About the job

Job summary

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is the department for economic growth. We support businesses to invest, grow and export, creating jobs and opportunities across the country.

We are the Strategic Technologies team, working across several critical technologies that our crucial to the future prosperity of the UK; Future Telecoms, AI, Semiconductors and Quantum.

In the Strategic Technologies team, we seek to understand the barriers to growth facing our critical technology companies, work with partners across industry, DBT and Government to inform on and overcome those barriers, and by making strategic interventions using the levers at DBTs disposal.

We sit at the heart of business engagement for HMG, actively seeking input from companies on their growth challenges and making sure their requirements are understood by the most relevant parts of HMG, and use our influence to ensure the growth agenda is reflected across the policy, diplomacy and regulatory activity undertaken across all of Government.

DBT also leverages the strength of its international network, with colleagues in 110 markets, and ensures the UK technology sector takes advantage of the opportunities in the global market, and through promoting the UK sector to overseas investors and buyers.

The Strategic Technologies team consists of 15 individuals, and you will be joining a team continuously evolving to meet the needs of the UK technology sector. This is an exciting opportunity to balance business engagement, xWH stakeholder management and influencing, and hands-on trade and investment activity, ensuring every day is different.  

Job description

The successful candidate will work closely with colleagues in the UK and overseas to develop and deliver on growth-focused activity, including export, investment and policy work, in line with DBT’s strategic objectives. This role will report into the G6 leading on Semiconductor and Quantum activity and international activity in India and APAC. These areas of focus however may change as the business plan and sector priorities evolve.

Responsibilities:

Activity is expected to fall in to 3 key areas, which will evolve as the team’s business plan develops: 

Policy: You will lead the delivery of our economic growth objectives, including trade and investment plans for Quantum & Semiconductors. You will develop strong sectoral knowledge to lead as the “go-to person” within DBT for your technology area, particularly building strong relationships with colleagues in DSIT and with other key stakeholders. Use this know-how to identify where to influence and what levers to pull to promote growth. Advocate for your technology area across DBT’s UK networks both overseas and in UK regions and nations. Support DBT’s work of upskilling the UK’s core sectors to adopt these strategic technologies to generate economic growth. 

Business engagement: Building a plan of engagement with UK technology businesses and key stakeholders aligned to your technology area to develop a detailed understanding of the issues affecting their growth. This will entail managing our database of top UK technology companies, leading on some of these relationships and ensuring their concerns and insights are heard across DBT and wider HMG. 

International trade and investment activities: To further international growth, build close relationships with colleagues in our priority markets for your technology area to understand better the barriers to UK tech companies doing business overseas and the challenges potential international investors face coming to the UK. Develop and lead the delivery of targeted activity to support growth ambitions including through organising trade missions to priority markets or inbound investment missions ensuring tangible outcomes e.g., export wins. Holding responsibility for the relationship management of key FDI company accounts aligned to your technology including some of the largest technology companies in the world. Leading on core projects including London Tech Week by taking on specific workstreams, working across the Strategic Technology team, wider Science and Technology directorate, DBT’s international network and across Whitehall to secure the most impactful announcements and activity during the week.  

Corporate/management: Leading a team of two SEO’s and one HEO 

Person specification

We are looking for an energetic, conscientious and dedicated self-starter who is keen to learn quickly, work collaboratively and take pride and ownership in their work in a dynamic environment. We are looking for someone who: 

• Has good leadership experience and is able to take direction from above and set direction for their team
• Is hard-working, a team player with an interest and appetite to learn about emerging technologies 
• Is able to work effectively on their own and also as part of the wider Strategic Technologies team
• Has sound judgement as there will be occasions when they will not be able to consult with seniors
• Is confident in engaging and building relationships with stakeholders of all levels of seniority, both internally and externally with an ability rapidly to build trusted relationships.
• Has excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively within a team.
• Has the ability to see the bigger picture and link together disparate activity into a holistic, strategic programme of work greater than the sum of their parts.
• Is able to deliver effectively across virtual teams, both within the UK and throughout our overseas network.
• Has a keen interest in technology and enthusiasm to learn more about the technology ecosystem.

Essential criteria

• Experience engaging internationally or working with international companies
• Experience engaging with or working in the private sector, preferably in the technology sector
• Experience working in trade and/or investment, or engaging in commercial activity
• Demonstrable interest in technology
• Evidence of forming strategic partnerships and networks and delivering outcomes through them

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 (500 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 CV. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

As part of your interview, you will be asked to deliver a short presentation; details will be provided prior to your interview.

If there is a significant amount of interest in the role, we will arrange a group MS Teams call to discuss the role and application process further. Please contact the vacancy holder at the email below if this would be of interest

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.
• This role may be considered as a secondment opportunity. Please reach out to the hiring manager listed at the bottom of this advert to discuss.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service /Disclosure Scotland/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 

Vetting

Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

Feedback

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). 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.