibility needs in relation to disability, please click on Apply button.