Low Carbon Fuels Director

Posting date:	05 June 2025
Salary:	£98,000 per year
Additional salary information:	Pro rata for part time or Job Share. For existing Civil Servants, internal candidates the usual pay rules should apply, i.e. if moving on level transfer the salary will remain the same, if successful on promotion the salary will be the higher of either 10
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	22 June 2025
Location:	Leeds
Company:	Government Recruitment Service
Job type:	Permanent
Job reference:	409227/3

Summary

Delivering Greener Transport is one of the Secretary of State’s strategic priorities, putting transport at the heart of a mission-led government. The growth in the production and use of low carbon fuels plays a key part of this, and the new Low Carbon Fuels Directorate will be central to enabling this transformation. The Directorate will sit within the Decarbonisation Technology and Strategy Group (DTS) group led by the Second Permanent Secretary.

The Director will provide overall leadership for policy relating to the development and use of low carbon fuels in transport. This is an exciting and rapidly developing policy area that plays a central role in the decarbonisation of the transport system, and therefore of the economy as a whole. It is an opportunity to maximise the economic benefits to the UK of the emergence of new technologies, particularly in the production of sustainable aviation fuel. You will work closely with colleagues across the department to set direction for the use of low carbon fuels in road transport, aviation and maritime, and with colleagues across government to ensure strategic alignment with wider energy and environmental objectives.

Duties and responsibilities

You will provide leadership of the new Low Carbon Fuels Directorate in DfT, drawing together a team of approximately 90 FTE, which will include bringing in new multi-disciplinary expertise. The role requires extensive engagement with the aviation and fuels sectors, and you will need to represent DfT in communicating the government’s vision for these emerging industries.

You will lead all DfT’s work on low carbon fuels, which includes:

• The operation of the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation – a c.£2bn/yr scheme, which has driven the majority of emission savings from transport to date.
• The implementation of the mandate for sustainable aviation fuels, which came into force this year.
• The development of a Revenue Certainty Mechanism for sustainable aviation fuel to support UK production of SAF. You will oversee primary and secondary legislation to establish the RCM (primary legislation was introduced in May 2025), which is due to conclude by the end of 2026, and provide overall leadership for contract negotiation with SAF producers. This will involve close work with Desnz, and has parallels with the contract for difference mechanisms used in the electricity sector.
• Policy development on the use of low carbon fuels for the decarbonisation of the maritime sector, building on DfT’s Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy.

You will also be a key part of the leadership team of the Decarbonisation, Technology and Strategy group which works across DfT.

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