Deputy Directors - Local Transport Infrastructure Sponsorship and Delivery

Job description

About the job

Job summary

The Directorate oversees major devolved transport funding and delivery relationships at a time of significant change in how central government works with Mayors, Mayoral Strategic Authorities and local leaders. The successful candidates will need to combine delivery grip with finely tuned political judgement, and the ability to operate confidently with Ministers, senior officials, HM Treasury, No.10 North and senior local politicians to secure progress, manage risk and maintain confidence across government and places.

One postholder will focus primarily on delivery of CRSTS and TCR portfolios. The postholder will work with Strategic Authorities to agree delivery plans and investment priorities, build a shared understanding of delivery progress, risk and confidence, and provide assurance and support to help secure successful delivery and benefits realisation across devolved transport portfolios.

The second postholder will focus primarily on sponsorship of retained major infrastructure schemes within the CRSTS and TCR portfolio. A central feature of the role will be the West Yorkshire Mass Transit (WYMT) programme, which is expected to account for around 50-75% of the postholder's time. Acting as the Department's sponsor for WYMT, the postholder will work closely with West Yorkshire Combined Authority and partners to provide assurance, challenge and support as the programme progresses through business case development, approvals and delivery planning.

The Directorate's operating model continues to evolve in response to the Government's devolution agenda and ongoing organisation design work. While each role has a distinct area of emphasis, both postholders will be expected to help shape the development of the Directorate's future approach to delivery, assurance and sponsorship. Sponsorship responsibilities for retained schemes within the TCR portfolio will be shared across both roles. The precise distribution of responsibilities between the two posts may continue to evolve as the organisation design develops, and in light of the experience, strengths and interests of the successful candidates.

Candidates will be asked to indicate a preference for one role, or to be considered for either. Final appointments will take account of candidate preference, assessment evidence and business need.

Job description

Responsibilities of the role include:

• Provide visible senior leadership across the Directorate's delivery and sponsorship responsibilities, helping to build a strengthened, complementary delivery capability that preserves place insight, improves resilience and aligns resources to strategic priorities.
• Build strong, trusted relationships with senior colleagues in Mayoral Strategic Authorities, local transport bodies and across government, including Ministers, senior officials, HM Treasury, No.10 North and senior local politicians, exercising support, collaboration, constructive challenge and finely judged political handling.
• Design and operate proportionate, risk-based reporting, assurance and governance arrangements that reflect the scale, complexity, delivery risk and organisational maturity of the relevant portfolio, based on transparency and accountability for public money.
• Drive delivery across the CRSTS and TCR portfolio, ensuring delivery plans, performance information, risks, dependencies, benefits and affordability issues are surfaced, understood and managed effectively.
• Invest substantial time face to face with local authority and delivery body teams to strengthen understanding of delivery confidence, portfolio health and investment risk.
• Ensure Departmental sponsorship, assurance and governance arrangements are aligned to each scheme or portfolio, balancing value for money, accountability, benefits realisation and the Government's ambition for deeper devolution.
• Commission expert advice and independent assurance where needed, and navigate internal Departmental, cross-government and HM Treasury approval processes.
• Work collaboratively across the Regions, Cities and Devolution Directorate, the Department and wider government to align around effective local delivery, maximise wider benefits, inform future support and targeted interventions, and ensure public investment delivers tangible economic and social outcomes for communities.
• For the postholder leading the Department's approach to sponsorship of retained major infrastructure schemes, dedicate a substantial proportion of time to the West Yorkshire Mass Transit programme, acting as the Department's senior sponsor and ensuring the programme has clear governance, proportionate assurance, effective business case progression, and robust engagement with West Yorkshire Combined Authority, HM Treasury and other key partners.

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.

• Proven senior leadership in sponsoring, overseeing or leading complex infrastructure projects, programmes or place-based funding settlements ideally involving delivery through local authorities, Strategic Authorities or other devolved delivery arrangements. You will bring the judgement to shape proportionate oversight that reflects investment scale, delivery risk, organisational maturity and the Government's ambition for deeper devolution [lead competency].
• Proven leadership of high-performing teams in complex and evolving environments, including developing capability, leading through ambiguity, working effectively across organisational boundaries and contributing to wider directorate leadership.
• Finely tuned political judgement, including direct experience of operating effectively in politically sensitive environments and navigating competing priorities involving Ministers, Mayors, senior local politicians and senior Government officials to secure delivery outcomes.
• Outstanding stakeholder engagement, communication and influencing skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships across diverse interests, explain complex delivery issues clearly, secure alignment across organisations, provide constructive challenge and influence partner organisations without direct authority.
• Ability to assess competing delivery, sponsorship and governance options, weighing value for money, affordability, assurance, benefits realisation and accountability in a devolved delivery context.

