Deputy Directors – Local Transport Infrastructure Sponsorship and Delivery

The Directorate oversees major devolved transport funding and delivery relationships at a time of significant change in how central government works with Mayors, Mayoral Strategic Authorities and local leaders. The successful candidates will need to combine delivery grip with finely tuned political judgement, and the ability to operate confidently with Ministers, senior officials, HM Treasury, No.10 North and senior local politicians to secure progress, manage risk and maintain confidence across government and places.

One postholder will focus primarily on delivery of CRSTS and TCR portfolios. The postholder will work with Strategic Authorities to agree delivery plans and investment priorities, build a shared understanding of delivery progress, risk and confidence, and provide assurance and support to help secure successful delivery and benefits realisation across devolved transport portfolios.

The second postholder will focus primarily on sponsorship of retained major infrastructure schemes within the CRSTS and TCR portfolio. A central feature of the role will be the West Yorkshire Mass Transit (WYMT) programme, which is expected to account for around 50-75% of the postholder's time. Acting as the Department's sponsor for WYMT, the postholder will work closely with West Yorkshire Combined Authority and partners to provide assurance, challenge and support as the programme progresses through business case development, approvals and delivery planning.

The Directorate's operating model continues to evolve in response to the Government's devolution agenda and ongoing organisation design work. While each role has a distinct area of emphasis, both postholders will be expected to help shape the development of the Directorate's future approach to delivery, assurance and sponsorship. Sponsorship responsibilities for retained schemes within the TCR portfolio will be shared across both roles. The precise distribution of responsibilities between the two posts may continue to evolve as the organisation design develops, and in light of the experience, strengths and interests of the successful candidates.

Candidates will be asked to indicate a preference for one role, or to be considered for either. Final appointments will take account of candidate preference, assessment evidence and business need.

Responsibilities of the role include:

• Provide visible senior leadership across the Directorate’s delivery and sponsorship responsibilities, helping to build a strengthened, complementary delivery capability that preserves place insight, improves resilience and aligns resources to strategic priorities.
• Build strong, trusted relationships with senior colleagues in Mayoral Strategic Authorities, local transport bodies and across government, including Ministers, senior officials, HM Treasury, No.10 North and senior local politicians, exercising support, collaboration, constructive challenge and finely judged political handling.
• Design and operate proportionate, risk-based reporting, assurance and governance arrangements that reflect the scale, complexity, delivery risk and organisational maturity of the relevant portfolio, based on transparency and accountability for public money.
• Drive delivery across the CRSTS and TCR portfolio, ensuring delivery plans, performance information, risks, dependencies, benefits and affordability issues are surfaced, understood and managed effectively.
• Invest substantial time face to face with local authority and delivery body teams to strengthen understanding of delivery confidence, portfolio health and investment risk.
• Ensure Departmental sponsorship, assurance and governance arrangements are aligned to each scheme or portfolio, balancing value for money, accountability, benefits realisation and the Government’s ambition for deeper devolution.
• Commission expert advice and independent assurance where needed, and navigate internal Departmental, cross-government and HM Treasury approval processes.
• Work collaboratively across the Regions, Cities and Devolution Directorate, the Department and wider government to align around effective local delivery, maximise wider benefits, inform future support and targeted interventions, and ensure public investment delivers tangible economic and social outcomes for communities.
• For the postholder leading the Department's approach to sponsorship of retained major infrastructure schemes, dedicate a substantial proportion of time to the West Yorkshire Mass Transit programme, acting as the Department’s senior sponsor and ensuring the programme has clear governance, proportionate assurance, effective business case progression, and robust engagement with West Yorkshire Combined Authority, HM Treasury and other key partners.

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)

Application

Veredus are managing this competition on behalf of the Department for Transport. To apply, please submit the following through the Veredus website at Opportunities , Veredus quoting reference 1416 by no later 9am Monday 2nd November 2026

The application will include:

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
• A Statement of Suitability (no longer than 1,000 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the criteria in the person specification.

Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.

As part of the online application process, you will also be required to complete the following:

• Diversity Monitoring Form - All monitoring data will be treated in the strictest confidence, will not be provided to the selection panel and will not affect your application in any way. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the particular characteristics, you will have the option to select 'prefer not to say’ (via this link) DIVERSITY MONITORING FORM – Fill in form
• Candidate Supporting Information Form (via this link) CANDIDATE SUPPORTING INFORMATION FORM – Fill in form

If applicable, please also download from our website, complete and submit the following forms;

• Disability Confident Scheme Form
• Veteran’s Scheme Form

Should you encounter any issues with your application or wish to have a confidential discussion, please contact our recruitment advisers at Veredus::

Julian.Middleton@veredus.co.uk or Laura.Spurgin@veredus.co.uk

Longlist

The panel will assess your application to select those demonstrating the best fit with the role by considering the evidence you have provided against the essential criteria set out in the ‘Person Specification’ section. Failure to address any or all of these may affect your application. ​

The timeline later in this pack indicates the date by which decisions are expected to be made, and all candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible thereafter. Candidates selected for longlisting will be invited for a preliminary discussion with Laura Spurgin to further explore their skills and experience.​

Candidates applying under the Disability Confident, Redeployment or Veterans Scheme who meet the minimum selection criteria in the job specification are guaranteed an interview. Please complete the relevant parts in the application system if applying under these schemes.

Shortlist

The panel will review reports on those longlisted and will select a shortlist of candidates whose applications best demonstrate suitability for the role, by considering the evidence provided against the essential criteria set out in the Personal Specification

Assessment

If you are shortlisted you will be asked to take part in the following assessments :

• Individual Leadership Assessment – a combination of psychometric assessments
• Staff Engagement Exercise - a presentation and Q&A with a representative staff group from across the DfT.

These assessments will not result in a pass or fail decision. Rather, they are designed to support the panel’s decision making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview.

Informal Discussions

Shortlisted candidates will have the opportunity to speak to John Hall prior to the final interview. This is an informal discussion to allow candidates to learn more about the role and is not part of the assessment process

Interview

You will be asked to attend a panel interview where you will be asked to give a presentation and then have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification.

Interviews are expected to take place face to face in our London offices, SW1P 4DR.

Outcome and Feedback

Unfortunately, due to the anticipated number of applicants for this role, we are unable to provide feedback to those not successful at longlist stage.

Timeline

The timeline later in this pack indicates the date by which decisions are expected to be made, all candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible thereafter, and we will advise on any delays.

Expected Timeline

We will try and offer as much flexibility as we can, but it may not be possible to offer alternative dates for assessments or interviews. You are therefore asked to note the below timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process, in order to meet the dates given. Please note that these dates may be subject to change.

The anticipated timetable is as follows:

Advert Closing Date 9am Monday 2nd November 2026

Longlist w/c 9th November 2026

Shortlist c1st December 2026

Assessments w/c 7th December 2026

Panel Interviews 14th or 15th December 2026

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.