MOT Vehicle Examiner

Job summary

The Bexleyheath position will be based at Belvedere.

The Hayes position will be based at Yeading.

The Potters Bar position will be based at South Mimms.

The Norwich position will be based at Elmswell.

You have just contributed to ensuring that Britain’s roads are one of the safest in Europe. How did you do that?

You’re at an MOT garage to review their compliance. They are very busy and the equipment is faulty.

You use your hard-earned industry knowledge and experience to assess, monitor and improve the standards within and around the MOT industry. You make a compelling argument as to why they need to fix the equipment.

The MOT garage owner is not happy, but you keep a level head to explain the consequences of continuing with the faulty equipment.

You are a DVSA Vehicle Examiner – MOT Specialist.

About Us

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) helps keep Britain moving, safely and sustainably. We do this by helping people through a lifetime of safe and sustainable journeys, helping them keep their vehicles safe to drive, and protecting them from unsafe drivers and vehicles.

We’re working hard to:

• Make roads safer

• Improve services for our customers

• Make road transport greener and healthier

• Harness the potential of technology and data

• Grow and level up the economy

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 Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency - Department for Transport Careers

Job description

We are looking for self-motivated individuals to join our professional enforcement team as a Vehicle Examiner – MOT Specialist, with positions based at various locations across the UK.

Vehicle Examiners contribute to the integrity of road safety and standards to keep Britain moving safely and sustainably.

What did you do this week?

• I visited an MOT Testing station and re-inspected a recently tested vehicle.
• I carried out an Audit at an MOT Testing Station to ensure it was operating correctly.
• I carried out a Statutory MOT Appeal test following a complaint on the standards of the MOT.
• I qualified a new MOT Tester following a successful demonstration test.
• I investigated the issue of fraudulent MOT test certificates.
• I made a difference to the safety of our roads.

A typical Vehicle Examiner – MOT Specialist will also:

• Travel to MOT Testing stations to check compliance and give advice to people in all MOT roles.
• Analyse data for MOT garages, carry out off-site reviews and plan work actions, including carrying out mystery shopper investigations.
• Write in depth reports and, where necessary, issue Temporary Suspension Notices or Advisory Warning Letters.
• Answer technical queries from customers, offering advice, guidance and education as required.
• Follow operating instructions and procedures.
• Present evidence on behalf of DVSA in Court.

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

You will be required to provide evidence that you hold any essential qualifications/licenses at some point during the recruitment process. If you cannot provide evidence, your application will be withdrawn.

Required Experience:

You will have experience in the repair, maintenance or inspection of at least one type of vehicle, if not multiple, along with the relevant qualifications.

You must be able demonstrate your knowledge and experience in the diagnosis and assessment of vehicle components for serviceability.

This is a hands-on technical role where an eye for detail to spot defects and problems is highly important.

The Vehicle Examiner role can be physically demanding, which could include working in inspection pits and getting in and out of vehicles.

This is an excellent opportunity to access a new career path. Don’t worry, we won’t expect you to be an expert in the role straight away. Rest assured; we will provide you with all the training you need. What we particularly need from you are several core skills such as:

1. Resilience - this is a public facing role and can, at times, be a difficult job. You may be required to have difficult conversations and take action that may affect the income of a person or to prosecute at court. We support each other to cope with difficult situations, but it's important you understand what this job entails, and lone working is part of this.
2. Teamwork - individually you will be the professional contact representing the DVSA, but you will work with a team to coordinate your work focus. It's essential that you're the kind of person who can work effectively with others.
3. Communication -you must be a good communicator. You will be looked upon as the example. You will have to keep a level head and be able to give advice and education effectively and pass that on to others.

Additional Information

There will be extensive training on all aspects of the role. Some of the training will take place in our training centres, usually in Bristol or Manchester. Please note: the 18-week training course is completed on a full-time basis, which is non-negotiable.

