Head of Rail Evaluation

Job summary

Are you experienced with designing, commissioning and delivering evaluation projects?

Can you identify solutions to deliver evidence or advice to policy in a fast-paced environment?

Do you have experience of evaluation methods?

Would you like to shape the future of the Department for Transport?

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

We have an exciting role available in the Rail Research and Evaluation (RRE) team within Rail Analysis. As Head of Rail Evaluation for Infrastructure and Enhancements, you would co-lead a complex, high-profile programme of work, taking a strategic approach to evaluation in rail.

This role would suit a strong analyst with excellent communication skills who can engage and collaborate with policy colleagues, analysts and senior stakeholders across Whitehall, the public sector and industry bodies. You will need strong prioritisation skills to identify what activities can add the most value and impact, and an ability to upskill others (analysts and non-analysts) and build capability to support the delivery of key pieces of work. You will be comfortable with both quantitative and qualitative research and evaluation methods, and able to think creatively with your team about how to support policy colleagues to quickly draw on or gather new evidence to identify learnings.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here

• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the King’s birthday

• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Find out more about what it's like working at Rail - Department for Transport Careers

Job description

In this role you will lead on the evaluation programme for major investments in rail infrastructure, covering multi-billion pound schemes such as setting up evaluation plans for the TransPennine Route Upgrade (TRU). This evaluation role will deliver crucial evidence for the Department, to ensure we have a robust assessment of the impacts of rail infrastructure and enhancements programmes, to make the case as to why funding is needed to maintain the existing network as well as deliver new schemes. The impacts of rail infrastructure and enhancements are wide-ranging, covering transport outcomes for passengers, as well as wider socio-economic impacts for local people and places.

The post holder will support the delivery of key Government and Departmental missions, such as growing the economy, improving transport for users and creating a green transport network, through high quality evaluation.

This role could be in scope to move to Network Rail. The specific implications of this will be discussed with the successful candidate.

Key duties of the role include:

• Providing analytical leadership for the portfolio of evaluation activity in the rail directorates. This includes providing analytical scrutiny and challenge for evaluation activity to ensure findings are robust, defensible and policy-relevant
• Ensuring the delivery of impactful evaluation through targeting evaluation activity to policy needs and ensuring it can deliver evidence or advice to policy in a fast-paced environment. Shape projects with internal and external stakeholders to maximise impact.
• Providing technical advice and suitable quality assurance to the specification, commissioning and delivery of evaluation to maximise the robustness of the research and the value of the resulting evidence. This includes DfT products as well as products delivered by others.
• Taking a strong approach to prioritisation, making recommendations for where evaluation can have the most impact and where alternative approaches (such as lighter-touch support and analysis) could be taken.
• Building trusted relationships and communicating effectively with stakeholders including economists, statisticians, transport modellers, policy, and communication colleagues across DfT, as well as wider stakeholders in other government departments, industry bodies, delivery bodies, local authorities or academia.
• Providing supportive line management for one member of staff, with an emphasis on delivering results through others.

For further information on the role, please read the role profile. 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

To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:

This role is suitable for an experienced analyst who is keen to use and develop their technical evaluation skills in a policy-facing role. You will need a strong understanding of a range of evaluation methods, confident working with stakeholders, and be good at developing new evaluation solutions to meet evidence needs.

To be successful as the Head of Rail Evaluation for Infrastructure and Enhancements, you will have:

• Extensive experience of working as a professional social researcher, statistician, economist or other analyst.
• Experience of scoping, designing and delivering monitoring and evaluation projects, covering a range of impact evaluation approaches such as experimental, quasi-experimental and theory-based evaluation, value-for-money evaluation and process evaluation.
• Experience of working with colleagues and stakeholders to ensure your support meets their needs, and providing trusted technical advice and constructive challenge to support the achievement of business objectives.
• Excellent communication skills both verbally and in writing, with the ability to adapt your delivery to suit a wide variety of audiences, maximising both impact and understanding.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple and often conflicting priorities to time, prioritising effectively while delivering to a high standard.

