About the job

Job summary

The Trade and Investment Negotiations for Goods Directorate is part of the Trade Policy, Implementation and Negotiations Group, in the Department for Business and Trade. Our directorate plays a pivotal role in coordinating trade interests and leading the UK's trade and domestic regulation policy for manufactured goods. We deliver and implement trade policy and agreements which reflect the needs of UK businesses, so that exporters can be successful and competitive internationally, whether with Europe or the rest of the world.

We are recruiting for two stretching and rewarding Grade 6 roles to lead our product regulation policy work:

One will focus on the UK’s domestic approach to product regulation – including the UK’s UKCA product marking and continuing recognition of EU product rules.

The other role will cover goods, including developing a strategic approach covering issues such as UK-EU positions on product regulation and implications for wider TING/DBT policy areas such as Windsor Framework implementation, Technical Barriers to Trade (TBTs) and domestic regulation.

We are seeking candidates who have the passion and ability to lead teams to deliver effectively in a busy area while building a positive team culture. You will need to be an effective leader who is comfortable motivating a team to work at pace in a technical and often ambiguous environment.

These roles provide an opportunity to shape a policy area with significant real world impact. Product regulation is an important lever to achieve sustainable economic growth, underpinning trade and investment decisions, and ensuring robust supply chains for the UK manufacturing sector. Product regulation also affects everyone in the UK, covering the safety of consumer goods ranging from toys and mobile phones, to machinery used in critical national infrastructure.

Our portfolio covers both trade and regulatory policy with key links to other government priorities on growth and industrial strategy. The successful candidates will need to be comfortable working across big picture thinking and technical detail. You will participate in external business engagement and bring a robust approach to evidence-based policymaking. You will work on important policy issues, including developing a DBT/HMG position on new EU regulations, and supporting policy coherence across the UK’s internal market. 

You will work with colleagues in regulatory departments to develop a clear and coherent policy approach, and support effective communication with industry stakeholders. You will need to be comfortable leading engagement with a range of stakeholders on complex technical subject areas.

Job description

Our directorate is a great place to work and develop your career, whilst acquiring new skills through extensive learning and development opportunities. TING takes inclusiveness and diversity seriously and respects difference, as championed by our diversity and inclusion group. Wellbeing and work-life balance is also a top priority, as well as ensuring that TING remains an open and friendly directorate free from bullying, harassment and discrimination. 

As a G6 you will play an active role in the directorate’s friendly and supportive culture. Our expectation is you will both provide leadership to your team, whilst contributing to the development of your wider division and our directorate’s corporate life. 

The roles are suitable for flexible working, within the Departmental policy on office attendance. Several of the team currently work flexibly, and support will be given to ensure that the role fits with personal circumstances. The role may include some UK and international travel. Team members are currently based in our London, Salford, Cardiff, Belfast and Edinburgh offices and we are committed to creating opportunities across the UK. If the successful candidate is recruited from outside of London the role will require some travel to London. Travel across the UK and internationally is also likely and expected as part of these roles.

Head of Goods Policy

This role is part of the Goods Regulation team. You will work closely with Grade 6 counterparts leading on Windsor Framework implementation and Technical Barriers to Trade. The team has responsibility for both goods policy, and for delivery of related obligations under the Windsor Framework and the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). The team also provides core policy and stakeholder engagement support for the TBT aspects of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiation programme.  

Key responsibilities include: 

• Developing and empowering your team, consisting of at least two high-performing G7 teams (with around 5 staff in total). You will need to maintain a positive and inclusive team culture which supports fast paced delivery.
• Forming strong working relationships with G6s leading on Windsor Framework and TBTs, forming an effective leadership group with the Deputy Director.
• Leading development of overarching strategy for goods policy, with a particular focus on the UK-EU trade relationship. Develop a policy framework for alignment with (and divergence from) EU product regulations. Provide thought leadership and work collaboratively with analysts, lawyers and technical experts to generate policy options and provide high-quality advice to Ministers.
• Ensuring that goods policy – incorporating both domestic regulatory factors and international trade – is aligned with emerging DBT policy priorities, including as lever to achieve growth through an Industrial Strategy.
• Horizon scanning of the EU legislative pipeline on goods. Work with UKMis Brussels and partners in DBT and cross government to develop an engagement programme in areas of regulatory priority.
• Build close relationships with non-food goods policy and regulatory teams across Whitehall, and related teams in DBT. Ensure relevant teams across government have access to EU engagement and delivery channels under the TCA and Windsor Framework.
• Building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders including manufacturers, trade associations and officials from foreign governments.

