Department for Transport

We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) 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 Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) people, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.

Tired of building and running models without having the ability to communicate and shape outcomes?

Fed up with being “pigeonholed” as a transport modeller and repeating the same task over and over again without an opportunity to grow?

Do you want to help shape the agenda as opposed to just delivering it?

Do you have proven expertise in using complex models to solve analytical problems?

Can you communicate analysis effectively to inform decision making?

If so, we'd love to hear from you!

This is an exciting opportunity to shape the wider industry and join the Department at a pivotal time in the development of the future of transport in the United Kingdom.

The Department for Transport are recruiting for a Senior Transport Modeller within the Local Transport Modelling team. Candidates will have proven expertise in using complex models to solve analytical problems and the ability to communicate analysis effectively to inform decision-making. Working as part of a wider team, you’ll get the opportunity to work on leading-edge, multi-criteria models and influence the both the present and future day-to-day lives of UK citizens.

The Local Transport Modelling team plays a vital role in the development of policy and informing investment decision-making that has a real and tangible impact on users. It forms part of Local Roads and Transport Analysis (LRTA) group which is a high achieving fast-paced multi-disciplinary analytical team, that is highly regarded across the civil service, that works closely with policy teams and covers high priority political areas.

The skills and capability of Transport Modeller/Analyst are widely recognised and acknowledged within the department allowing you to work on a variety of projects within difference policy areas.

Our team plays a vital role in the development of policy and informing investment decision-making that has a real and tangible impact on users and as such is not your typical transport modeller role This truly is a unique opportunity that offers unparallel opportunities for the successful candidate to shape and develop their career outside of a traditional modelling role.  As part of the wider team, we cover high priority political areas including: 

• Tackling congestion and driving economic growth through managing multi-billion-pound investment programmes, involving infrastructure investment, levelling up and carbon
• Accelerating growth
• Delivering the levelling up agenda to help rebalance the economy
• Working closely with policy, economists, social researchers to help shape the future of transport in the UK
• Help shape the future of Carbon Appraisal and how the UK will meet its commitments to net carbon zero

Key accountabilities of the role include:

• Providing analytical advice and modelling reviews to a variety of stakeholders to help shape and inform future transport policy and investment
• Working with external stakeholders to develop modelling analysis to support decision making
• Advising on specific modelling issues both to DfT and external customers
• Commissioning modelling from external consultants, project managing their work and assuring outputs

For an in-depth insight into the role please refer to the Role Profile.

Additional Information

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.

You will have the option to be either based in London attracting the London pay scale, or in Leeds or Birmingham attracting the national pay scale.

Transport modellers may be eligible for an annual £2,000 retention allowance, paid in April each year. Retention payments for all Transport Modellers in qualifying posts are non-contractual and reviewed annually.

*This retention payment is available for those in post on 1/4/23, subject to satisfactory performance. The retention payment for all Transport Modellers in qualifying posts will be under review after 1/4/23. Those in eligible posts will be informed of any future payments after the review is concluded, but at this stage, future retention payments are not guaranteed. 

About You

This role requires prior experience in the development and application of transport models to solve complex problems and a demonstrable experience of the application and understanding of TAG - Transport Appraisal Guidance. You will need experience of undertaking analysis on modelling outputs to arrive at conclusions around modelling suitability and performance. You will have knowledge of appropriate modelling guidance and references.

You will be familiar with project management techniques that enable robust, transparent, and auditable outputs. When managing your own time and resources, you will show the ability to be flexible, prioritise workload appropriately in what can sometimes be a rapidly changing policy environment.

Whilst this a modelling role, it is also people facing and interaction and communication with internal and external teams and stakeholders will be a common occurrence. The successful candidate will need to be comfortable communicating effectively, especially being able to communicate complex information and ideas, adapting to a variety of audiences in an informative and engaging manner. The successful candidate will need to be able to focus on delivery and finding pragmatic solutions.

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

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

• Creativity and Problem Solving

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.

Job contact :

• Name :Ben Nicholass
• Email :Ben.nicholass@dft.gov.uk

Recruitment team :

• Email :dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk