Head of Bristol Operations

Job summary

Are you a proven strategical leader who can manage teams to deliver a high technical service in the automotive industry?

Do you have an inherent ability to influence and guide people to achieve their best?

Can you confidently forge professional and reliable relations, adopting core values and an ethos to ensure quality is at the heart of your work?

Have you got the passion and drive to make a real difference to millions of lives?

We are looking for a trailblazer to join our Agency; to ensure a safer, cleaner future through excellence. If you are an aspirational leader seeking a new and exciting opportunity to make a real difference in the automotive industry, and to the lives of many, this role is for you. Do not just take our word for it, here is Andrew Neil, to tell you more. Please also refer to our candidate pack and role profile for more information.

About Us

Our work is focused on improving vehicle safety and environmental protection by providing robust testing and certification to national and internationally recognised standards. We are a part of the Department of Transport as the designated UK Vehicle Type Approval Authority. With more than 40 years’ experience, we have become one of the largest and well-respected approval bodies around. This position has been built on a reputation for technical expertise and quality, which is at the heart of everything we do, and what you could be a part of.

Job description

Based in the Vehicle Certification Agency’s Bristol Headquarters, you will be an integral part of our International Operations directorate, ensuring effective delivery and transparent leadership. Managing staff, contractors and supporting regional partners and our offices in the UK and overseas; you will uphold our global policies to achieve a quality service and strong customer satisfaction.

With a coherent technical background and significant experience of delivering services within a heavily regulated industry setting or settings, your skills will enable a smooth and exemplary running of our operational activities. An approachable manner and effective communication, both written and verbal, is essential for this role, working closely with a diverse range of people, internal and external to the VCA.

With offices and customers situated across the world, you will have the unique opportunity to travel overseas, working with leading industry experts and manufacturers on the vehicles of tomorrow. As the automotive industry continues to evolve at pace, you will be at the forefront of these developments, learning new skills and inspiring your teams to focus on their professional growth.

We are passionate about supporting colleagues both mentally and physically; by offering a range of benefits and policies to ensure you can achieve a work-life balance. You will be a valued member of an organisation who cares about you, by giving the support you need to reach your full potential.

Your main duties will include but will not be limited to:

• Leadership - Leading the Bristol operation with enthusiasm, integrity, and decisiveness the post holder will deliver a high quality, efficient service that meets Departmental and Manufacturers expectations.
• Financial Planning - Supporting the Chief Operating Officer with financial planning with particular emphasis on financial reporting, budgetary planning, and forecasting.
• Management and resource planning - Resource planning and deployment aimed at maximizing efficiency and utilization whilst securing the necessary flexibility to support demand at peak periods.
• Continuous improvement - The post holder will champion continuous improvement within their operation to demonstrate it is delivering an efficient service by eliminating waste, improving quality and consistency and empowering staff to take ownership of problems.
• Quality - Leading the Bristol operation team to deliver services at the level expected from a world class type Approval Agency. Fully support the wider agency ISO 17020 accreditation process.
• Communications - Supervise the communications and exchanges of information between the Bristol office and wider VCA operations globally.

For further information on the role, please read the attached role profile and candidate pack. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

Person specification

• Strong technical background with significant experience in managing teams that deliver highly technical services within the automative industry.
• Be skilled in working in a customer-oriented environment.
• Have demonstrable project management skills.
• Possess the ability to adapt to changing priorities and workload.
• A good working knowledge of all aspects of vehicle technology.
• Extensive experience and understanding of UK, EU, and UN vehicle legislation.
• Expert knowledge of type approval operations and processes.
• Experience of resource and budgetary management involving scheduling of staff, external and internal projects, equipment, facilities, materials, and travel.
• Strong communication and inter-personal skills with the ability to work effectively and collaboratively with colleagues and external parties.
• Strongly analytical, with well-developed problem-solving skills.
• Experience of contract management where services have been delivered through a contractual structure of prime and/or sub-contractors.
• Working experience of ISO 9001 standards, with ISO 17020, ISO 17025 and ISO 9001.
• Proficient in Microsoft platform including outlook, word, excel and powerpoint.
• Be a holder of a UK driving licence.

Additional Information

This role is suitable for hybrid working, and therefore a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements. Hybrid working is a non-contractual arrangement where employees have the flexibility to work remotely combined with a minimum of 60% of their working time a month at either their principal workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, visiting stakeholders and colleagues, or carrying out detached duty in another VCA workplace. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.

If you have questions regarding how hybrid working is practiced within the business area, or any reasonable adjustments or flexible working arrangements you may currently have or need in place if successful in your application, please contact the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details).

VCA does not offer Visa sponsorship. Candidates should ensure they have the appropriate rights to work in the UK before application.

Recruitment and Retention Allowance (RRA)

The successful candidate will be awarded a £5289.00 RRA. Movement between roles can affect whether you will continue to receive an RRA or not. If you are promoted or transfer to another post that does not attract an RRA, your RRA will be ended. RRAs will be reviewed on a regular basis by the VCA HR team to ensure that the RRA is still required. For example, as an RRA could relate to recruitment and retention difficulties, if these difficulties no longer exist or if they have worsened then there would be a need to ensure that the RRA in question reflected these changes in circumstances.

Licences

Full UK Category B Driving Licence is essential

Qualifications

Qualification in an engineering or technical discipline equivalent to Bachelor's degree, including Honours and Foundation degree and Diplomas of Higher Education.
NQF level 5 and 6, or equivalent experience.
You will be required to provide evidence that you hold any essential qualifications at some point during the recruitment process. If you cannot provide evidence, your application will be withdrawn.

Behaviours

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

• Managing a Quality Service
• Changing and Improving
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

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

• Government Science and Engineering Career Framework - Building and applying knowledge (Complying with requirements/ standards)
• Government Science and Engineering Career Framework - Technical oversight and management (Overseeing technical work)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,515, Vehicle Certification Agency contributes £16,662 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Your wellbeing is important to us, which is why we’re pleased to offer a wide range of benefits to all our colleagues, inside and outside of work.

Find out more about the ways you can benefit in the attached candidate pack.

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.

Our 2-stage selection process ensures a comprehensive assessment of each applicant's qualifications, skills, and potential fit within our organisation.

Stage 1: Initial Experience-Based Sift

In this stage, we carefully review all applicants CV & Personal statement to shortlist candidates who meet the experience indicators (listed below) and possess the necessary qualifications.

Stage 2: In-person Interview

The final stage involves an in-person interview, where selected candidates will be invited to visit one of our premises. As part of the interview you will be required to create and deliver a presentation, more details will be provided if you are invited to interview.

Merit List

Please note that candidates placed on the merit list will be considered for suitable positions as they arise. Being on the merit list may lead to potential opportunities beyond the role of Head of Bristol Operations.

How to Apply

To apply you should provide a CV and personal statement. We will assess the following Experience Indicators from your CV & personal statement so you should tailor both to clearly explain how you meet them.

• Experience in providing inspiring leadership in managing teams that deliver highly technical services within heavily regulated industry settings.
• Experience of resource and budgetary management involving scheduling of staff, external and internal projects, equipment, facilities, materials, and travel.
• Experience of contract management where services have been delivered through a contractual structure of prime and/or sub-contractors.
• Knowledge of quality management and assessment systems.

Your personal statement should be a maximum of 1000 words and we recommend a minimum of 250 words for each of the bullet points above.

Some guidance to help you with your application can be found in the candidate pack below.

Sift and Interview

The sift is due to take place from 3rd February 2026.

Interviews are likely to be held week commencing 16th February 2026.

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.

You are encouraged to become familiar with the role profile, as you may be assessed against any of the criteria recorded within.

Your technical skills will be assessed against the Government Science and Engineering Framework, please click here to find out more.

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.

Please note that VCA are unable to offer VISA sponsorship.

Further information

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 theHow 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.

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

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

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.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).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 : Paul Higgs
• Email : Paul.Higgs@vca.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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

Further information

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 Government Recruitment Services via email: dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
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

Attachments

Head of Bristol Operations Role Profile Opens in new window (pdf, 195kB)VCA Candidate Pack Operations Opens in new window (pdf, 6022kB)gse-career-framework-v2 Opens in new window (pdf, 5363kB)