The postholder must meet the credible witness status in court proceedings on behalf of the DVSA. Any convictions or material casting doubt on the reliability of a witness could harm DVSAs chances of a successful prosecution and damage the reputation of the agency. Please note, as part of our onboarding process we facilitate social media and online checks.

Operational Delivery Profession (ODP) is the largest and most diverse professional community across the Civil Service. Many of us will have an association with several professional communities or specialisms, ODP applies to all public facing roles / or a role that is primarily aligned to supporting the work of those with public facing roles. All critical to the delivery of UK public services.

Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements

Due to the nature of the role, there may be a requirement to travel to other DVSA locations, with the potential for overnight stays for which additional payments are made. This may also include working outside of normal hours - prior notice will be given.

Whilst we welcome applications from candidates seeking part time/flexible working hours there will be a business requirement for candidates to work a minimum number of hours for specific locations.

You will have the opportunity to discuss your preferred working pattern upon successful offer and before starting the training course. While we will work hard to try and accommodate flexible working, unfortunately, we can’t guarantee that all requests can be agreed, as working patterns will be subject to the business needs.

Full time roles consist of 37 hours per week.

Visa Sponsorship

Please note that we do not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker Licence sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship. Candidates must ensure they have the appropriate rights to work in the UK before application.

Flexible Payment & Overtime Options

On completion of a probation period, there are several flexible deployment options which examiners can apply for, in addition to the salary and technical payment, ranging from £1,263 to £3,367 per year.

The options are based on the examiner’s availability outside of normal business hours to help deliver DVSAs key services. Applications will be assessed against the business need at the time.

There may also be overtime options available, dependant on location and business needs.

Licences

Full and current car driving licence.

Qualifications

You must have a vocational related qualification in Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair at level 3 or IMI ATA registration at diagnostic technician level, or IRTEC registration at advanced technician level.

Other Motor related qualifications may be acceptable, please see attached qualification list.

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

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

• DVSA - Technical Competency Framework - Knowledge of Vehicles

Benefits

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 (opens in a new window).

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.

How to apply:

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

The selection process for this role will be:

Stage 1: Sift of CV

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

• You will be asked for a CV to outline current qualifications.
• You will be asked to confirm that you hold a vocational related qualification in Motor Vehicle Maintenance and Repair at level 3 or IMI ATA registration at diagnostic technician level, or IRTEC registration at advanced technician level or other relevant Motor related qualifications (see attached qualification list).

To be able to progress to interview stage, it is essential that candidates meet the qualification requirements for this post (highlighted above). Following the closing date, applicants will be given a window of five days to send across photographic proof of their qualification to demonstrate that they are eligible for this post.

The named contact to send documents to will be released to you following the advert close and so please do not send anything through before instructed to do so.

Candidates who evidence the relevant qualifications at application stage will be progressed and invited to attend an interview. We unfortunately will not be able to progress applications to interview if evidence is not provided at this stage.

The qualification sift will take place Tuesday 21st - Monday 27th April 2026

Stage 2: Interview & Technical test

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

• Behaviours – Delivering at Pace, Making Effective Decisions, Seeing the Big Picture and Communicating & Influencing.
• Experience – Experience in the repair, maintenance, or inspection of at least one of the following: HGVs/LGVs/PSVs/Cars.
• Experience - Ability to pay attention to detail.
• Technical – DVSA - Technical Competency Framework - Knowledge of Vehicles. Please find attached here.

Interviews are likely to take place Monday 11th - Friday 29th May 2026

This interview will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams. Please note that there will be a number of evening interview slots available. 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

If you would like to find out more about what it’s like to work for DVSA and how to apply, we will be holding virtual sessions to find out more. Please click here to secure your place at one of our upcoming events.

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.

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 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 : Simon Jackson
• Email : Frontline.Recruitment@dvsa.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, 153kB)Qualification list for VE Adverts Opens in new window (pdf, 294kB)DVSA_Technical_Competency_Framework Opens in new window (pdf, 72kB)