About the job Job description

We are excited to present this opportunity to start a challenging and rewarding commercial career with us. 

The Department for Transport is an important component to the UK's infrastructure, as it is vital for economic growth and prosperity. Transport keeps Britain on the move whether that be the daily commute to work or supplying businesses up and down the country, without it, business sectors cannot function efficiently. 
 

Watch James and Matt talk about the opportunities you'll get on the Commercial Development Programme

If you are a driven and motivated individual who seeks a challenging and rewarding career within a commercial role, then we will provide you with first class training and development and an opportunity to work on major and high profile projects. 

What will you be doing? The programme will run for three years and will include a diverse range of commercial based roles across the department, these include; Rail Franchising, High Speed Rail, Complex Commercial Procurement, Major Contract Management, Commercial Policy Development and Project Financing. 

We are looking to develop future leaders with specialist commercial knowledge and skills, as these are critical to the overall success of the department and Civil Service. In addition, your ability to lead and encourage others will also be essential to this role. 

What’s in it for you? The three year programme will be packed with challenge and variety to equip you with the skills and knowledge to work in senior commercial roles in the Department by the end of the programme. You will have our full support throughout the programme to enable you to drive your career forward, including funding you to study towards a professional qualification that is relevant to the commercial profession. 

What will you need? Candidates will need to have a passion for their own personal development, be highly numerate and prepared to commit to a three year development programme, including a professional qualification. 

We will also expect you to demonstrate your ability to communicate and influence effectively, as well as showing your potential and desire to lead people. 

The attached brochure will provide you with further details. If you have any questions, please contact the Emerging Talent team on [email protected] 

Qualifications

Candidates external to the Civil Service will need to have or be predicted one of the following: 

• A 2:1 degree in any subject 
• A Master’s degree in any subject 
• Be qualified/part qualified from either a recognised accountancy body, procurement qualification or project management qualification 

Evidence of this qualification will be needed prior to an offer of employment being made.

Competencies

We'll assess you against these competencies during the selection process:

• For this role, Leading and Communicating means: 
  
  Always being true to yourself, even in the face of pressure from others 
  Motivating and inspiring others to make things happen 
  Simplifying things so that others can understand 
  Helping others to believe in themselves and seeing what they are capable of achieving 
  Knowing yourself well, understanding your own emotions and behaviour

Benefits Pensions

Civil Service pension schemes may be available for successful candidates.

Benefits

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.

Things you need to know Security

Successful candidates must pass basic security checks.

Nationality statement

Candidates will be subject to UK immigration requirements as well as Civil Service nationality rules.

If you're applying for a role requiring security clearance please be aware that foreign or dual nationality is not an automatic bar. However certain posts may have restrictions which could affect those who do not have sole British nationality or who have personal connections with certain countries outside the UK.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using the Civil Service Competency Framework. Guidance on writing competency examples is available: A brief guide to competencies

The selection process will be designed specifically for the role. As a result, your assessment could include: 

• an interview 
• an interview with one or more exercises 
• a full day of activities including interactive, written and timed exercises 

Your interview may consist of a range of question types. These include questions about: 

• what energises you at work 
• how you would manage situations relevant to the role 
• your previous experience 
• your professional skills and knowledge 

Assessment Criteria 

Throughout the assessment process the following criteria may be assessed. 

For this role Leading and Communicating means: 

• Always being true to yourself, even in the face of pressure from others 
• Motivating and inspiring others to make things happen 
• Simplifying things so that others can understand 
• Helping others to believe in themselves and seeing what they are capable of achieving 
• Knowing yourself well, understanding your own emotions and behaviour 

For this role Making Effective Decisions means: 

• Solving problems, the more difficult the better 
• Making decisions and being able to make the right decisions 
• Thinking deeply about things, reflecting to arrive at the best conclusion 

For this role Collaborating and Partnering means: 

• Making connections between people, instinctively making links and introductions 
• Establishing rapport and relationships with others quickly and easily 
• Having the natural ability to form deep, long lasting relationships with people 

For this role Changing and Improving means: 

• Striving to produce work that is new and original, creating and combining things in novel and imaginative ways 
• Continually approaching things in original and ingenious ways, striving to come up with new and different approaches and applications 
• Constantly looking for better ways of doing things, for how things can be improved 

For this role Delivering at Pace means: 

• Pushing yourself hard to achieve what you want out of life and being self-motivated 
• Juggling things to meet changing demands and finding the best fit for what you want to achieve 
• Striving to produce work that is of the highest quality 
• Maximising your time to get the most out of whatever time you have available in whatever situation 
• Working hard, putting a lot of effort into everything you do 

For this role Seeing Big Picture means: 

• Constantly seeking out new information, learning more and being interested in everything 
• Pursuing things which give you a sense of meaning and purpose, always working toward a longer term goal 
• Paying attention to the wider factors and the bigger picture that will inform the decisions you make to achieve your objectives 

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK, Commonwealth and European Economic Area (EEA) and certain non EEA nationals. Further information on whether you are able to apply is available here.

Eligibility

Candidates in their probationary period are eligible to apply for vacancies within this department.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a guaranteed interview scheme (GIS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.