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About the job
Job summary
We recognise the challenges that people with protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.
Would you like the opportunity to play a key role in shaping the future of our rail services?
Do you have experience of developing and delivering transport strategies and plans?
If so, we have a fantastic opportunity to join our Coordination and Planning (CAP) team, and we would love to hear from you.
Job description
Our team is responsible for coordinating the business planning process for train operators. We ensure it fits between individual operator plans, Department and industry policies and strategies, the contractual basis and incentives for rail operators, and the industry financial settlement the Department agrees with His Majestys Treasury (HMT).
The Department for Transport (DfT) intends moving towards a more strategic approach for business planning by developing a 5-year strategy to set out the immediate priorities towards improving the financial position of the railway. This strategy will in turn, inform the development of 5-year business plans for operators, giving greater certainty and cost efficiency through the ability to plan ahead with greater confidence. It is important that this 5-year strategy is practicable, and a critical interface will be with the development and running of the Annual Business Planning Process.
As Business Planning Strategy Lead, you will develop and manage the overall strategy for DfT Rail Operators and UK rail more widely. You will collaborate with advisors to determine the post-pandemic role of rail and develop options to improve its financial sustainability. You will ensure the overall strategy is approved across Government and used to achieve optimum outcomes of the Annual Business Planning (ABP) process with train operating companies. You will provide critical inputs to ABP process, including development of the Request for Business Plan supplied to operators, and review of the proposals put forward by operators.
You will oversee the development of the overall strategy for business planning, ensuring that the industry is driving the right outcomes for the Department, wider Government and for passengers, as well as developing a formal longer-term planning strategy for the future of rail.
In this role, you will liaise directly with our National Rail Contract Development Teams, Finance Teams, external financial and legal advisers, and Market Teams. You will also liaise with the Rail Reform team to ensure linkage with the longer-term development of the industry, and with Network Rail to ensure process alignment with the development of their regional business plans.
If you would like to find out more about what it’s like to work at DfT Rail, please click here.
Your key responsibilities for the entire process of strategy development will include:
- Developing and setting the medium-term strategy for operator Business Planning to allow for more effective strategic planning and to ensure the planning approach is driving the right industry behaviours.
- Managing strategic advisors to deliver a report summarising the post pandemic role of rail and options to improve overall financial sustainability, and using this output to shape and implement strategy development through the ABP process.
- Overseeing the development of 5-year plans for each train operator aligned with the output of the strategy, with a core objective being financial sustainability.
- Managing technical advisor support to strategy development, including the production of Profit & Loss modelling by operator.
- Providing input to the ABP activities run by the Department and contributing to the Request for Business Plan (RfBP) going to the operators, ensuring fit with the medium-term strategy for Operator Business Planning as well as other strategies under development within the Department and across the rail industry.
- Managing the working relationship with Network Rail, Great British Railway Transition Team (GBRTT), train operating companies and their owning groups in relation to business planning strategy development.
- Line management for a team of three to six colleagues including project management, commercial and strategy development staff, and indirect leadership of specialists within the Department on a project/task basis.
Person specification
About you
You will demonstrate excellent strategy development skills, and the ability to deliver in a highly challenging area where complex operational, policy, legal, commercial, and financial issues come together in an area of media interest.
You will have excellent stakeholder management and interpersonal skills, be articulate and credible to build positive working relationships with our internal teams, specialist advisors, and external industry partners.
You will be a confident presenter, effectively engage at all levels and have the capability to co-ordinate and successfully deliver results through others.
You will be a strategic thinker, highly numerate and have the capability to work with financial, economic and operational data to support recommendations.
You will either understand the railway commercial and operational environment or be willing to quickly develop your knowledge and understanding within this area once in role.
Additional Information
You will have the option to be either based in our Leeds or Birmingham office attracting the national salary, or London office attracting the London salary. Occasional travel may be required to attend meetings held at London and with our industry partners.
A minimum of 40% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace, although requirements to attend other locations for official business, or carry out detached duty in another DfT workplace, will also count towards this level of attendance.
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
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.
Find out more about what it’s like working at the Department for Transport.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
How to apply
When considering your experience, please tailor your CV and personal statement (maximum word count of 1000) to provide evidence of the following experience:
- Developing and delivering transport strategies and plans, with a particular emphasis on ensuring deliverability of strategies.
- Reviewing financial, economic and operational data.
- Working with multiple stakeholders and across teams to deliver a business strategy.
The sift is due to take place from 15/11/2023.
Interviews/assessments are likely to be held week commencing 28/11/2023.
We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.
The selection process will be designed specifically for the role. As a result, your assessment will include:
- An interview and a presentation exercise
This interview could be conducted online via Teams or face to face at one of our offices. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.
Reasonable Adjustments
As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
Complete the Assistance required section in the Additional requirements page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if youre deaf, a Language Service Professional.
If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Document Accessibility
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.
This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you cannot access the information on our website for any reason, please email DRGComms@dft.gov.uk for assistance.
Further Information
For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit the How We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role.
Pre-employment Checking
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 applicants 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.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
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Working for the Civil Service
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).
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Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Rail Resourcing
- Email : RailResourcing@dft.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
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
