Workstream Manager (CoP Audit Planning)

Job summary

Do you thrive on the challenge of coordinating a fast-paced audit planning process?

Would you enjoy the challenge of providing exemplary customer service to the world’s automotive industry?

Are you ready to inspire, support and develop a skilled team to achieve outstanding results?

If the answer to these questions is "yes" then we want to hear from you!

For further information about this role, the work we do and our teams, please refer to the Candidate Pack and Role Profile attached.

About Us

Our work is focused on improving vehicle safety and environmental protection by providing robust testing and certification to national and internationally recognised standards. What we do has a huge societal impact and you could be part of that. We are a part of the Department of Transport as the designated UK Vehicle Type Approval Authority. With more than 40 years’ experience, we have become one of the largest and well-respected approval bodies around. This position has been built on a reputation for technical expertise and quality, which is at the heart of everything we do, and what you could be a part of.

Please also refer to our Candidate Pack and VCA website for more information.

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 Vehicle Certification Agency - Department for Transport Careers

Job description

This role sits within the Conformity of Production (CoP) department’s audit planning team. CoP is the process of ensuring that products comply with the approved specification. This clearance is required for vehicle manufacturers who want to approve and sell their vehicles in Great Britain (GB), Northern Ireland (UKNI) and Europe. This clearance is time limited and covers all assembly plants that the manufacturer utilises. The VCA CoP team deliver CoP clearance to manufacturers holding GB, UK(NI) and UNECE approvals, with the Bristol and Midlands (Nuneaton) teams responsible for the issuing of VCA CoP Compliance Statements for our global operations (including the USA, Japan, India, China, and South Korea). We are also able to facilitate CoP clearance to EU standards through our partners in Italy. Working closely with the VCA’s International Operations department and the Type Approval Certification (TAC) team, the CoP team are pivotal in the delivery of vehicle certification.

The CoP and TAC teams form the VCA’s Statutory Operations Department. Both are overseen by the Chief Technical & Statutory Operations Officer who is the head of the UK Type Approval Authority.

Your main duties will include but will not be limited to:

• Support the training of new CoP Audit Planning team members.
• Manage a team and collaborate with colleagues to manage bottlenecks in service delivery to ensure consistent and dependable output from the agency.
• Maintain an end-to-end operational perspective of VCA and engage with different departments to improve process links and reduce waste.
• Ensure processes are updated proactively and any changes impacting the issuing of approvals are effectively communicated with the Type Approval Certification team and the wider agency as needed.
• Engage with legislation and technical departments to understand changes impacting certification delivery and communicate this with the team, taking appropriate action to ensure readiness.
• Provide input to management reports summarising performance related to KPIs and internal targets.
• Lead by example embracing the Civil Service values and maintain an open-minded task-oriented approach to problem solving and the introduction of innovations.
• Coach and develop colleagues to meet current and future organisational needs and ensure the department has the required capabilities to deliver excellent service to the automotive industry and the public.
• Any other reasonable request commensurate with the grade or as agreed with your line manager.

Person specification

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

• Sound analytical, interpretive and problem-solving skills, with the ability to use data and evidence to exercise good judgement, make informed decisions, and provide clear advice or recommendations to others.
• A strong customer focus with the ability to understand customer needs and optimise performance to meet those needs.
• Excellent organisational, planning and leadership skills, with the ability to prioritise effectively, work quickly and accurately, adapt to changing priorities, collaborate across the organisation, and motivate the team to deliver objectives and continuously improve performance.
• Coaching and feedback skills to support individuals to improve performance, achieve their potential, and develop professionally.
• Experience of working in a compliance or regulatory environment.

Great line management is important to us as an organisation, and we will equip and support line managers to develop the skills set out in the Civil Service Line Management Standards

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.

Additional Information

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.

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.

If you have questions regarding how hybrid working is practiced within the business area, or any reasonable adjustments or flexible working arrangements you may currently have or need in place if successful in your application, please contact the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details).

Visa Sponsorship

Please note that we are currently unable to offer Skilled Worker Sponsorship. Candidates must ensure they have the appropriate right to work in the UK before applying.

Qualifications

Level 2 qualifications in Math and English, i.e. GCSE - grades 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 or grades A*, A, B, C or equivalent.

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

Behaviours

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

• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Leadership

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,090, Vehicle Certification Agency contributes £10,744 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

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.
• 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). Further detail can also be viewed in the attached Candidate Pack.

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

• Experience of leading a team, balancing performance targets and long-term development of colleagues.
• Experience of data analysis and management skills to make evidence-based decisions.
• Experience of delivering excellent customer service with the ability to understand customer needs and optimise performance to meet those needs.
• Experience of organisational and planning skills, with the ability to prioritise and work quickly and accurately with the flexibility to switch at short notice.

The sift will take place week commencing Monday 23rd November 2026.

Stage 2: Interview

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

• Behaviours - Managing a Quality Service, Making Effective Decisions, Working Together and Leadership
• Experience - please see attached Role Profile

Interviews will take place week commencing Monday 7th December 2026.

These interviews will be held in person at VCA headquarters, No 1 The Eastgate, Office Centre, Eastgate Road, Bristol, BS5 6XX &VCA Midlands Centre, Watling Street, Nuneaton, CV10 0UA.

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.

You are encouraged to become familiar with the role profile, as you may be assessed against any of the criteria recorded within.

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).

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

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 are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert or the information on our website, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

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.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

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.

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 basic (or equivalent) 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 : Linda Thornton
• Email : linda.thornton@vca.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

The Vehicle Certification Agency’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Principles, which outlines that selection for appointment is made on merit based on fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the values in the Civil Service Code and/or if you feel the recruitment has been conducted in such a way that conflicts with the Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Principles, you may make a complaint, by contacting the Central Recruitment Team at the following address resourcingteam@voa.gsi.gov.uk If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint you have the right to complain to the Civil Service Commissioners For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission

Attachments

Role Profile Opens in new window (pdf, 183kB)VCA_Candidate_Pack_Technical_and_Statutory_Operations_Rev0 Opens in new window (pdf, 6150kB)