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Principal Sustainability Specialist

  • Public sector
  • Hastings
  • 06/05/2025
  • £42,848.00 - £47,052.00 /yearly
  • Permanent
Job expired!

Job Overview

Location

Hastings

Job Type

Permanent

Salary

£42,848 - £47,052 yearly

Date Posted:

06/05/2025

Expiration date:

18/05/2025

Additional Detail

Job ID

25954

Work Location

Remote and/or Onsite

Job Description

Location: Birmingham, Hastings, Leeds, London
 
We recognise the challenges that people with protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.
 
Are you passionate about sustainability and have a degree in Science or Environmental Science and/or relevant professional experience?
 
Do you have knowledge of low carbon fuels and their role in decarbonising transport?
 
Can you communicate complex technical information confidently to a diverse range of stakeholders?
 
If so, we'd love to hear from you!

Job overview

Climate change is one of the biggest and most pressing challenges facing Governments across the world. In this role you will be at the heart of the Department's strategy to accelerate the shift to greener transport, and drive more sustainable travel behaviours, to ensure that transport plays its part in meeting this challenge.

The Environment Strategy directorate leads on policy to move the nation's transport onto a more sustainable footing while maximising the economic opportunities for the UK.

We are looking for two highly motivated sustainability specialists, with knowledge of sustainability, climate change, and renewable fuels, to join the Low Carbon Fuels (LCF) Delivery Unit as Principal sustainability specialists.  

You will play a critical role in helping to ensure the successful delivery of the ongoing implementation and delivery of both the RTFO and the SAF Mandate. These flagship policies are two of the Government's most important routes for reducing emissions from transport. 

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

  • Initiate and manage technical projects. You will investigate emerging sustainability issues, evaluating the risk they pose to the scheme while identifying and implementing solutions. You will work collaboratively with colleagues in the Low Carbon Fuels policy teams to implement amendments and improvements to the scheme.
  • Ensure the sustainability of the RTFO and SAF Mandate schemes. You will undertake initial assessments of new low carbon fuel feedstocks and production pathways, engaging with industry to assess their eligibility under the RTFO and SAF Mandate, and working with the Unit technical managers to issue eligibility advice.
  • Review RTFO and SAF Mandate applications evaluate sustainability claims for fuel supplied under the schemes and provide support to colleagues and fuel suppliers on technical issues and application investigations.
  • Collaborate with external stakeholders: The role is highly collaborative and involves engagement with a wide range of stakeholders - from leading fuel suppliers to innovative start-ups. You will work with international regulators, industry, technical support partners and other relevant organisations to address emerging challenges to the sustainability and integrity of the scheme, ensuring that the UK remains at the forefront of low carbon fuels regulation.

For further information, please see the attached Role Profile.

About you

To be successful in this role you will need to be able to demonstrate the following:

  • Degree in Science or Environmental Science, and/or relevant professional experience.
  • Knowledge of environmental or energy-related issues and solutions e.g. climate change, sustainability, sustainable aviation fuels/biofuels/low carbon fuels, life cycle analysis.
  • Experience of initiating and managing technical projects.
  • Experience of communicating complex information to a wide variety of stakeholders.
  • Experience of making decisions or recommendations based on the best available evidence, even when the evidence is complex, incomplete or contradictory.

Additional Information:

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace, although requirements to attend other locations for official business, or carry out detached duty in another DfT workplace, will also count towards this level of attendance. There is a business requirement to attend our Hastings office a minimum of 1 day per month.

There may be occasions where you will be required to travel to other DfT offices to attend meetings and visits around the UK with potential opportunities for travelling to the EU.

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. 

Behaviours

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

  • Making Effective Decisions
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Working Together
  • Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

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

Alongside your salary of £42,848, Department for Transport contributes £12,413 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Please note, the above example is based on the National minimum salary. The employer pension contribution will be 28.97% of your specific salary.   

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits. We offer generous annual leave, attractive pension options, flexible working, inclusive working environments and much more to support a healthy work/life balance.

Find out more about what it's like working at the Department for Transport.

https://careers.dft.gov.uk/our-agencies/department-for-transport-central/

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

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

When considering applying please look at how your experience relates to the role, and within your CV and Personal Statement please provide detailed evidence of your experience of the following: 

  • Degree in Science or Environmental Science, and/or relevant professional experience.
  • Knowledge of low carbon fuels and their role in decarbonising transport and experience of the assessment of the sustainability of these.
  • Experience of initiating and managing technical projects.
  • Experience of communicating complex information to a wide variety of stakeholders.
  • Experience of making decisions or recommendations based on the best available evidence, even when the evidence is complex, incomplete or contradictory.

Please fully utilise the 1000-word count when completing your Personal Statement.

The sift is due to take place from week commencing 19th May 2025.

Interviews are likely to be held from week commencing 2nd June 2025.

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.

The selection process will be designed specifically for the role. As a result, your assessment will include:

  • An Interview.
  • Presentation.

This interview will be conducted online via MS Teams. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

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

The Department for Transport alongside other Government Departments recruit using Success Profiles. This means for each role we consider what you will need to demonstrate in order to be successful. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

For further information on Success Profiles visit our Careers website.

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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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

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

Open to UK nationals only.

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 the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
 
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

Recruitment team

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: [email protected]

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.

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