Jobshare Assistant Director - Transport and place
National Infrastructure Commission
Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 22nd May 2022
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About the job
Summary
The National Infrastructure Commission is looking for a jobshare Assistant Director, who will lead projects and staff to deliver against the Commission’s broad and challenging remit, particularly in relation to transport and local growth. This is an opportunity to work creatively and rigorously on some of the most pressing issues for UK infrastructure, outside the constraints of current government policy, over the long-term.
Job description
Assistant Directors sit at the heart of the NIC. They are responsible for leading projects and staff to deliver against the Commission’s broad and challenging remit. You will work closely with the Commission and senior management to scope and deliver the essential components of the Commission’s work plan.
We are looking for an enthusiastic and proactive candidate, with the ability to put structure around big questions, to develop plans to deliver evidence-based answers to them and who wants to test ideas and approaches outside the constraints of current policy frameworks. We will give you the space, support and challenge required to think through some of the most complex and high-profile issues facing the UK today in transport and local growth policymaking.
The work itself may include studies directly commissioned by the Chancellor, delivering the second National Infrastructure Assessment and more targeted work packages aimed at tackling specific evidence gaps or opening up new debates. You will need to build good working relationships with key Whitehall departments and the relevant infrastructure sectors, whilst protecting the Commission’s independence. Management will be one of your strengths. You should be able to inspire the best in people to deliver and to develop their skills, as well as taking your own development as a manager seriously.
You will be expected to:
-*Lead multiple policy projects across the Commission’s remit, focusing on transport and local growth. Identify recommendations and prepare reports which are robust and compelling enough to have a direct impact on Government policy.
-*Line manage a small multi-disciplinary team, which may include policy-makers, specialists and secondees.
-*Play an active role in the leadership team at the Commission, providing input and challenge across the Commission’s work programme and contributing to making the Commission a great place to work.
-*Represent the Commission externally with senior stakeholders, at meetings and events. Own the Commission’s relationships with key stakeholders across transport and local growth.
About NIC
By joining us, you’ll play a key role in delivering independent advice to government on the UK’s long-term infrastructure needs. We do this to help support sustainable economic growth across the whole of the UK, improve competitiveness and ultimately improve the quality of life of UK citizens.
In fulfilling our purpose and objectives, we:
-*Set a long term agenda – identifying the UK’s major economic infrastructure needs, and the pathways to address them,
-*Develop fresh approaches and ideas – basing our independent policy recommendations on rigorous analysis, and
-*Focus on driving change – building consensus on our policy recommendations, and monitoring government progress on their delivery.
Our core responsibilities include:
•*producing a National Infrastructure Assessment once every five years, setting out the Commission’s assessment of long-term infrastructure needs with recommendations to government on how to meet them.
•*carrying out in-depth studies into the UK’s most pressing infrastructure challenges and making recommendations to government, and monitoring the Government’s progress in delivering infrastructure policy and programmes recommended by the NIC and influencing the policy debate.
We are a small, friendly organisation where policy experts, economists and analysts work together intensively in project teams, rather than silos. We work to support the Commissioners to push for action on and endorse our recommendations and to monitor government’s progress in implementing them.
This role is within the Commission’s policy team which compromises of around 20 staff. The Secretariat is led by our Chief Executive, supported by a Senior Management Team, comprising the Chief Economist, Directors of Policy and Chief Operating Officer. The Commission is chaired by Sir John Armitt, with seven other Commissioners at present.
Full details of the role are available in the downloadable candidate pack. If you would like further information, please get in touch with Greg McClymont (greg.mcclymont@nic.gov.uk).
Responsibilities
1. Experience - First-rate policy-making skills. Evidence of your ability to articulate the objectives of policy programmes and link them to wider strategic considerations, to develop and implement plans to achieve them, to identify impactful policy proposals that respond to political and strategic context, and to win the support of senior stakeholders for your proposed approach.
2. Behaviour – Making effective decisions. Ability to draw sound conclusions from evidence, including developing rigorous plans for policy analysis, scrutinising and interpreting complex evidence including quantitative analysis, and reaching robust policy judgements based on evidence that may be incomplete or conflicting.
3. Behaviour – Communicating and influencing. Ability to build and manage relationships, including in sectors in which you have not previously worked. Confidence and credibility in meeting and influencing senior stakeholders. Good presentation skills, and experience of presenting policy analysis and ideas to a senior audience.
4. Behaviour – Leadership. Inspire and motivate teams to be fully engaged in their work and dedicated to their role. Promote diversity, inclusion and equality of opportunity. Tackle difficult issues with care and sensitivity where required.
The lead criteria is: Experience - First-rate policy-making skills
If we receive a large number of applications, applications will be assessed against this criteria alone first. They will then be assessed against the other criteria if they have met the minimum score on the lead criteria.
You should make reference to these Behaviours, Experience and Technical Skills descriptions when completing your application.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
- Leadership
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Written communication skills
Benefits
• 25 days’ annual leave (rising to 30 after 5 years), plus 8 public holidays and the Queen’s birthday (unless you have a legacy arrangement as an existing Civil Servant).
• Flexible working patterns (part-time, job-share, condensed hours).
• Access to a generous Defined Benefit pension scheme with employer contributions.
• Access to a cycle-to-work salary sacrifice scheme, season ticket advances and payroll giving.
• Access to a retail discounts and cashback site.
• A Rental Deposit Advance Scheme to help meet the total costs of deposits for privately rented homes.
Things you need to know
Security
Selection process details
•*Proof of identity, e.g. your passport or driver’s license. Documents must be in date and valid.
•*Proof of address, e.g. a utility bill or bank statement issued within the past 3 months.
•*Proof of your National Insurance (NI) number, e.g. letter from DWP confirming your NI number, or P60.
•*If you do not bring a UK or EU passport, you will need to bring other documentation of your right to work in the UK, e.g. your visa, biometric residence permit or birth certificate.
Further details regarding acceptable documents will be provided in the invitation to interview.
Please let us know if your contact details change at any time during the selection process.
Eligibility Statement:
Individuals appointed to the Treasury Group will be subject to National Security Vetting.
To allow for meaningful checks to be carried out applicants will normally need to have lived in the UK for at least 3 out of the past 5 years.
A lack of UK residency in itself is not always a bar to security clearance but the Department will need to consider eligibility on a case by case basis using all information that can be obtained following a successful application.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
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.
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Greg McClymont
- Email : greg.mcclymont@nic.gov.uk
Recruitment team :
- Email : hrrecruitment@hmtreasury.gov.uk