Experience of working in transport is not a requirement of this role; this can be learned by candidates who have the experience set out above.

Additional Information

You will be assessed against one of the following analytical professions depending on your current professional membership, or your preference of which to join. Please click on the links below for more information and qualification requirements:

• GES
• GSG
• GORS
• GSR

Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements

Full time roles consist of 37 hours per week.

Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part time basis, there is a business requirement for the successful candidate to be able to work at least 30 hours per week.

This role is suitable for hybrid working, which is a non-contractual arrangement where a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements.

The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time a month will be spent at either your designated workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, in another office/work location/visiting stakeholders. Your designated workplace will be your contractual place of work. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.

Visa Sponsorship

DfTc does not offer Visa Sponsorship for this role.

Memberships

You will need to either be a member of or be eligible to work towards membership of the following:
• GES
• GSG
• GORS
• GSR

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

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

• The elements that you'll be assessed against will depend on the profession you are currently part of or want to join.
• The elements that you'll be assessed against will depend on the profession you are currently part of or want to join.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,515, Department for Transport 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.

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave).
• 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.
• Access to the staff discount portal.
• Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships, etc.
• Joining a diverse and inclusive workforce with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues.
• 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Find out more about the benefits of working at DfT and its agencies

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.

The selection process for this role will be:

Stage 1: Sift of CV and personal statement

Stage 2: Interview

You must be successful at each stage to progress to the next stage.

Stage 1: Sift

At sift, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

Experience – you will be asked to provide a CV (unlimited wordcount) and personal statement (750-word count). Please provide evidence of your Experience of the following:

• Scoping, design, conduct and analysis of monitoring and evaluation projects, covering a range of impact evaluation approaches (such as experimental, quasi-experimental and theory-based impact evaluation), value-for-money evaluation and process evaluation.
• Working with a diverse range of stakeholders, including building effective relationships, tailoring support to meet their needs, and providing technical advice. Able communicate analytical findings effectively to non-technical audiences.
• Managing competing, and sometimes conflicting, priorities to ensure that work delivered has maximum impact.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead Experience criteria (Bullet 1). Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

The sift will take place week commencing 09th February 2026.

Stage 2: Interviewand presentation.

At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

• Behaviours – Seeing the Big Picture, Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace.
• Technical – The elements that you'll be assessed against will depend on the profession you are currently part of or want to join.

You will also be required to create and deliver a presentation to assesses technical. Guidance will be provided if you are invited to interview.

The interviews will take place week commencing 23rd February 2026.

This interview will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

You can find out more about our hiring process, how to apply, and application and interview guidance on our careers site (opens in a new window).

Please note that we will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change.

Further information on the selection process

We will also hold a 12-month reserve list for this role, which may lead to potential opportunities beyond the role you applied for. You can read more about our reserve lists here.

During your application, you should indicate which location(s) you wish to be considered for and, if successful, you will be placed on an individual list of candidates for each location. Candidates will be held on that list and drawn from it in merit order. We advise you to carefully consider which locations you wish to be considered for. If you decline an offer for a location you have expressed a preference in or have expressed an interest in more than one location and accept an offer, you will be withdrawn from any lists you may be held on. We may also offer candidates a location that they have not expressed a preference for where we have the requirement to do so but this will again be done on the basis of your place in the overall merit order and, in this event, you will not be removed from the list if you decline.

Appointments for this position will be made in order of merit. If you are successful in the selection process but there are no further available posts for the advertised role, you may be contacted to discuss an offer for a lower graded role (with similar experience and responsibility requirements).

If you are unsuccessful in the selection process, your application may be considered for a lower graded position if your demonstrated skills and experience meet the requirements of the alternative position. Candidates will be considered in order of merit.

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 : Elliot Morgan
• Email : elliot.morgan@dft.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

Role Profile Opens in new window (pdf, 292kB)