Deputy Director, Roads Strategy, Infrastructure and Local Transport, DfTLA (Jobshare 0.6FTE)
Job summary
About the Government Legal Department
From healthcare to artificial intelligence, energy to national security, we provide legal advice to government departments on nation-changing subjects.
At Government Legal Department we have a vital, single-minded purpose: to help the Government govern well within the rule of law. This is complemented by our exciting vision to be an outstanding legal organisation, committed to the highest standards of service and professionalism and a brilliant place to work where we can all thrive and fulfil our potential.
Our work touches almost every aspect of public life. We are the largest provider of legal services across government, working on high profile matters.
Our respected professionals are involved in everything from regulation and litigation to advice on drafting legislation. They provide expertise to the full range of government departments. We are at the heart of delivering the government’s priorities and our success depends on our people.
GLD is a non-ministerial government department headed by the Treasury Solicitor, our Permanent Secretary, and employs nearly 3000 people, including over 2600 legal professionals. We have offices nationwide, in Bristol, Leeds, inner and outer London and Manchester. Our lawyers can also be located within other departments and overseas.
GLD also depends on a range of cross-government professionals to provide our corporate services. These play an essential part in helping GLD to achieve its purpose and truly deliver much more than law.
This is an exciting time to join GLD, with cutting edge legal work on global issues and a transformation agenda which is ensuring the Department exemplifies the Modern Civil Service.
To find out more about what we do you can view our introductory film here and visit the GLD’s microsite. You can also read more about the future vision for GLD in our GLD Strategy 2024 – 2027.
Job description
About the DfT Legal Advisers (DfTLA)
DfTLA is the in‑house legal team at the heart of the Department for Transport’s mission to “Connect People and Places”. With more than 180 lawyers across 12 teams, we provide strategic, high‑quality legal advice on some of the UK’s most complex and high‑profile transport issues. Our work spans public and regulatory law, major infrastructure projects, commercial arrangements, and extensive legislative drafting—including Bills and one of the largest statutory instrument programmes in government.
We enable delivery of the Government’s priorities: rail reform, improved bus usage, greener transport, and better integration of networks nationwide. Our lawyers advise on projects such as HS2, East West Rail, smart motorways and legislation for aviation, maritime and roads. We also support the UK’s international transport obligations through treaty work and global negotiations.
This is an opportunity to join a dynamic, influential legal directorate shaping the future of transport in the UK.
Stephen Cave, Legal Director
"Thank you for your interest in this exciting role in DfTLA. I’m very proud to lead a talented and diverse GLD directorate, where every day our people see the positive real world impacts their work has in making transport better for everyone. If successful, you’ll lead a hugely capable legal team dealing with some of the most pressing transport legal issues of the day. And, as part of DfTLA’s senior leadership team, you’ll help lead and shape the running of the directorate, and contribute to the wider leadership of GLD.
If that sounds of interest, then I very much hope you’ll apply."
The Role
This role is for 0.6 FTE of a jobshare post.
The post holder will lead a division of around 18 lawyers with their job-share partner (who is already in post). The division has a broad range of public law work, Bill work, a significant SI programme and some litigation. The work broadly covers three roads policy areas: Highways, Local Transport and Traffic and Technology.
Highways work relates primarily to the building, maintenance and use of roads, particularly the Strategic Road Network of motorways and A roads in England (“SRN”). By way of example, the division advises on the Road Investment Strategy (a complex investment programme and long-term plan for managing and improving the SRN which attracts significant interest and challenge from stakeholders and environmental lobby groups), Smart Motorways, management of traffic at UK borders (e.g. Kent and Dover) and regulatory and subsidy control matters relating to major road building schemes. They also work alongside National Highways, (which is responsible for managing the SRN in England) and advise on its legal relationship with the Department for Transport.
Local Transport principally covers travel by bus and taxi, but also coach travel and active travel (cycling, e-cycling, walking and wheeling). We contribute to the DfT’s strategy to de-carbonise public transport, as well as working to improve accessibility for all users. The team are currently working on implementation of the Bus Services Act 2025 (which the division’s lawyers led on) to enhance bus services and empower local authorities to improve public transport.
We are also changing the law to strengthen safety and protections for passengers in taxi and private hire vehicles.
