About the job

Job summary

The Head of Constitutional Affairs leads the team which ensures the Government’s international trade policy reflects the priorities and interests of all parts of the UK and the wider British family.

Within the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), the Trade Policy, Implementation and Negotiations (TPIN) group delivers trade policy for the UK, and a key focus is the departmental priority outcome of securing world class Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).

The Priority issues, Constitutional Affairs and Excellence in Negotiations (PCEN) team sits at the heart of TPIN. We provide a strategic link across teams within the Group, and from the Group to the wider Department, to help shape and deliver successful negotiations in a packed FTA programme.

The Constitutional Affairs team works with teams across TPIN and DBT to ensure that international trade policy reflects the priorities and interests of all parts of the UK and wider British family. The teams leads TPIN’s engagement with devolved administrations, Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories, and supports Ministerial engagement with their counterparts, on the full range of trade policy and wider strategic and constitutional issues.

Job description

Responsibilities include:

• Leading a team of policy officials in the Constitutional Affairs team whilst also showing leadership on constitutional matters in international trade policy across TPIN.
• Growing strong working relationships with trade teams in the devolved administrations and supporting Ministers to engage with their counterparts to the same end; operating effective governance, troubleshooting emerging issues, and building effective ways of working across the breadth of the policy and country profile of the FTA programme and as we move through ratification, legislation and into implementation of newly negotiated FTAs.
• Developing and optimising DBTs approach to managing the relationship with the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories to represent their interests in the UK’s FTA programme as we progress through the FTA programme.
• Driving up awareness, engagement and capability in TPIN of constitutional issues, structures and approaches, to support proactive and effective engagement.
• Working across the wider Department including DBT teams in the Nations and across Whitehall including with DHLUC, Cabinet Office, FCDO and MoJ to ensure consistency with the overall HMG approach to constitutional affairs.

You will have significant staff management responsibilities, with two G7 direct reports and five S/HEO counter-signees. As part of PCEN SMT, you will also deputise for the Deputy Director and play an important role in the overall leadership of the wider team.

Person specification

Personal Attributes & Skills

• A thoughtful and supportive leader who wants to make their team a great place to work.
• An excellent communicator and relationship builder that enjoys working with others to progress and resolve issues.
• A self-starter who thrives on driving new thinking and problem-solving.
• Flexible and resilient, comfortable delivering under pressure and ambiguity, and in complex circumstances both politically and technically.

Essential Criteria

• Strong communication and influencing skills, with the ability to manage a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, including by working confidently with Ministers.
• Ability to work across government to deliver Departmental objectives.
• Track record in providing supportive and flexible team leadership and management, including developing staff, managing resilience and well-being, and setting direction.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of working with either the devolved administrations, Crown Dependencies or Overseas Territories.
• Experience of international trade policy and/or negotiations.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £64,432, Department for Business and Trade contributes £17,396 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 500 words, explaining your motivation for applying for this role and the extent to which you satisfy the essential and desirable requirements of the role. 

After the closing date 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.

As part of your interview, you will be asked to deliver a short oral presentation, details will be provided 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:

• 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.

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.