About the job

Job summary

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

Our responsibilities:  

1. Redraw our rules to ensure businesses thrive, markets are competitive, and consumers are protected.
2. Secure investment from UK and international businesses.
3. Advise, support, and promote British businesses to grow and export.
4. Open up new markets for businesses by removing barriers and striking trade deals.
5. Promote free trade, economic security and resilient supply chains.

The role is in Trade and Goods Analysis team which provides embedded analytical support to the Trade and Investment Negotiations (Goods) Directorate (TING). The team leads on trade analysis on manufactured goods feeding into negotiations on free trade agreements (FTAs), and for implementing FTAs. We are responsible for analysis of tariffs and rules of origin, regulatory barriers to trade and the Windsor Framework.  
 
We are a multi-profession analytical team. We work closely with policy and analyst teams across DBT and the Whitehall. We undertake a range of analytical projects: analysis of complex data sets, modelling and coding, field work to collect new data, external engagement, case study work and policy options appraisal. We work flexibly and collaboratively across the team and offer opportunities to work in different areas of the team depending on business needs and team members' development needs. 

We are an inclusive and diverse team that aspires to be a great and fun place to work. We take work life balance seriously and seek to ensure that everyone can grow and develop. For us analysis is about making an impact and influencing real life outcomes. 

This role is to lead the analysis of the Windsor Framework branch of the team. We work incredibly closely with policy colleagues and other analysts in DBT and cross-Whitehall, to implement the Windsor Framework with a focus on goods regulations, and to analyse the impacts on businesses and trade in manufactured goods. 

Job description

The successful candidate will be responsible for developing the evidence base and leading analyses to support policies that enable the implementation of the Windsor Framework and facilitate trade between Northern Ireland (NI) and Great Britain (GB), the EU and the rest of the world. This will involve economic monitoring of Windsor Framework impacts on GDP, inflation, trade and other economic indicators of NI. It will also involve the assessment of impacts stemming from the regulatory divergence between the GB and EU. The post holder is expected to:  

1. Support the development and assessment of policies that minimise regulatory burdens on UK businesses, especially as GB regulation diverges from that of the EU. This will include the identification and assessment of impacts of the Windsor Framework on businesses, working closely with policy colleagues, lawyers and analysts across the team, DBT and other Government Departments.
2. Lead the team’s analytical strategy for analysing, monitoring, and managing instances of manufactured goods regulatory divergence between GB and NI, as they are identified. This will involve collaborating and coordinating analysis across Government Departments.
3. Support the development of, and participate in, engagement strategy that will help to understand behavioural responses of business to the implementation of the Windsor Framework, including through commissioned research. This will include working with social researchers and policy leads to conduct stakeholder engagement and analyse evidence.
4. Represent DBT at cross-Whitehall groups, with external experts and high-profile businesses and trade associations. This will involve working with analysts across Government Departments to improve the data on trade between GB and NI and produce a more granular picture of the impacts of the Windsor Framework on trade in goods.
5. Line manage a team that includes an SEO analyst and a placement student analyst.  

We will look to tailor the job contents to the analytical skills of the preferred person to ensure the job provides them with sufficient stretch and development opportunities.

Person specification

Skills and Experience

Essential Criteria  

The successful candidate must demonstrate: 

• Proactive leadership, including thought leadership, so that evidence was timely and robust. 
• Interest in working very closely with policy colleagues, to ensure policy is grounded in evidence. 
• Excellent analytical skills with experience of applying analysis to real world policy problems. 
• An ability to assimilate and communicate complex information to a variety of audiences in order to achieve maximum impact.  
• Capability to work at pace within a rapidly changing environment to ensure that the best possible evidence is used to influence decisions.  
• An ability to lead and collaborate with trade community across DBT and across Government, including from CO (Cabinet Office), HMRC and DEFRA, on a range of analytical topics to build the evidence base. 

Desirable Criteria  

• Experience of, knowledge of, or interest in trade policy, especially Northern Ireland’s trade policy. 
• Line management experience. 

Personal Attributes & Skills 

The team has strong engagement across a variety of corporate topics from Learning & Development to Diversity & Inclusion, which form the foundations of its overall inclusive, diverse, and collaborative culture.  

As such, we are looking for someone with an ability to listen to and consider the perspective of others across a broad range of topics, as well as being willing to offer their own constructive insights and perspectives.

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, Experience and Technical skills.

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 750 words, explaining your motivation for applying for this role and the extent to which you satisfy the requirements of the role.

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. 

Technical skills will be assessed against the grade requirement of the GES covering the three components of the GES technical framework here.

The GES Technical Framework is broken down into 3 core areas of technical competency: 

1.    Application of Knowledge.
2.    Analysis of Data.
3.    Effective Communication.

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/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 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.