Traffic and Technology lawyers advise the DfT policy team responsible for national traffic management policy and regulation. They support a significant legislation programme (secondary legislation and bill measures), as well as advising on technical guidance and best practice advice for highways authorities in England. They work closely with the policy team on digitisation of traffic regulation and parking and on opening up local authority transport data. They also provide legal advice on the development and trialling of e-scooters.
With your job-share partner, you will be responsible for establishing and managing client relationships and advising senior policy officials and Ministers on the above areas. The division works on some matters with external law firms and with external counsel, meaning that you and the division are routinely managing budgets and relationships with external lawyers.
There are two other divisions advising on roads and you will be expected to work closely with colleagues in those divisions, in particular to build capability and share knowledge and resources. Where relevant, you will be expected to work in close partnership with colleagues across GLD’s advisory and litigation teams. Additionally, as a member of the senior leadership team in DfTLA and the GLD, you will be expected to contribute to leading the wider DfT legal directorate (such as on legal quality) and GLD, and to creating an environment where everyone feels empowered in their role and future career.
Person specification
Person Specification
It is important through your CV and Statement of Suitability that you provide evidence and examples of proven experience of these selection criteria from the Civil Service Success Profiles that make up this role – Success Profiles.
Behaviours (to be tested at sift and interview)
- Leadership (Lead criteria)
- Managing a Quality Service
- Working Together
- Making Effective Decisions
Technical – Legal Professional Skills (to be tested at sift and interview)
- Ability to think strategically and bring wider legal experience and knowledge to bear
- Effectively manages legal risk
- Provides sound legal direction to the team and takes responsibility for the professional work of the team
- Excellent knowledge, understanding and experience of public law, Bill and SI work
- Ability to think creatively and give authoritative legal advice facilitating practical solutions
Experience (to be tested at sift)
- Experience of interpreting and advising on secondary legislation (essential)
- Experience of advising on infrastructure projects (desirable)
- Experience of instructing and working with external legal providers (desirable)
Security Clearance Level
All GLD employees must hold BPSS security clearance. If successful for this post you must hold, or be willing and able to obtain, BPSS level security clearance. You cannot start your position while until you hold this clearance level. More information can be found about the vetting and clearance levelsbefore completing your application.
Sponsorship and Visas
There is the possibility that GLD can provide sponsorship for skilled workers, as long as they meet the eligibility criteria set down under current immigration legislation. GLD does not guarantee sponsorshipwill be provided or that an applicant will be successful in gaining a skilled worker visa.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that they meet the criteria for sponsorship. They also have the responsibility to notify the Resourcing Team that they require Sponsorship at the start of the onboarding process into GLD. This applies to existing civil servants as well as external candidates.
Qualifications
Applicants should have a minimum of a 2:1 honours degree in their first degree (in any subject). Where an applicant holds an overseas degree qualification this should be equivalent to a 2.1 degree. GLD will consider applicants who do not have a 2.1 degree but only where satisfactory evidence of equivalent high level academic and/or professional achievement can be provided (e.g. via relevant experience and results achieved for the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)/CPE, Legal Practice Course (LPC), Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC)).Applicants must be qualified to practise as a Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive in England and Wales however, we also accept applications from overseas qualified candidates. You must have completed a training contract/pupillage/qualifying employment or have been exempted from this by the Law Society, the Bar Council or CILEx.
Please note that candidates cannot apply more than 3 months before their qualification date.
Professional entry criteria for Chartered Legal Executives (i.e. Fellows): Chartered Legal Executives are eligible to apply where (i) a Qualifying Law Degree (QLD) is held; or (ii) the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)/CPE has been completed; or (iii) where exams have been passed (i.e. a score of 50% or above achieved), at CILEx Level 6*, in all of the following seven foundation subjects in law:
1. Contract Law
2. Criminal Law
3. Equity and Trusts Law
4. European Union Law
5. Land Law
6. Public Law
7. Law of Tort
*Note: There are specific requirements relating to academic achievement in the CILEx Level 6 exams where these are being used to demonstrate 2.1 degree equivalence as set out below.
