Low Carbon Fuels Technical specialists

Details

### Reference number

486957

• ### Salary
• £37,090
• A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• GBP
• ### Job grade

Higher Executive Officer

### Contract type

Permanent

### Business area

DFT - Decarbonisation, Technology & Strategy Group (DTS)

### Type of role

Environment and Sustainability

Policy

### Working pattern

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

### Number of jobs available

2

Contents

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

Birmingham, Hastings, Leeds

About the job

### Job summary

Are you passionate about sustainability and using renewable fuel policy to help shape the UK's journey to net zero?

Do you enjoy translating complex technical evidence into clear advice that influences government policy and industry outcomes?

Are you looking for an opportunity to work at the forefront of low carbon fuel policy, and influencing the UK’s approach to transport decarbonisation?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

The Low Carbon Fuels Policy & Delivery Division sits at the heart of the Department for Transport's work to decarbonise transport and support the UK's Net Zero ambitions. Our team develops and delivers policy for the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO). The RTFO reduces greenhouse gas emissions from surface transport by encouraging the supply of low carbon fuels for use in road vehicles, trains, other non-road transport and mobile machinery. . Working closely with colleagues across DfT, other government departments, industry stakeholders and international partners, we tackle complex and high-profile issues that shape the future of low carbon fuels in the UK. This is a fast-paced and rewarding environment where technical expertise, innovation and collaboration are essential. From setting targets for fuel supply and sustainability standards to assessing incentives and industry impacts, our work plays a vital role in delivering cleaner, greener transport for the future.

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 DfTc

DfTc Policy roles: Policy opportunities at the Department for Transport - Department for Transport Careers

### Job description

Join the Department for Transport's Low Carbon Fuels Policy & Delivery Division as a Technical Policy Advisor and help shape the future of sustainable transport. Working on the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, you will provide technical expertise on low carbon fuels, sustainability and climate change. Collaborating with government, industry and stakeholders, you will help develop evidence-based policies that support transport decarbonisation and the UK's transition to Net Zero.

Your responsibilities will include, but aren’t limited to

Support the development of DfT positions and policy on often complex technical issues facing the RTFO such as eligible low carbon fuels and feedstocks, sustainability issues or carbon accounting.

Input to high-quality advice and briefing to Ministers, including by building on the evidence base.

Drafting technical content, such as consultation or response documents.

Work closely with the Low Carbon Fuels’ Delivery Unit to ensure that the RTFO is implemented in line with government policy.

Work in partnership with modal, strategy, legal, analytical, commercial and corporate finance teams.

Engaging with stakeholders in industry and other government departments.

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.

### Person specification

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.

Required experience

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

Degree in Engineering, Science or Environmental Science, and/or relevant professional experience

Knowledge of sustainable aviation fuels/biofuels/low carbon fuels and/or life cycle analysis/carbon accounting in relation to transport decarbonisation

Gathering and organising evidence to inform recommendations or decisions, demonstrating attention to detail when interpreting technical information

Being able to demonstrate resilience and how you have enjoyed working in fast-paced, sometimes uncertain environments and able to calmly forge a path through while taking others with you

Communicating information clearly and professionally to a range of audiences

* A proven track record in managing multiple workstreams, competing priorities and delivering on time

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 32 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.

The role may require occasional travel to other offices or sites, which may involve overnight stays.

If you have a question about hybrid working, part time/job share hours, flexible working, travelling for work, or require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Vacancy Holder during the recruitment process to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role (see below for contact details).

Visa Sponsorship

DfTc does not offer Visa Sponsorship for this role.

### Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• ### Technical skills
• We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
• Science and Engineering Framework - Applying Knowledge - Emerging
• Science and Engineering Framework - Interfacing with Policy - Emerging
• Science and Engineering Framework - Technical Adaptability - Emerging
• Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,090, Department for Transport 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 .

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

### 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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

### Selection process details

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

How to apply:

Our selection process ensures a comprehensive assessment of each applicant's skills, and potential fit within our organisation.

The selection process for this role will be

• Stage 1: Online Civil Service Verbal test
• Stage 2: Sift of CV and personal statement
• Stage 3: Interview
• You must be successful at each stage to progress to the next stage.

Stage 1: Verbal Test

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

Ability

After submission of the first stage of your application (personal details), you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Verbal test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the full application (please see ‘stage 2: sift’ for further information).

Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended) to give yourself enough time to complete your full application (please see ‘stage 2: sift’ for further information). Both the online test and the full application must be completed by the closing date on the advert, 23:55pm on 8th November 2026, otherwise your application will be rejected. If you fail to complete the online tests before the deadline your application will be withdrawn.

Guidance for the tests will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

Online Test Maintenance

You will be directed to the Talogy - True Talent – Scheduled Maintenance Window Webpage for online tests during an outage.

Our online test supplier will be performing scheduled maintenance between midday to 1.00pm on 25th October 2026 and 4pm to midnight on 1st November 2026. You will be unable to access tests during this period.

If you are in the middle of a test when the maintenance begins, your progress will be paused. You will be able to resume your test from where you left off via your application centre once the downtime has ended. Please note that you will not be able to launch any new tests while the system is offline.

Stage 2: 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 (1250-word count). Your personal statement should provide evidence of your experience of the following:

• Knowledge of sustainable aviation fuels/biofuels/low carbon fuels and/or life cycle analysis/carbon accounting in relation to transport decarbonisation
• Gathering and organising evidence to inform recommendations or decisions, demonstrating attention to detail when interpreting technical information
• Being able to demonstrate resilience and how you have enjoyed working in fast-paced, sometimes uncertain environments and able to calmly forge a path through while taking others with you
• Communicating information clearly and professionally to a range of audiences
• A proven track record in managing multiple workstreams, competing priorities and delivering on time
• The sift will take place week commencing 09/11/2026
• Stage 3: Interview
• At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:
• Behaviours – ( Making Effective Decisions, Communicating and Influencing)
• Experience
• Technical - (Applying Knowledge, Interfacing with Policy, Technical Adaptability)
• The technical framework can be found following this link Government science and engineering: career framework - GOV.UK

The interviews will take place from 26/11/2026

This interview will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams. 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

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.

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

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 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

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)
• 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 : Esther Gordon-Smith

Email : [email protected]

#### Recruitment team

* Email : [email protected]

### 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 at https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk