Head of Aviation Resilience
Department for Transport
Apply before 11:50 pm on Wednesday 16th October 2024
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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 to lead a team that is responsible for building aviation resilience to future threats and disruption ranging from melting runways to space debris?
Do you enjoy problem solving and finding creative solutions whilst working with a wide range of stakeholders across Government and industry?
Are you able to make quick sound decision in a crisis?
If so, then this job is for you.
Job description
Aviation is vital for connecting the UK to the rest of the world - connecting people, businesses, and facilitating tourism and trade. The resilience of the aviation sector is key to maintaining the smooth running of the aviation network and avoiding disrupting the flow of goods or people. When significant incidents happen here and overseas, aviation is either affected or is a major part of the response.
The Aviation Resilience team are responsible for ensuring the UK aviation sector are appropriately prepared to mitigate and respond effectively to major incidents that have a severe impact on the sector, such as winter weather, IT issues repatriation events and industrial action. This is done through active risk monitoring, horizon scanning for potential new risks and possible mitigations, developing and maintaining response plans, working with the aviation industry and cross-Government partners to improve resilience and learning from past incidents. The post holder will need to work with other divisions across both aviation directorates, the DfT Transport Security Operations Centre and other Government Departments and industry.
The work is diverse, giving the post holder an opportunity to develop and structure the team in a wide range of ways whilst working on projects which clearly align with the organisational priorities. The responsive nature of the team’s work has created a flexible, co-operative team which enables post‑holders to be at the forefront of develop innovative solutions, take ownership of projects and develop their leadership skills, often working to challenging timescales.
This role is high profile, covering a varied range of topics giving an in-depth knowledge of DfT’s priorities and networking opportunities across the Department. This role is ideal for individuals looking to take on a challenge, broaden their experience and looking to progress in their careers. You will need to be capable of working at pace and happy to work in an environment where roles might need to be flexible at times. You also need to be confident at (or keen to improve) communicating and building credibility and influence with peers, seniors and key aviation industry stakeholders and across Whitehall.
Responsibilities
Key accountabilities of the role include:
- Leading the Aviation Resilience team.
- Collaborating with policy experts to understand the impacts of different risks facing aviation and escalating appropriately to senior leaders and minsters.
- Undertaking capability assessments on the department’s ability to mitigate and manage aviation responses.
- Supporting the planning for major events to ensure transport is factored into central government Concept of Operations.
- Leading aviation’s contingency and response planning for catastrophic risks such as nationwide blackouts, severe space weather events, and IT failures.
- Building relationships with analysis, science and research teams, and with experts across government and beyond, to provide evidence for the team’s work.
For further information please look at the attached Role Profile.
Person specification
About You
We are looking for an ambitious, motivated and confident candidate with the following skills:
- Be able to lead a team through challenging, fast pace.
- Be able to build effective relationships with internal, external and senior stakeholders.
- Strong analytical skills and the ability to spot risks and opportunities.
- Excellent communication skills, with strong personal impact and ability to produce high quality written material.
- Confident in communicating with peers, seniors, ministers and key stakeholders within DfT and in other government departments.
- Be able to think around an issue, listen effectively, and solve problems which will be critical to making this role a success.
- Can deliver high quality results under pressure and at pace.
- Able to take decisions in the face of complex or incomplete evidence and provide innovative solutions.
- Can familiarise yourself rapidly with the skills needed in such roles so that you can effectively develop the team’s products and deliver.
- You will need to be able to work at pace, and happy to work in an environment where roles need to be flexible at times, this will require out of hours working when responding to an crisis.
- The post has a high degree of autonomy and the holder must be comfortable operating within a broad strategic direction in pursuit of continuously improving aviation sector resilience and teams response performance.
Additional Information
A minimum 60% 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.
Occasional travel to other DfT offices will be required.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Working Together
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Participation and Engagement - Level 3
- 1. Strategy 1.1. Policy Context and Purpose Level 1: Developing
- 2. Democracy 2.1. Working with Ministers Level 1: Developing
Benefits
Please note, the above example is based on the National/London minimum salary. The employer pension contribution will be 28.97% of your specific salary.
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
As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV and Personal Statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
When considering applying please look at how your experience relates to the role, and within your CV and Personal Statement please provide detailed evidence of your experience of the following:
- Experience of understanding complex problems and finding creative solutions considering risks and how to mitigate these risks.
- Experience of collaborating with internal and external stakeholders, building trusted working relationships.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience of developing briefings and presentations.
Your Personal Statement will be limited to a maximum of 1000 words.
The sift is due to take place from 17th October 2024
Interviews/assessments are likely to be held week commencing 28th October 2024
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 an Policy Exercise
You will also be assessed against the Technical element of the Success Profile Framework. Three Policy Profession Standards are being assessed: Policy profession standards - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
This interview will conducted online via Teams. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.
You’re encouraged to become familiar with the role profile, as you may be assessed against any of the criteria recorded within.
The Department for Transport alongside other Government Departments recruit using Success Profiles. This means for each role we consider what you will need to demonstrate in order to be successful. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.
For further information on Success Profiles visit our Careers website.
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 you’re 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 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.
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
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).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Rebecca Christie
- Email : rebecca.christie@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
