Senior Policy Advisor: Inward Investment

Job summary

Would you like to make a difference to the role of transport within HMG’s mission to grow the economy through its wider international trade agenda?

Do you relish opportunities to work across different international workstreams, building networks across Government to promote the UK transport sector’s private investment priorities?

Would you like the chance to work within an influential international directorate and with policy teams to help deliver the Department’s priority outcomes?

If so, we have a role supporting our inward investment team within our high performing Trade Division, and we'd love to hear from you.

The role sits within the Exports and Inward Investment (EII) team, part of the Department for Transport’s Trade and Investment Division. The Division serves as DfT’s Centre of Excellence with respect to all transport-related aspects of international trade and acts as an ‘intelligent conduit’ for Whitehall and industry to access DfT expertise.

The Exports and Inward Investment team is a cross-cutting unit that provides central expertise on the UK transport sector’s export capability and inward investment offer. The team works collaboratively with the Department for Business and Trade, The Office for Investment, or OfI, (a joint No.10-HMT-DBT unit), DfT policy teams, cross-government partners and industry to maximise impact and opportunity.

Team members work flexibly across team boundaries, supporting each other to deliver against the priorities of the UK, International and Trade Directorate, and ministers.

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: Policy opportunities at the Department for Transport - Department for Transport Careers & Department for Transport Central - Department for Transport Careers

Job description

The position being recruited for reports to the Inward Investment Lead (G7) within the Exports and Inward Investment team. The position features significant cross-departmental and cross-government engagement – including engagement with colleagues in embassies across the world.

We are looking for candidates who are motivated by the work they do and the impact it has. We encourage innovation and creative thinking and are looking for someone who is interested in detail but can also think big picture. You will be expected to demonstrate excellent communication skills in the role, including the ability to write clearly and persuasively, and to speak confidently to colleagues at different levels of seniority.

Your responsibilities will include, but aren’t limited to:

• Leading the development and refining of a pipeline of strategic and commercially attractive investible opportunities across the UK transport sector, which contribute towards growing the UK economy and the UK’s decarbonisation agenda.
• Helping to articulate and deliver the team’s ‘service offer’ to the department and cross-government partners which includes engaging strategically important investors, promoting DfT’s key investible opportunities, and driving the origination of new areas for private investment.
• Aiding cross-government efforts to attract more private sector investment into key priorities and opportunities, working with senior colleagues across the department and HMG’s investment community (e.g. DBT, FCDO, OfI, HMT) to address barriers.
• Working closely with Director UK, International and Trade, and other senior colleagues across the department to ensure cohesiveness, share key insights, and ensure efficient delivery by avoiding any duplication.
• Supporting the Inward Investment lead with the scoping and development of a programme of ambitious ministerial engagement proposals, whether domestic or international, to promote opportunities aligned to key departmental priorities (e.g. investment events during London International Shipping Week 2025; HMG international investment summits).
• Leading on various ministerial and senior official support products such as submissions, correspondence, and briefings working as a single point of contact for investor-related requests.
• Building relationships with stakeholders across Government and some of the UK’s leading investors to promote DfT’s key policy priorities and investment needs.

For further information on the role, please read the attached 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

Required experience:

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

• Experience of supporting and/or leading on policy and strategy delivery including providing clear recommendations to inform decisions about complex policy areas.
  
  
• Experience of building strong and productive relationships with internal and external senior leaders;
  
  
• Experience securing inputs from other stakeholders across the business, who are often working under pressure, ensuring that these inputs are of high quality.
  
  
• Experience working at pace to manage multiple and conflicting priorities.
  
  
• Experience working in international trade/investment policy AND/OR experience working on international affairs.

Additional Information

Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements

Full time roles consist of 37 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.

Occasional travel to other offices will be required, and travel internationally for work a function of the role of the team, which may involve overnight stays.

If you have a question about hybrid working, part time/job share hours, flexible working, travelling for work, or require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Vacancy Holder during the recruitment process to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role (see below for contact details).

Visa Sponsorship

DfTc does not offer Visa Sponsorship for this role.

Behaviours

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

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

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £44,241, Department for Transport contributes £12,816 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 (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, Strengths and Experience.

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 and personal statement

Stage 2: Interview

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

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

Stage 1: Sift

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

Behaviours – you will be asked to provide a 250-word statement on the following Behaviours: Delivering at Pace, Communicating and Influencing

Experience – you will be asked to provide a CV (unlimited wordcount) and personal statement (500-word count). Please provide evidence of your experience of the required essential experience captured above.

• Experience of supporting and/or leading on policy and strategy delivery including providing clear recommendations to inform decisions about complex policy areas.
  
  
• Experience of building strong and productive relationships with internal and external senior leaders;
  
  
• Experience securing inputs from other stakeholders across the business, who are often working under pressure, ensuring that these inputs are of high quality.
  
  
• Experience working at pace to manage multiple and conflicting priorities.
  
  
• Experience working in international trade/investment policy AND/OR experience working on international affairs.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead Success Profile element - Behaviour: Communicating and Influencing.

The sift will take place week commencing 16/03/2026

Stage 2: Interview

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

Behaviours –

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions

Strengths

The interviews will take place week commencing 30/03/2026

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

Feedback on your application can only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

We will also hold a12-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

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.

Vetting

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist 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.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 : Joshua Ashworth
• Email : Joshua.Ashworth@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, 211kB)