Desirable

• Evidence of working with and factoring in the wider cross-government and political context for programme delivery, including aligning strategic and operational coordination across the Department, wider Government, and delivery partners to support successful delivery outcomes.

Experience of public sector funding, governance and accountability frameworks, including an understanding of Managing Public Money principles and their application within devolved delivery environments.

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 employees). This is in addition to 8 public holidays.

This will be complimented by one further day paid privilege entitlement to mark the King's Birthday.

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

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

Application

Veredus are managing this competition on behalf of the Department for Transport. To apply, please submit the following through the Veredus website at Opportunities , Veredus quoting reference 1416by no later 9am Monday 2nd November 2026

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 1,000 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 also be required to complete the following:

• Diversity Monitoring Form - All monitoring data will be treated in the strictest confidence, will not be provided to the selection panel and will not affect your application in any way. 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' (via this link) DIVERSITY MONITORING FORM - Fill in form

• Candidate Supporting Information Form (via this link) CANDIDATE SUPPORTING INFORMATION FORM - Fill in form

If applicable, please also download from our website, complete and submit the following forms;

• Disability Confident Scheme Form
• Veteran's Scheme Form

Should you encounter any issues with your application or wish to have a confidential discussion, please contact our recruitment advisers at Veredus::

[email protected] or [email protected]

Longlist

The panel will assess your application to select those demonstrating the best fit with the role by considering the evidence you have provided against the essential criteria set out in the 'Person Specification' section. Failure to address any or all of these may affect your application.

The timeline later in this pack indicates the date by which decisions are expected to be made, and all candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible thereafter. Candidates selected for longlisting will be invited for a preliminary discussion with Laura Spurgin to further explore their skills and experience.

Candidates applying under the Disability Confident, Redeployment or Veterans Scheme who meet the minimum selection criteria in the job specification are guaranteed an interview. Please complete the relevant parts in the application system if applying under these schemes.

ShortlistThe panel will review reports on those longlisted and 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 Personal Specification

AssessmentIf you are shortlisted you will be asked to take part in the following assessments :

• Individual Leadership Assessment - a combination of psychometric assessments
• Staff Engagement Exercise - a presentation and Q&A with a representative staff group from across the DfT.

These assessments will not result in a pass or fail decision. Rather, they are designed to support the panel's decision making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview.

Informal DiscussionsShortlisted candidates will have the opportunity to speak to John Hall 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

InterviewYou will be asked to attend a panel interview where you will be asked to give a presentation and then have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification.

Interviews are expected to take place face to face in our London offices, SW1P 4DR.

Outcome and FeedbackUnfortunately, due to the anticipated number of applicants for this role, we are unable to provide feedback to those not successful at longlist stage.

TimelineThe 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 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 9am Monday 2nd November 2026

Longlist w/c 9th November 2026

Shortlist c1st December 2026

Assessments w/c 7th December 2026

Panel Interviews 14th or 15th December 2026

If your application is successful but you have been dismissed from the Civil Service, your application could be removed at the pre-employment checking stage depending on the nature of the dismissal.

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 applicant's 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.

All external applicants and current employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) will be required to undergo a Social Media Check. A Social Media Check is a review of your publicly available online activity, typically across platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and others. The purpose is to identify any public posts or content that could raise concerns for employers, such as:

• Hate speech or discriminatory behaviour
• Threats or acts of violence
• Illegal activity or substance misuse
• Sexually explicit material
• Extremist views or affiliations

Importantly, this check does not involve hacking into your accounts or accessing private messages. It only considers content you have chosen to make public. Employers use this kind of screening to help ensure their workplace remains safe, inclusive, and aligned with company values. It's not about judging your personality or lifestyle - it's about checking for potential red flags that might affect the role or company culture. If you have questions or concerns about the social media check, we would be happy to explain in more detail what's being looked at and how your data is handled securely and fairly.

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 basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.

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 theCivil 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 : Veredus
• Email : [email protected]

Recruitment team

• Email : [email protected]

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 [email protected] in the first instance.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission. Commission.