Description

Location
Birmingham, Bristol, Chadderton, Leeds, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Nottingham, Swansea
About the job
Job summary
Can you turn customer data and feedback into clear, impactful insights?

Have you delivered actionable insight to senior stakeholders?

Are you a collaborative leader who champions the customer voice?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

As a Customer Insight Manager, you’ll lead a team of Insight Specialists to deliver high-quality, accessible insight, working closely with communications and service teams to maximise impact. You’ll play a key role in embedding customer-focused thinking across the organisation, supporting strategic goals and ensuring every improvement is grounded in what matters most to our customers.
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 DVSA.
Job description
The job holder will work with internal teams and external organisations to capture and analyse customer feedback to support core business functions. They will lead a team of Insight Specialists to produce customer insight and satisfaction reports using appropriate analytical and visualisation techniques to present the voice of the customer. The job holder will ensure data is properly managed and compliant with regulations, support services in sharing insights, collaborate with research partners, keep best practice up to date, and regularly brief senior leadership as a central contact for customer insight.

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

Advise on the interpretation of insight, representing the voice of the customer and make recommendations for service improvements.
Work with Senior Customer Insight Managers to develop new research
Evaluate the effectiveness of research methodologies ensuring continuous improvement and cost effectiveness of the service is maintained.
Execute management responsibilities effectively and in line with DVSA policies and processes, working with, leading and acting as a role model for team members and colleagues in line with Civil Service values.
Determine and plan team requirements, including allocating resources and prioritising activities, over the short to medium term by understanding the business environment in which the team operates, and the overall team objectives, ensuring their team understands and works to these requirements.
Demonstrate leadership by providing guidance to staff to support the delivery of objectives. Manage and engage with honesty and integrity, and upholding the reputation of the Agency, Department and Civil Service.
Work in collaboration with other managers across all functions for the good of DVSA and to create a high performing and well-respected Agency.
Sustain an effective relationship with services managers and other stakeholders that have access to customer insight.
Great line management is important to us as an organisation, and we will equip and support line managers to develop the skills set out in the Civil Service Line Management Standards.

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
Required experience:

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

Experience using quantitative and qualitative research methodologies.
Strong analytical skills and the ability to review multiple data sets, identifying trends, patterns and emerging themes.
A proven track record of communicating insights clearly and effectively to a range of audiences, driving meaningful improvements to services and customer outcomes.
Proven ability to create and maintain good working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple, and often conflicting, priorities to deadline and to a high standard.
Ability to act with autonomy and provide business leadership, with sound judgement on when to escalate or refer to a Senior Manager.
Qualifications/Memberships:

A qualification in research, data analysis or related disciplines, is desirable but not essential.
A member of the government’s professional research network is desirable but not essential.
A member of a relevant professional body such as the Market Research Society, Association of Qualitative Researchers, or similar or willing to work towards is desirable.
Additional Information

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 30 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. 

Regular travel to other offices will be required, 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

Please note that we do not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker Licence sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship. Candidates must ensure they have the appropriate rights to work in the UK before application.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

Seeing the Big Picture
Making Effective Decisions
Working Together
Communicating and Influencing
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £35,663, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency contributes £10,331 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).
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 (opens in a new window).
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 (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.
How to apply:

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

The selection process for this role will be:

Stage 1: Sift of CV and personal statement

Stage 2: Interview

You must be successful at each stage to progress to the next stage.

Stage 1: Sift

At sift, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile element:

Experience – you will be asked to provide a CV (unlimited wordcount) and personal statement (1000-word count). Please provide evidence of your Experience of the following:

(Maximum 250 words)Provide a specific example of how you have led people to design and deliver quantitative and/or qualitative research to gather customer or user views. In your response, please outline:
Your role
How you guided or managed others
The insight produced
How you communicated this to influence your intended audience
(Maximum 750 words)Describe your experience in relation to the following:
Your communication skills, including how you build and maintain positive relationships with stakeholders and colleagues
Your ability to prioritise and manage multiple competing tasks effectively
You can work independently, make sound decisions, and provide clear direction to support the business
Please aim to use the full 1000-word allowance to demonstrate your experience against the above criteria.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead Success Profile element, Experience point 1. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

The sift will take place from 3rd September 2026. 

Stage 2: Interview

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

Behaviours – Seeing the Big Picture, Making Effective Decisions, Working Together, Communicating & Influencing
Strengths
You will also be required to create and deliver a presentation to assess the Behaviour - Seeing the Big Picture. Guidance will be provided if you are invited to interview.

The interviews will take place week commencing 21st September 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 (opens in a new window).

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.

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 dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk 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.

If you are unsuccessful in the selection process, your application may be considered for a lower graded position if your demonstrated skills and experience meet the requirements of the alternative position. Candidates will be considered in order of merit. 

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

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) (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)
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).
Apply and further information
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 :
Name :Ben Bell
Email :Ben.Bell@dvsa.gov.uk
Recruitment team
Email :dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk