About the job

Job summary

Trade sanctions is a high-profile area which sits at the heart of DBT’s business and trade agenda and across DBT’s domestic and international interests. DBT works with UK businesses and with domestic and international partners to support the UK’s global sanctions and economic deterrence objectives. Sanctions is a key priority for Ministers across a number of Government departments, with whom we work in close partnership on shared policy and implementation objectives.

Ministers have just announced the creation of a new unit in DBT, called the Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation (OTSI). OTSI’s objective is to enhance the impact of the UK’s trade sanctions regimes by helping businesses to understand and comply with trade sanctions and it will have a new civil enforcement toolkit to help it take agile and proportionate action against sanctions breaches, including issuing civil monetary penalties.

This new team is located in the Trade Defence Directorate, which sits within the Trading Systems Group. We work closely with sanctions policy teams in DBT and with teams leading DBT’s work on export and import controls to ensure that the Government’s trade sanctions regimes are effective. This is a priority area which is regularly scrutinised by DBT’s Executive Committee.

Job description

This is an exciting time to join OTSI – you will be breaking new ground in DBT as you set up and run teams to lead on trade sanctions compliance and enforcement, and on trade sanctions licensing. You will also play a pivotal role in shaping the overall design, direction and ethos of this new function, which will triple in size by next year. You will directly line manage at least 3 Grade 7s and oversee a team of around 20 by mid 2024 (with the potential to grow further).

Initially the focus of the role is on establishing the end to end process for licensing and enforcement, and building capacity and capability across the teams. Your focus will then evolve to leading high-performing operational teams, equipped with the resources, skills, processes, systems and information to manage often complex and sensitive cases. You will need to build diverse and inclusive teams that are motivated to deliver and develop a supportive culture and an ethos of continuous improvement, especially in the early stages of your teams’ maturity.

You will lead the design and establishment of the new compliance and enforcement function which we are establishing from scratch in anticipation of receiving new powers to issue civil monetary penalties next year, learning from similar functions elsewhere in government.

You will lead the transition and integration of trade sanctions licensing activity from its current home in the Export Control Joint Unit to OTSI.

Effective stakeholder engagement will be key – many enforcement and licensing cases will require cross-Government and multi-agency agreement and action. You will also have an important role in supporting and influencing business and stakeholder activity and policy development. You will also need to build excellent relationships with teams across DBT that have an interest in sanctions. International cooperation is also a growth area for sanctions implementation and there will certainly be international engagement opportunities for this role.

As a senior leader in the team, you’ll help to make strategic connections across OTSI e.g. feeding into policy making on new sanctions and approaches, and developing operational responses to novel policy challenges. You will also help to run the team with the DD and other G6s, steering the team from set-up phase into early maturity and beyond. You will help to set the overall direction and culture across the whole function and ensure that resourcing and capability across the team is fit for purpose. You will also be a member of the extended SLT for the Trade Defence directorate, supporting the running of the directorate and taking on a corporate leadership role at that level.

This role is being advertised as fixed term until end March 2025, with the potential to extend subject to funding. The hiring manager would be happy to discuss options with interested candidates.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Making effective decisions: proven ability to confidently make robust decisions, including getting up to speed with and weighing up complex, sensitive and fragmentary evidence and making decisions in line with legal and procedural requirements.
• Leadership / Managing a Quality Service: proven ability to lead and motivate a successful team and deliver a service that meets – and exceeds expectations, runs efficiently and is responsive and adaptive to changing requirements.
• Communicating and Influencing: evidence of communicating effectively with a range of stakeholders from government colleagues to businesses to international counterparts.
• Seeing the big picture: a track record of identifying strategic trends and using them to influence future decisions.

Desirable Criteria

• Evidence of success in leading teams working on enforcement, licensing and/or other types of investigative casework is highly desirable and would be a distinct advantage.
• Prior experience or understanding of trade sanctions would be helpful.
• Existing SC or DV clearance. Owing to the nature of OTSI’s licensing and enforcement work, successful candidates must be willing to undergo Security Check (SC) security clearance before starting and Developed Vetting (DV) security clearance once in post if these clearances are not already held.

Personal Attributes & Skills

We would like to hear from candidates who:

• Have the right set of skills for this operational role which requires excellent strategic leadership and who demonstrate the values of our team, directorate and department.
• Are intellectually curious, motivated to play a key role in sanctions implementation, and who can quickly develop their understanding of and effectively navigate a complex and sensitive area.
• Are equally comfortable and adept in dealing with the big strategic issues as with the technical details of a specific case.
• Are authentic leaders who inspire people they work with and want to further develop their leadership skills by building and leading a large team.
• Are motivated by building and leading high performing teams to deliver an effective and responsive service, underpinned by efficient processes and systems, and have the skillset to do this successfully.
• Are skilled in delivering with and through others, and have the communication and interpersonal skills that help them build trusted and resilient relationships with stakeholders and delivery partners.
• Are team players and are enthusiastic about shared leadership challenges and achievements as we set up and establish this new function.

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. 

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. 

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.   

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.   

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 DV is to have been present in the UK for at least 5 of the last 10 years. Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected. However, you are able to begin the role with just SC clearance, with the requirement that you go through DV while in post. 

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 developed vetting (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.