Chartered Legal Executives should note that GLD will be willing to accept an overall, average score of 65% or above across exams passed in the seven foundation subjects in law, (where studied at CILEx Level 6) as demonstrating 2.1 degree equivalence (where a 2.1 degree is not held).
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
- Managing a Quality Service
- Working Together
- Making Effective Decisions
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Legal Professional Skills
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £81,000, Government Legal Department contributes £23,465 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
Things you need to know
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.Application
To apply for this post you need to complete the application on Civil Service Jobs. The deadline for this application is 5 February at 12:00 Midday. You can search for the job using the reference number below.
In your application you will be assessed on the following:
- A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities experience and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years, as part of the online application form. The CV will be used to assess Legal Professional Skills (Technical) and Experience as a first stage sift. Those progressing through this stage will have a second stage sift on their statement of suitability, as per the below.
- A statement of suitability of no more than 1000 words, demonstrating how you meet the Essential Criteria for:
- Leadership
- Managing a Quality Service
- Working Together
- Making Effective Decisions
Please include clear headings for each of the behaviours.
Failure to complete all documents will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.
Should you encounter any issues with your online application or are unable to apply online please contact SCSRecruitment@governmentlegal.gov.uk.
Application Errors
Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. We understand mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days (Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we will not be able to reopen your application for you. If you do make a mistake with your eligibility form, please contact us via: activecampaigns@governmentlegal.gov.uk . Use the subject line to insert appropriate wording for example – ‘Please re-open my application – [insert vacancy ref] & vacancy closing date [insert date]’.
Selection Panels
The selection panel for this campaign will be:
- Stephen Cave, Director DfT Legal Advisers
- Tracey Kerr, Deputy Legal Director, DfT Legal Advisers
- TBC
Shortlist
You will receive an acknowledgment of your application through the online process.
The panel will then assess your application to select those demonstrating the best fit with the role by considering the evidence you have provided against the criteria set out in the ‘Person Specification’ section. Failure to address any or all of these may affect your application.
In the eventuality that there are a high number of applicants successful at sift, GLD may operate a longlist, whereby applicants who have been shortlisted and met the minimum pass mark but are not selected for interview will have their application placed on hold. After the initial interview round candidates on the longlist may be offered an interview, should there still be posts available.
Assessments
If you are shortlisted, you will be asked to take part in a Staff Engagement Exercise.
These assessments do not result in a pass or fail decision. Rather, they are designed to support the panel’s decision making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview. Full details of the assessment process will be provided to shortlisted candidates at the earliest opportunity.
Informal Conversations
Shortlisted candidates will also have the opportunity to speak to the vacancy holder, Stephen Cave or existing jobshare post-holder Amal Bhaimia, prior to the final interview to learn more about the role and the organisation. Please note this is an optional part of the process, not part of the formal assessment process.
Interview
You will be asked to attend a panel interview in order to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification.
As part of this interview candidates may be required to deliver a short 5 –minute presentation assessing Leadership and the title of that presentation will be confirmed in advance.
Interviews will probably take place in-person, full details of the interview format will be provided to shortlisted candidates prior to interview.
Offer, Feedback and Reserve List
The timeline later in this pack indicates the date by which decisions are expected to be made, and all candidates will be advised of selection decisions as soon as possible thereafter.
We are not able to offer feedback to candidates not selected at shortlist stage. Shortlisted candidates who attend an interview will also be offered written feedback from a member of the interview panel.
We appoint in strict order of merit. If you meet the minimum criteria for this position but are not successful for a post, you will be placed on the reserve list for up to 12 months. We then may contact you to see if you are interested in a post at the same, or a lower grade, in GLD should one arise.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
Recruitment team
Further information
You have the right to complain if you feel there has been a breach of the Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application hasn’t been treated in accordance with these Principles and wish to make a complaint, please contact recruitment_feedback@governmentlegal.gov.uk in the first instance. Please title your email as follows: Job Reference Number – Job Title – Recruitment Complaint. Complaints must be submitted in writing within 30 days of the incident or the decision which has caused the complaint. To fully engage with the issues raised GLD require that you submit evidence of your complaint.Attachments
444355 - Deputy Director, Roads Strategy, Infrastructure and Local Transport, DfTLA (Jobshare 0.6FTE) Opens in new window (pdf, 640kB)Salary range
- £81,000 per year