Traffic Examiner

Job summary

You have just contributed to ensuring that Britain’s roads are one of the safest in Europe.

How did you do that?

You’re on a check-site next to a busy motorway, inspecting a HGV belonging to a company with a high infringement rate. The driver is keen to finish the route and unhappy with the interruption.

You use your knowledge and experience to assess and monitor the tachograph records. Finding that the driver has been driving for too long without a break, you state your case as to why they must not drive any further and take a break, immediately.

The driver is not happy, but you keep a level head to explain the consequences and the impact on road safety.

You are a DVSA Traffic Examiner.

We are looking for self-motivated individuals to join our professional enforcement team as a Commercial Vehicle Traffic Examiner.

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

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

Important Application Information

We are running five separate recruitment campaigns for this role. Candidates should apply to one campaign only, selecting the option that best matches their preferred location and working pattern.

Please review the below campaigns carefully before submitting your application.

1. 457319 - Traffic Examiner
2. 457600 - Traffic Examiner
3. 457320 - Traffic Examiner
4. 457609 - Traffic Examiner
5. 460695- Traffic Examiner

Job description

What can you do in a week?

• Carry out roadside checks on vehicles and prohibit dangerous vehicles and drivers at various locations such as fixed enforcement sites, coach parks and motorway service areas.
• Complete inspections of vehicles to ensure they were compliant with - weight, operator’s licence, drivers’ hours, vehicle excise, driving licence and Construction and Use Regulations.
• Inspect and analyse tachograph records for discrepancies or anomalies.
• Prepare accurate and detailed reports and papers for prosecution cases or the Traffic Commissioner.
• Answer driver’s hours queries from customers, offering advice, guidance and education as required.
• Attend team meetings and collaborate with colleagues.
• You will make a difference to the safety of our roads every day.

A typical Traffic Examiner will also:

• Work on behalf of the Traffic Area Office. Investigating environmental complaints into illegal parking and operations of vehicles.
• Preparing case papers and recommendations on investigation of the instigation of court proceeding and present evidence on behalf of DVSA in Court.
• Ensure high levels of Customer Service and maintain good relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ensure Health & Safety standards are maintained by the team at DVSA and non DVSA locations.
• Contribute to achievement of the DVSA business plan.
• Continue their personal development, including professional competency, knowledge and skills.
• Support DVSA compliance, safety and security commitments through adherence to and championing of policy, procedures and development.

To view the role responsibilities in more detail, please see the attached role profile.

Person specification

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

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 skills such as:

• Communication Excellent oral and written communication skills are needed to engage with others. Probing for information while gathering further details is a key part of the role. 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.
• 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. A valuable team member, working towards shared goals.
• Eye for Detail You will need to pay particular attention to detail for all aspects of the role from assessing vehicles to administration duties.
• Resilience In terms of flexibility around working hours and adapting to changes in requirements. This is also a public facing role and can, at times, be a challenging 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.
• IT Skills For administrative duties, the ability to follow processes, interpret data and write detailed reports will be required.

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 Avonmouth or Chadderton. Other training will be completed online over MS Teams.

You may be required to travel to various DVSA locations in order to carry out your role and there is potential for overnight stays. This may also include working outside of normal hours. An overnight allowance is paid to staff for overnight stays.

The Traffic Examiner role can be physically demanding, which will include getting in and out of large commercial vehicles.

It is requirement of this role that staff are able to 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

Full time roles consist of 37 hours per week.

This role is not suitable for hybrid working and will require the successful candidate to work solely from their designated workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, from other offices/work locations/visiting stakeholders.

If you have a question about 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

Please take note that DVSA does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

Licences

Applicants are required to hold a full UK driving licence.

Behaviours

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

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

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 and Experience.

How to apply:

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

The selection process for this role will be:

Stage 1: Sift of personal statement

Stage 2: Interview and written exercise

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 personal statement (750-word count). Please provide evidence of your experience of the following:

• Used your communication skills to engage others.
• Followed a process that involves interpreting data, and writing detailed responses.
• Remained positive when adapting to change of working requirements or business need.
• Gathered further information so that you can make accurate decisions.
• Worked effectively as part of a team while working towards a shared goal.

The sift will take place 26 May 2026.

Stage 2: Interview and Written Exercise

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

• Behaviours – Seeing the Big Picture, Making Effective Decisions, Delivering at Pace and Communicating and Influencing
• Experience – please see attached role profile

You will also be required to complete a written exercise, that will assess Seeing the Big Picture and Communicating and Influencing. Guidance will be provided if you are invited to interview.

The interviews will take place 10 - 26 June 2026.

This interview will be conducted in person at a DVSA office. 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.

Reserve List Information

Some of the locations advertised will not have posts available immediately. However, we will hold a Reserve List for up to 12 months and will be in touch with the successful candidates when they become available.

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.

If your application is successful but you have been dismissed from the Civil Service, your application could be removed at the pre-employment checking stage depending on the nature of the dismissal.

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.

Fedback

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, 174kB)