Director of Communications and Customer

Job summary

The executive director provides leadership of the DVSA communications and customer relations communities, supporting our core customer-facing services, including:

• driver theory test – 2.9 million per annum
• practical driving tests for cars, motorcycles, large goods vehicles – over 2 million
• MOTs for cars – nearly 42 million per annum
• vehicle testing for HGVs and PSVs – over 690,000 per annum
• enforcement of all legislation for which DVSA is accountable

The post will lead the development and delivery of DVSA’s customer relations and communications strategy in collaboration with the executive team, ensuring a strong focus on customer insight, reputation, engagement and clear, effective communication with the public, stakeholders and colleagues.

This role is responsible for strengthening DVSA’s approach to customer experience, external communications, internal communications and stakeholder engagement, ensuring that services and messages are informed by customer need and support the delivery of organisational priorities.

As a member of the executive committee, this role also has collective responsibility for the overall strategic direction, performance and culture of DVSA.

The role will lead the agency’s strategic vision for customer relations and communications.

The role heads a directorate covering customer relations, internal and external communications, stakeholder engagement and insight, providing expert leadership across a wide range of disciplines.

DVSA’s customer relations and communications function is fundamental to building trust in the agency, improving customer experience and ensuring that colleagues, customers and stakeholders receive clear, timely and effective information. The role holder will provide professional leadership for these functions and ensure the continued development of capability across the directorate.

The post-holder will bring a customer and communications perspective to executive committee discussions but will be expected to take a broad corporate view and contribute on strategic priorities, organisational performance and delivery, putting what is best for DVSA and its customers at the forefront.

Job description

Key Responsibilities

1. Executive committee member

• support the chief executive in their role as accounting officer, ensuring that the agency is led and managed effectively and efficiently, deputising for the chief executive where required
• champion decisions made by the executive committee and directing board and role model the agency’s values and cultural aspirations
• contribute to the development of DVSA’s vision and strategic plans
• lead and support the implementation of major organisational change initiatives through a service-led approach
• directors are also expected to sponsor several strategic projects

2. Functional leadership

• lead a broad range of specialist communications and customer relations teams, developing a coherent, insight-led approach to engagement and communication that supports DVSA’s strategic objectives and services
• work with senior teams across DVSA to develop and deliver* the Directorate’s annual plan and provide leadership to Directorate teams, championing a culture of continuous improvement and performance management while making the best use of resources
• find innovative ways to achieve efficiency savings in a climate of overall Civil Service cost and headcount reduction

3. Communications and customer relations

• working with the executive team, establish and maintain plans that support DVSA’s strategy and identify priorities for customer relations, communication and stakeholder engagement across each service
• lead the development and delivery of clear, effective communication strategies for customers, stakeholders, media and colleagues, ensuring alignment with business priorities and Government expectations
• strengthen the use of customer insight and feedback to inform service improvement, communication activity and organisational decision-making, ensuring that the customer voice is reflected in delivery
• build and maintain strong relationships with senior internal and external stakeholders, building trust in DVSA and ensuring communications and engagement activity enhances the Agency’s reputation
• grow the capability and resilience of the communications and customer relations professions, ensuring the directorate has the skills, capacity and leadership needed to deliver in a high-profile and fast-moving environment
• provide strategic oversight of internal communications to ensure colleagues are informed, engaged and connected to DVSA’s priorities, change agenda and organisational culture

DVSA Executive committee

This role will be part of the DVSA executive and report to the chief executive. The post-holder will be a regular attendee at the board and other DVSA committees.

Management responsibility

The job holder will have responsibility for 4 direct reports.
The directorate is made up of approximately 380 FTE based in our network of corporate hubs across Great Britain. The role holder will also be responsible for a budget of approximately £16.5m.

Person specification

It is essential in your supporting statement that you provide evidence and proven examples against each of the following selection criteria.

• significant senior leadership experience across communications, public affairs, media, internal communications and corporate affairs within a complex, high-profile organisation
• strong track record of developing and delivering integrated communications and stakeholder engagement strategies aligned to organisational priorities, including during periods of change, disruption or public scrutiny
• experience of advising senior leaders in a politically aware environment, applying excellent judgement, credibility and influencing skills to handle sensitive, high-risk issues
• strong understanding of customer relations, contact centre operations and the use of customer insight, data and feedback to improve services, strengthen trust and inform communications
• strong leadership capability, with experience of building inclusive, high-performing teams, developing professional capability and demonstrating commitment to Civil Service values, equality, diversity and inclusion

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £86,000, Department for Transport contributes £24,914 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

We take your career seriously and want to support you to thrive, whether you are just starting out or bringing years of specialist experience. As part of the Civil Service, you’ll be entitled to a large range of benefits:

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
We have strong and pro-active staff networks, special leave policies for hospital appointments, reasonable adjustments put in place for those who need them, and diversity talent programmes to help everyone irrespective of background, to achieve their potential.

On-boarding and development
On-boarding at DVSA is structured to help you settle in quickly and feel part of the team from day one. In your first few days you’ll get set up, meet your manager, mentor and buddy, and start learning about who we are and what we do. Over 90% of government digital and data professionals complete role‑relevant training each year, and we are committed to matching that standard.

Supporting you through life’s biggest moments
Generous paid maternity, adoption and paternity leave which is notably more than the statutory minimum offered by many other employers.

Pension
We offer a competitive contributory scheme from day one, with a significant employer contribution and tax‑efficient payments. It also provides important benefits for you and your family if you cannot work due to illness or die before retiring.

Staff wellbeing
A standard full-time week is just 37 hours across 5 days. Through our Flexible Working Schemes, you can also vary your start and finish times to suit your life. Part- time and term-time working options are available too. We have strong and pro-active staff networks, special leave policies for hospital appointments, reasonable adjustments put in place for those who need them, and diversity talent programmes to help everyone irrespective of background, to achieve their potential.

Generous annual leave
25 days’ annual leave on joining, rising to 30 days after five years, plus 8 public holidays and an additional paid day for the King’s Birthday.

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

Application
To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online form. This should be completed no later than 23:55 on 4th October 2026

The application will include:

• a CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years
• a statement of suitability (no longer than 1000 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the criteria in the person specification
  
• failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification

As part of the online application process, you will be asked several diversity-related questions. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the particular characteristics, you will have the option to select ‘prefer not to say’.

All monitoring data will be treated in the strictest confidence and will not be provided to the selection panel.

Should you encounter any issues with your online application please get in touch with us via: scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Shortlist

Your application will be acknowledged when it is received.
The panel will select a shortlist of candidates whose applications best demonstrate suitability for the role, by considering the evidence provided against the essential criteria set out in the Person Specification.
Candidates applying under the Disability Confident Scheme who meet the minimum selection criteria in the job specification are guaranteed an interview.

Assessment

Shortlisted candidates may be asked to take part in a series of assessments which could include:

• individual leadership assessment a combination of psychometric assessments
  
• staff engagement exercise a presentation and Q&A with a representative staff group from across the DVSA

These assessments will 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. You may have the opportunity to have an informal discussion about DVSA with a member of the DVSA team.

Interview and Presentation

You will be asked to attend a panel interview 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.

At the start of the interview, you will be asked to present for 10 minutes on a subject relevant to the role.
You will have 45 minutes to prepare for the presentation interview.

Interviews are expected to take place face to face in DfT’s London office, all shortlisted candidates will be asked to prepare a 10-minute presentation on a subject related to the role for which you will be provided some background information on DVSA.

Offer and feedback

Unfortunately, due to the anticipated number of applicants for this role, we are unable to provide feedback to those not successful at shortlist stage.

Candidates who are shortlisted and attend an interview will be offered verbal feedback from a member of the interview panel.

The timeline further down this page indicates the date by which decisions are expected to be made, all candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible thereafter, and we will advise on any delays.

Indicative Timeline

We will try and offer as much flexibility as we can, but it may not be possible to offer alternative dates for assessments or interviews.

You are therefore asked to note the below timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process may be conducted virtually.

Advert closing date: 4th October 2026

Shortlist: 12th October 2026

Assessments: w/c 12th or 19th October 2026

Interviews: 3rd - 5th November 2026

If your application is successful but you have been dismissed from the Civil Service, your application could be removed at the pre-employment checking stage depending on the nature of the dismissal.

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.

All external applicants and current employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) will be required to undergo a Social Media Check. A Social Media Check is a review of your publicly available online activity, typically across platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and others. The purpose is to identify any public posts or content that could raise concerns for employers, such as:

• Hate speech or discriminatory behaviour
• Threats or acts of violence
• Illegal activity or substance misuse
• Sexually explicit material
• Extremist views or affiliations

Importantly, this check does not involve hacking into your accounts or accessing private messages. It only considers content you have chosen to make public. Employers use this kind of screening to help ensure their workplace remains safe, inclusive, and aligned with company values. It’s not about judging your personality or lifestyle - it’s about checking for potential red flags that might affect the role or company culture. If you have questions or concerns about the social media check, we would be happy to explain in more detail what’s being looked at and how your data is handled securely and fairly.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).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

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

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 :

• Name : SCS Recruitment Team
• Email : scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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

Further information

Civil Service Commission Selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.

In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles, our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of appointment on the basis of merit by fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance you should contact; scs.recruitment@dft.gov.uk

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk and more information can be found at www.civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk

Attachments

Customer-and-Communications-Pack-P2 Opens in new window (pdf, 6107kB)Job description-Customer-and-Communications Opens in new window (pdf, 198kB)481659 - Director of communications and customer - accessibility pack (1) Opens in new window (docx, 153kB)