About the job

Job summary

The UK creative industries are an exciting, dynamic and innovative sector contributing £126 billion to the UK economy, employing over 2.3 million across the UK with an additional 1 million jobs reliant on advertising revenues. UK creativity is admired around the world, with over £55 billion per annum in exports. With over 55 creative clusters across all 4 UK nations, it is one of the Government’s priority sectors for growth and it projects UK excellence to a global audience, enhancing the UK's attractiveness as an investment destination and boosting affinity and cultural exchange with international partners. 

The Creative Industries Sector Team (‘the team’), in the Consumer, Creative, Sports and Education Directorate (CCSE), focuses on economic growth promotion for the sector, addressing domestic growth barriers and delivering international export opportunities. We work closely with creative sector businesses and trade associations, as well as teams across the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) including teams in the English regions, the UK nations and overseas posts. The team works widely across government, primarily with the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), HM Treasury, Department for Science Innovation & Technology (DSIT), Department for Education (DfE) and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), to deliver the aims of the HMG Creative Industries Sector Vision.

The team also works with DBT specialist Investment teams to protect and enhance the creative foreign investment pipeline while working with DBT teams to drive private sector investment for creative SMEs and by major global firms such as Amazon, Spotify, Netflix, Universal, YouTube, Dentsu and Sony. 

Job description

The UK Design and Experience Economies are cross-cutting creative subsectors encompassing fashion, architectural design, interior design, performing & visual arts, immersive technologies, and supply chains to the visitor attractions and international cultural heritage markets. We are offering an exciting opportunity for a new Design and Experience Economy (XE) Lead to join the team and to shape a new strategy for sector growth, working closely with DBT, cross-government and industry partners.   

This is an important growth area with national significance for regional transformation as well as international opportunity for UK expertise. The role holder will deliver domestic as well as international growth priorities. This might include identifying growth barriers and investment opportunities, as well as supporting domestic policies designed to accelerate SME growth. The international objectives will require delivering trade missions and trade shows across priority markets, including the US, APAC, the Middle East and the EU in partnership with businesses and our Trade Commissioners. Experience working in an EU policy context would be helpful, as well as experience working with businesses in an international context.  

Responsibilities will include: 

• Working with businesses and across DBT the role holder will develop a growth strategy for the sector, defining domestic as well as international priorities and opportunities. This growth strategy should build up evidence for the economic value of any government intervention.  
• Managing a Design and Experience programme budget 
• Developing and leading our annual Experience sector exports programme 
• Shape and manage DBT’s systemised engagement with Design & XE sector stakeholders including businesses and trade bodies  
• Effectively line managing up to two direct reports  
• Upward leadership and proactive reporting of emerging opportunities, risks and challenges to DBT Ministers and SCS and proactively facilitating structured engagements with the sector 
• Working effectively in collaboration with policy counterparts in DCMS Creative Industries, Tourism, Sports and Cultural Diplomacy teams 
• Developing and drafting advice and briefings for the Secretary of State and DBT Ministers
• Respond efficiently to new challenges and demands working in an agile and flexible way.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• An excellent leader and experienced manager with demonstrable ability to project influence, manage people and organise complex projects 
• Experience delivering domestic and international projects with business 
• Demonstrable track record of building partnerships and networks 
• A commercial mindset able to credibly leverage their capability and knowledge to the benefit of the wider team, Directorate and the sector 
• Can work at pace, is resilient and adaptable to respond to urgent priorities 
• Confident and effective when engaging Ministerial and/or other Senior business stakeholders 
• Strong written and oral communication skills, comfortable liaising with a wide range of partners such as other government departments, trade bodies and businesses 
• Capable with working with data and open to developing their analytical skills 
• A collaborative team-player

Desirable criteria (but not essential)

• Prior knowledge and experience of creative industries 

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 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 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 oral presentation followed by a fireside chat, details will be provided 1 week prior to your 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

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

• 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

The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years. Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.

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 security 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.