Details

Reference number

410329

Salary

£67,313 - £74,406 A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97% GBP

Job grade

Grade 6

Contract type

Permanent

Business area

ATE - Inspectorate

Type of role

Engineering
Planning
Project Delivery

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time

Number of jobs available

Location
About the job
Benefits
Things you need to know
Apply and further information

Location

York

About the job

Job summary

Do you have a working knowledge and a good understanding in active travel design?

Can you interpret design drawings and modelling information?

Have you got a track record of leading and contributing to high performing teams?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

There has never been a more exciting time to be working in active travel and Active Travel England (ATE) is at the forefront of this high-profile agenda. ATE will raise standards of cycling and walking infrastructure in England by overseeing improved design, increasing skills and capability in local authorities, influencing the planning system and administering the cycling and walking budget.

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 Active Travel England

Job description

We are looking for an outstanding and experienced Traffic/ Transport/ Highways Engineer/Urban Designer/Transport Planner/Spatial Planner/Accessibility Professional with significant sponsorship experience to build Active Travel England’s (ATE) inspection function.

ATE is a national executive agency that will enforce new standards in cycling and walking provision, raise performance, and be a repository of expertise in scheme design. This is a high-profile role with the opportunity to significantly shape ATE’s effectiveness as the national authority on standards in walking and cycling and ensure walking and cycling investment only funds the best projects.

The post holder should have significant experience in sponsorship, management, design, and delivery of complex infrastructure projects. They will be expected to manage significant national budgets and be versed in developing strategies and frameworks for investment planning.

The post holder will also support the Director of Inspections in managing a team of specialists to deliver Active Travel England inspectorate duties by ensuring a holistic view of design is taken across project delivery lifecycles.

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

Development and provision of strategic guidance on best practice walking and cycling bid development and subsequent financial management, assessment, and assurance of a competitive bidding processes
Driving delivery by ensuring robust financial, schedule and value management, and supporting local authorities/ boroughs to create robust programme governance and escalation processes and the delivery of benefits
Representing ATE in key meetings with regional, combined, and local authorities as well as with other delivery partners such as Prime Minister’s Office, other government departments and organisations such as Sustrans and Living Streets
Support the provision of information to support the agency Business Plan and Spending Reviews
Chairing/ secretariat of senior decision-making boards and ensuring provision of advice to senior management on programme/ project status, milestones, finances, risks, and issues
Responsible for managing and providing appropriate responses to internal and external stakeholders which include TfL Directors, Ministers, MPs, Councillors, Mayor’s Questions
Uphold the scheme inspection regime, highlighting examples of good and poor practice, and engaging with local authorities to raise standards
Work closely with the Department’s Active Travel team to ensure that the inspections function dovetails with existing programmes and make recommendations to the Department on how schemes can be improved

Great line management is important to us as an organisation, and we will equip and support line managers to develop the skills they need. We aim to empower line managers to create teams where people can flourish and deliver excellent outcomes for the public.

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:

Working knowledge and a good understanding in active travel design including an ability to interpret design drawings and modelling information
Experience of leading and contributing to high performing teams
Thorough understanding of the project life cycle from consultation to implementation and post project evaluation
A good understanding of policy development and implementation

Additional Information

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 principal workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, visiting stakeholders and colleagues, or carrying out detached duty in another DfT or agency workplace. The chosen principal workplace will be the designated place of work and any remote or home working arrangement does not constitute a change to the designated place of work or contractual terms and conditions. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.

For more information on how this works for this role, please contact the Vacancy Holder (see below for contact details).

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.

Behaviours

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

Leadership
Working Together
Developing Self and Others
Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £67,313, Active Travel England contributes £19,500 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 .

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

How to apply

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV and 1000 word personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

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

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 knowledge and a good understanding in active travel design including an ability to interpret design drawings and modelling information.
Experience of leading and contributing to high performing teams.
Thorough understanding of the project life cycle from consultation to implementation and post project evaluation.
A good understanding of policy development and implementation.

The sift will take place on the 26th and 27th June 2025

Stage 2: Interview

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

Behaviours – (Leadership, Working Together, Developing Self and Others and Communicating and Influencing)
Experience – (Mentioned Above)

The interviews will take place week commencing 7th July 2025

This interview will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams or in person at our York office (West Offices City Business Ctre, Station Rise, York YO1 6GA). 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 .

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 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.

AI Tools and Platforms

During the application process candidates are allowed to utilise AI (artificial intelligence) tools and platforms to support them in writing their Behaviours, CVs and Personal Statements. However, you must ensure that any evidence submitted as part of your application or used during interview is truthful and factually accurate. Applications may be rejected if plagiarism is detected. Examples of plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or concepts generated by artificial intelligence, as your own. You can read more 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 the How 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.

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)
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

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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 . 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 the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans 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 : Brian Deegan
Email : Brian.Deegan@activetravelengland.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

Active Travel England

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