Senior Policy Advisor

As a Senior Policy Advisor, you are expected to work with a degree of flexibility, meaning responsibilities may change to support priority delivery.

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

• Leading policy advice for Ministers, other Government Departments (including Cabinet Office, No10 and HM Treasury) and senior officials, including but not limited to: Ministerial briefings, Parliamentary business, freedom of information requests and correspondence.  
• Supporting senior managers with policy creation/implementation.
• Gathering information, including engaging with internal and external experts, and bringing it together to deliver high quality oral and written briefing.
• Developing and maintaining good working relationships with departmental, cross-Government and external stakeholders to support policy development and delivery.
• Making clear recommendations on complex questions, working with stakeholders in a fast-moving environment, managing ambiguity and handling the dynamics of multiple competing priorities.

We have the following Policy roles immediately available:

1. Decarbonisation Strategy Senior Policy Advisor

Transport is the largest contributor to the UK's domestic greenhouse gas emissions, making decarbonisation essential to reduce the transport sector's impact on the environment and contribution to climate change. As a Senior Policy Advisor in Decarbonisation Strategy, you will help shape and drive ambitious work across the Department, government and the wider transport sector. You will support delivery of greener and healthier transport and the transition to net zero by 2050.

2. International Trade Senior Policy Advisor

You will support DfT’s international trade policy work by developing clear briefing, evidence-based recommendations and policy positions for Free Trade Agreement negotiations and the department’s wider trade strategy. You will work closely with DfT modal teams and DBT, building a Whitehall network to understand and inform DfT’s international trade work, representing DfT interests, defending DfT positions and influencing others as appropriate. You will have develop in-depth knowledge of both transport and international trade policy issues.

3. Seafarers and Skills Senior Policy Advisor

This role sits within the People and Safety Division in the Department for Transport’s Maritime Directorate, supporting policy work to strengthen the UK maritime workforce. The post involves working with government and industry stakeholders on areas including seafarer visas, employment rights, skills, careers and diversity, helping to develop and deliver evidence-based policy solutions.

4. Aviation Carbon Markets and Removals Senior Policy Advisor (Part-Time, Job share, 22 hrs per week)

This is role focused on aviation carbon markets and greenhouse gas removals, supporting aviation’s pathway to net zero. Applicants require strong policy, analytical and stakeholder skills, with the ability to provide clear advice and work collaboratively in this job-share post.

5. Automated Vehicles Operations Senior Policy Advisor

This role supports the development and implementation of the UK’s regulatory framework for self-driving vehicles, leading on aspects of on operator licensing, licence conditions and guidance for vehicles operating without a user in charge. Working at the forefront of transport innovation, you will help translate the Automated Vehicles Act into a practical regulatory regime, collaborating with government, regulators and industry to support the safe deployment of self-driving technology across Britain.

6. Automated Vehicles Data Senior Policy Advisor

This role leads data policy for self-driving vehicle regulation, supporting delivery of the Automated Vehicles Act and the development of a future safety framework. The postholder will work across government, industry and digital partners to deliver policy, manage data workstreams, and support innovation in automated vehicle deployment

7. Road Freight Division - Freight and Borders (FAB) Senior Policy Advisor 

The Freight and Borders Directorate leads work across government and with the freight and logistics sector to keep goods moving smoothly into, out of and across the UK. This is a flexible deployment role within the Road Freight Division and the wider Freight and Borders (FAB) Directorate. The successful candidate will work across a range of policy, strategy and delivery priorities, with responsibilities shaped by business need and emerging departmental objectives.

8. HS2 Benefits and Business Case: Senior Policy Advisor

This role sits within the HS2 Benefits and Business Case Team, supporting delivery of the HS2 Programme Business Case and the governance, strategy and evaluation of programme benefits. You would be working across government and with senior stakeholders to align benefits with wider objectives, support the HS2 Growth and Benefits Board, and embed benefits management across the programme.

At the point of interview all candidates will be asked for their preferred team. As we will be appointing this role based on merit (offering to the highest scorer first) we will take your preferred team into consideration but please note that this will not be guaranteed.

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.

Open Session:

Would you like to find out more about the role, the team and what it’s like to work in our department? If so, we are organising an open session where you can virtually 'meet the team' on Tuesday 4th August 2026 at 12:30pm-1:30pm. Sign up here.