Head of Product Regulation Policy and Engagement 

This role sits in the UKCA Policy and Strategic Delivery team, which works to develop and deliver the UK’s product marking approach – including both the UK’s own UKCA marking and continued recognition of the CE marking. This includes an extensive programme of policy development, legislation, engagement, and communications. You will work closely with another G6 responsible for longer term strategy and project governance. Key responsibilities will include: 

• Developing and empowering your team, consisting of at least two high-performing G7 teams (with around 8 staff in total). You will need to maintain a positive and inclusive team culture which supports fast paced delivery.
• Forming strong working relationships with the G6 Head of Strategy and Governance, working with them to embed a collaborative and effective working culture between teams. You will need to support a strong and effective flow of information between teams to ensure work across the teams is coherent and mutually beneficial.
• Leading product regulation policy development, with a particular focus on developing the UK’s policy on continued recognition of EU product regulations as these are updated and changed. You will need to show thought leadership on a complex policy area, steering your team to work collaboratively with analysts, lawyers and technical experts to generate policy options and provide high-quality advice to Ministers.
• Leading delivery of legislation to ensure it effectively implements policy as agreed by DBT ministers. You will work closely with the Office for Product Safety and Standards, analysts and lawyers to ensure the legislation meets ministerial objectives and ministers receive robust policy support in parliament.
• Encouraging positive relationships within the Department and across Whitehall, positioning yourself and your team as credible and authoritative voices on relevant issues to further the interests of DBT and its stakeholders.  Collaborate effectively with other government teams with an interest in this area.
• Leading a domestic and international engagement programme to ensure the UK’s product regulation is well understood to support continued supply of goods to the UK market. You will be responsible for ensuring communications and engagement are effectively targeted, and for managing the programme budget to ensure good value for money.
• Building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders including manufacturers, trade associations and officials from foreign governments.

Person specification

Personal Attributes and Skills

• An established team leader, experienced at managing teams to deliver high-quality outputs under pressure.
• Effective leadership to set clear goals, motivate and develop your team while protecting your personal resilience.
• Have a firm grasp of the big picture, understanding the political context, international relationships and economic opportunities. 
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work effectively with groups and individuals with conflicting viewpoints.
• Ability to use project management approaches to plan and deliver projects at pace.
• Bring strong communication, interpersonal and influencing skills with the confidence to engage at a senior level.

Skills and Experience

Essential Criteria

 You will be expected to provide evidence of: 

• An ability to lead, develop, and motivate an inclusive, high-performing team. 
• Strong policy making and implementation experience, with the ability to lead teams to work effectively in a fast-paced environment. 
• Exceptional interpersonal and influencing skills, with the ability to establish rapport and credibility quickly with teams, ministers, other departments and external stakeholders. 
• Effective partnership working with specialists such as analysts, lawyers and technical experts.
• An ability to grip technical details while maintaining a focus on the wider strategic context. 
• An ability to work at pace; able to manage competing priorities and effectively support your own and your team’s resilience.
• Experience working in an international context – confident representing UK interests with overseas businesses and governments.

Desirable Criteria

• Knowledge of trade in goods or product regulation policy. 
• Experience working on business or inter-governmental engagement, including with the European Union. 
• Experience working on legislation and a strong understanding of parliamentary process.

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, 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 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 only. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.   

Current Civil Servants (all contract types) will need to ensure that they are still employed as a civil servant at the point of starting in the relevant new post. If their contract ends (e.g. end of FTA contract or resignation) at any point during the recruitment/onboarding process for the advertised role, they will no longer be eligible and may be withdrawn.

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.  
• 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.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

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.