About the job

Job summary

As a directorate, EU, Services and Trade (EUST) acts as voice for UK business interests in the UK-EU economic relationship, including work to boost UK-EU Services trade and investment.  Our global responsibilities include recognition arrangements for professional qualifications and services trade sanctions against Russia. While domestically we redraw and uphold regulatory frameworks for services, professions and the UK Internal Market while promoting the OECD’s responsible business conduct standards. 

The role holder will lead the corporate support team which sits at the heart of it all, providing a tailored service to help the directorate to achieve all its objectives. The Business Manager nurtures and supports the small team, working together to ensure that all business support and corporate activities run smoothly. The team enables the collaboration and connection of colleagues across the directorate; ensures senior leadership have the structures and support in place to deliver our priorities and that resources are well-managed through regular monitoring and oversight. ​ 

The Business Manager works directly with the Director and senior leadership team to deliver their corporate vision, ensuring a collaborative and inclusive place to work. The directorate has recently undergone a significant change in its remit arising from the machinery of government. This provides our business manager and team an opportunity to shape the corporate processes which underpin our work and to help reinforce a culture that the directorate can be proud of, with a clear and compelling corporate offer from the directorate to its staff.  

Job description

• As directorate business manager, you are responsible for the day to day running of the directorate’s financial and personnel resources, as well as providing support to the director and deputy directors. 
• You will lead on governance: monitoring and improving business-critical functions including business planning processes, risk management, resourcing strategy and reporting, budget monitoring and reporting, retention planning and oversight of recruitment. 
• You will coordinate and deliver projects to affect culture and behaviour change in the directorate, including running directorate inductions, and developing and implementing recruitment and retention strategies.  
• You will keep accurate financial and personnel records for the directorate and ensure transparent and effective risk management. You will use data and insights to inform decision making and evaluate impacts of outcomes, considering the bigger picture/ strategic priorities. 
• You will have line management responsibilities for four HEOs, including three executive assistants to SCS. 

Person specification

Essential Criteria 

• Leadership: You’ll inspire and motivate your team to be fully engaged in their work and dedicated to their role. 
• Communicating and influencing: You will use your excellent stakeholder management skills, building and managing partnerships quickly and effectively. You will have the ability to adapt your communication style to influence and suit your target audience. 
• Deliver at pace: Ensure delivery of timely quality outcomes, through providing the right resources to do the job, reviewing, and adjusting performance expectations and rewarding success. 

Desirable Criteria

• Making effective decisions: Ensure decision making happens at the right level, not allowing unnecessary bureaucracy to hinder delivery. Find the best option by identifying positives, negatives, risks, and implications.
• Experience of risk management or financial reporting.
• Experience of coordinating projects which deliver change. 

Personal Attributes & Skills 

Your success is your team’s success – so management and leadership skills are important. We’re looking for someone who invests in their people, providing direction, coaching and support to bring out the best in the team.  

You’ll need to be highly organised and able to work at pace to manage multiple priorities.  

An eye for detail is also needed, as you’ll be working with HR, Finance and PMO to keep our management information accurate and up to date.  

We are looking for someone with brilliant interpersonal skills. You’ll not be afraid to reach out to people at all grades to problem solve and create connections.  

This role provides insight into how a directorate works and an opportunity to practice your influencing skills – making it a brilliant role for anyone considering senior leadership roles in the future. 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £53,560, Department for Business and Trade contributes £14,461 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

Interviews for this vacancy will be conducted virtually. We will, however, consider in-person interviews by exception. 

Please ensure that you check your emails regularly as all updates from us will be sent to you this way.

To apply for this post, you will be asked to complete the following as part of the online application:    

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Provide employment history that relates to the essential criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained. The CV should not exceed more than 2 x A4 pages. 
• A Personal Statement of up to 750 words, explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the essential criteria.

It is likely that the sift will take place 1-2 weeks after the closing date and interviews 3-5 weeks after the closing date though this is subject to change.

In the event of a large number of applicants, an initial short sift will be conducted on the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.   

Reasonable Adjustments 

We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process. In order to request an adjustment:  

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section on the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process.  

Alternatively contact the Government Recruitment Service at DBTrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.   

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section. 

Candidate Support 

You may want to join a virtual Candidate Support Session. These sessions include helpful tips and advice on the recruitment process, from application to interview.   

Please see attached Candidate Pack for further information on: Diversity and Inclusion; Benefits; Learning and Development; Working Patterns and what we deliver as a department.  

Further Information: 

• A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. Reserve Lists will be for each location and appointments made in merit order based on location preferences.    
• Any move to the Department for Business and Trade from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. 
• The Department will not consider sponsoring a visa or issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship. We are unable to offer advice on any Visa and Immigration cases.   
• New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.   
• 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. Any applicant who has 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.   
• Terms and Conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.   
• Please note – the successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before being released for another role. 

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service, Disclosure Scotland and Access NI on your behalf.   

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.  

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk  

For further information on the Access NI confidential checking service telephone: the Access NI Helpline on 0300 200 7888 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email accessni@ani.x.gsi.gov.uk  

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a 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.