Transport Security Research Lead

Closing date: 11:55 pm on Sunday 18 August 2024.

Job summary

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.

Do you have experience working in a scientific or technical area?

Are you able to build and maintain relationships strong working relationships with a range of stakeholders?

Have you got experience of managing a fast-paced and complex portfolio of work?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

Job description

The Transport Security Directorate (TSD) works across the Department for Transport, HMG, and with partners to mitigate the threats the transport sector faces domestically and internationally. We lead on high profile work to implement and improve the transport sector’s cyber security, maritime and aviation security regimes as well as working with international partners to raise global standards and build capability.

We are looking for individuals with a science background to join the National Security Science and Research (NSSR) Division of TSD. This is a very busy team working in a fast-paced environment. We provide evidence led scientific and technical advice across a wide range of disciplines, from physics and chemistry to engineering, human factors and ergonomics and support responses to security incidents on the transport network.

Your role will be to lead thematic transport security research and development projects and be a focal point between NSSR and our transport security policy teams. You will establish and run a range of technical projects that provide advice on understanding threats to transport and suggest and evaluate options for mitigating the threats or reducing their impact.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Be the subject matter expert for a specific research theme (actual technical area will be dependent on your skills and qualifications. Examples include: computational model design and interpretation, systems engineering, data management, threat detection equipment and algorithms, understanding threat and risk) across all transport modes, providing support and advice both to the NSSR division and policy colleagues.
• Lead the commissioning, delivery and exploitation of transport security research and development projects.
• Technically review and interpret data to make evidence -based recommendations to security policy leads.
• Develop effective partnerships with your expert counterparts across Whitehall Departments and intelligence agencies.
• Influence and leverage related research and development taking place internationally, including representing the UK at meetings with partner countries.

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.

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.

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.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact: Claire Franks, Claire.Franks@dft.gov.uk

Recruitment team: dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk