Senior Technical Advisor

Job summary

Can you apply engineering knowledge and turn complex engineering evidence into confident investment decisions for major transport projects?

Do you thrive on scrutinising and optimising designs, shaping cost-efficient infrastructure, and advising senior leaders?

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

DfT’s Infrastructure Efficiency and Engineering (IEE) team is an established Departmental centre of technical expertise operating within the central Project Delivery & Performance Directorate (PDPD). Led by the Chief Engineer, the team is formed of highly skilled engineers and project managers to support efficient and effective delivery of DfT’s projects and programmes across all transport modes.

As Senior Technical Advisor you will influence the Department’s ambitious portfolio of transport projects, working as an integral part of the Directorate and with wider project teams to ensure that major projects are delivered efficiently and effectively.

The role provides a challenging and rewarding opportunity to apply your technical skills to influence some of Europe’s largest transport infrastructure schemes; presenting a once-in-generation opportunity to unlock transformational economic benefits for the country.

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 and 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 Department for Transport Central - Department for Transport Careers

Job description

You will be responsible for both scrutinising and developing cross-cutting evidence for major project policy and sponsor teams on cost and engineering themes (e.g. benchmarking, cost and risk analysis, value engineering etc.), ensuring crucial technical evidence is embedded into the Department’s investment decision process. This will require working closely with Senior Civil Servants, internal colleagues across the Department, and key external stakeholders in other Government departments and Arms-Length Bodies (ALBs), including HS2 Ltd., East West Railway Co., National Highways, Network Rail and others.

Your responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Using your engineering skills and experience to proactively challenge design specifications and assumptions, ensuring a ‘Minimum Viable Product’ approach is adopted where appropriate, providing critical client intelligence to senior decision makers.
• Examining technical evidence supplied by ALBs as advice to Government and leading on the drafting of briefings and papers to senior leaders, investment boards (including DfT Investment Committee) and ministers.
• Working alongside technical, sponsor, and analytical colleagues to scrutinise emerging cost estimates to advise major project sponsor teams on their robustness and efficiency position (e.g. by developing appropriate cost benchmarking analysis).
• Supporting internal and external colleagues in developing and managing approaches to maintenance and renewal of assets.
• Developing and embedding processes for continuously monitoring and improving major project delivery, including, but not limited to, areas such as cost and schedule efficiency at various lifecycle stages.
• Actively building IEE’s and DfT’s wider capability in better understanding the cost and schedule implications of project options early in the project lifecycle.

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

This role would suit a qualified engineer with significant experience working in the transport infrastructure sector, particularly in a client-side project delivery environment.

You will have excellent interpersonal skills, be a confident communicator, and be comfortable working and building relationships with a diverse range of partners and team members at all levels, including senior staff.

Highly motivated and organised with strong attention to detail, you will have the ability to work proactively and strategically with minimal direction.

You will display high quality report writing skills and use sound judgement, evidence, and personal knowledge to provide accurate oral and written expert advice.

You will have knowledge and experience of:

• Working in a technical capacity on major projects (particularly client side), with an emphasis on cost/schedule control, robust evidence gathering, and cross-disciplinary working.
• Close involvement in the development of innovative and technically complex infrastructure projects.
• Generating evidence-based reports and presentations and communicating their findings to technical and non-technical audiences at a senior level.
• Tools, techniques and approaches used to assess cost efficiency and quantify risk (e.g. cost benchmarking/quantitative risk assessments).
• Engineering processes and practices commonly used within the construction industry, particularly related to transport projects.
• Applying engineering within a policy context and demonstrating a commitment to promoting the engineering profession.

Additional Information

This role attracts a £4,500 allowance in recognition of the requirement for professional engineering and/or relevant professional occupational experience. After 3 years in the SEO post the allowance will be increased to £9,000 to reflect experience gained in the role.

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.

Occasional travel to other offices may be required, 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.

Qualifications

• A degree in Engineering (or a related subject) at MEng/MSc level or equivalent (i.e. ‘Level 7’), or
• A degree in Engineering (or a related subject) at BEng/BSc level plus experience in the construction sector
• Chartered Engineer status (i.e. registered as CEng with the Engineering Council) or working towards full accreditation.

Qualifications

Qualifications
• A degree in Engineering (or a related subject) at MEng/MSc level or equivalent (i.e. ‘Level 7’), or
• A degree in Engineering (or a related subject) at BEng/BSc level plus experience in the construction sector
• Chartered Engineer status (i.e. registered as CEng with the Engineering Council) or working towards full accreditation.

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Working Together
• Making Effective Decisions

Technical skills

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

• •Technical - Government Science and Engineering Framework – Applying Knowledge

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.
• For applicants working towards Chartered Engineer status, the DfT will support the accreditation process, which may include drawing on Arm’s Length Bodies where appropriate.

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.

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.

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 (1000-word count). Please provide evidence of your Experience of the following:

• Working in a technical capacity on major projects (particularly client side), with an emphasis on cost/schedule control, robust evidence gathering, and cross-disciplinary working.
• Close involvement in the development of innovative and technically complex infrastructure projects.
• Tools, techniques and approached used to assess cost efficiency and quantify risk (e.g. cost benchmarking/quantitative risk assessments).
• Engineering processes and practices commonly used within the construction industry, particularly related to transport projects.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead bullet point: Working in a technical capacity on major projects (particularly client side), with an emphasis on cost/schedule control, robust evidence gathering, and cross-disciplinary working. 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 02/03/26.

Stage 2: Interview

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

• Behaviours – Seeing the Big Picture, Working Together, Making Effective Decisions.
• Experience
• Technical - Building and Applying Knowledge (Applying Knowledge) Government Science and Engineering Framework

The interviews will take place week commencing 16/03/26.

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.

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 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 : Mark Whitaker
• Email : mark.whitaker@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

14785 Role Profile Opens in new window (docx, 94kB)