About the job

Job summary

To direct HMG’s work on trade and investment across North America as an area critical to the UK’s economic interests and to represent HMG across the political, consular, soft power spheres to the dynamic and powerful New York consular region.

The combined role’s primary focus is prosperity – advancing the UK’s trade and investment interests, promoting our economic reputation, developing science and innovation links, advocating for free trade and projecting our climate action agenda. Top level representational and communications work (promoting the UK and its activities), high quality political networking and reporting (NYC is a political centre in its own right) and careful oversight of a sustained consular workload are also key elements of the role.

As HMTC you will be one of nine key leaders of DBT’s overseas network, delivering HMG’s investment, export and trade policy priorities in two of our most significant markets; the US and Canada.

Job description

The HMCG/HMTC role is hugely rewarding, based in one of the world’s most vibrant cities that is critical to UK’s economic interests and our reputation as a global player, and the financial centre of the United States. The US is the UK’s largest bilateral trade and investment partner accounting for 19% of UK exports and 27% of foreign direct investment. Post-Brexit, the UK’s relationship with the US is arguably even more important. US investment sustains well over one million jobs in the UK; UK investors in the US employ a similar number of Americans. NYC is also a global leader in tech, advanced manufacturing, and the creative arts. The consular district covers: New York State, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Fairfield County in Connecticut.

Visible, inspiring, and strategic operational leadership to a large network across the US and Canada (160 people, 14 locations) to deliver His Majesty’s Government (HMG) priorities, working closely with HM Ambassador to the US, High Commissioner to Canada, Tech Envoy based in San Francisco and Consul Generals across the US. As a member of DBT’s leadership team, contribute to the strategic and operational direction of the department.

Prosperity: Building and maintaining relationships with senior business and economic leaders through regular travel across US and Canada with impact on UK prosperity (in New York the financial and professional services, creative industries and tech sectors are particularly important).

Development and delivery of an ambitious Regional Trade Plan coordinated with the DBT sector and regional teams to ensure British businesses and the UK economy gain maximum commercial benefit from engagement in the region in support of HMG’s export and investment ambitions, contributing to the Prime Minister’s levelling up, net-zero and science & technology agenda.

Political: Establishing a strong network of political players in New York and the region, both on domestic and foreign policy (New York has long been politically influential).

Leading the US and Canada-based work on market access and trade negotiations at Federal and State/Provincial level (supported by the teams in Washington DC and Ottawa); leading regional policy initiatives to improve the business environment for UK companies, as well as identifying strategies to unlock trade barriers in specific sectors.

A strong corporate role as a senior leader in the US Network, working with His Majesty’s Ambassador and Deputy Head of Mission in Washington to drive change. With the Permanent Representative (PR) in UK Mission to UN in New York, the posts operate a Joint Management Board chaired by the HMCG and PR.

Oversight of a busy consular operation, given the numbers of British residents in New York and the region and the high numbers of UK visitors each year.

Crisis preparedness and leadership in the NY consular district.

The role has a busy representational aspect, including making full use of an iconic British Residence in New York to host a wide variety of events and visitors to promote British interests. New York is a magnet for top level visitors from the UK, each year seeing visits from members of the Royal Family, the Prime Minister and other members of the Cabinet around the UN General Assembly meetings, along with many ministers and officials throughout the year. Putting together imaginative programmes which advance UK interests and hosting the visitors is an important part of the HMCG role.

Public diplomacy and communications work are also a significant part of the job. New York is a vibrant, global player on the media scene and therefore provides an effective platform to promote the UK’s prosperity and wider interests to a large audience.

Person specification

The Civil Service is open to talented people from any career background and where possible we will always seek to identify transferable skills from the individual’s experience. To help you succeed in this role, you will likely have the following:

Essential Criteria:

• A track record of successful and high impact leadership and effective change management at a senior level within government and/or other large scale, complex organisations, building a collaborative and inclusive culture, developing high-performing geographically dispersed teams and managing resources effectively to achieve organisational goals.
• Experience of international trade, prosperity, and investment policy challenges along with evidence of delivering within this demanding environment.
• Outstanding communication skills, with the ability to convey messages effectively to a range of different audiences, including CEOs of prominent companies, through the media and to the public, and to represent and promote the UK’s national interest using multiple communication channels and opportunities.
• Evidence of the ability to lead and manage a fast-moving, sensitive and complex portfolio, working constructively and collaboratively across organisational boundaries and thinking strategically to set direction.
• Proven success in networking and building relationships at a very senior level (such as Board, C-Suite or Ministerial level), showing evidence of the ability to work with sound judgement, commercial awareness, cultural sensitivity, diplomacy, and discretion in both political and high-level commercial environments.
• Knowledge of key commercial sectors including financial services, creative industries, energy, life sciences and advanced manufacturing.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £120,000, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office contributes £32,400 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.

To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process no later than 23:55 Sunday 3rd March 2024. This will involve providing the two documents outlined below:

A CV of no more than 2 pages setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.

A Statement of Suitability of no more than 1250 words explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the criteria in the person specification.

Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.

Assessment

If shortlisted, you will be invited to undertake a series of assessments as part of this recruitment prior to a final interview panel. This will include:

• A Staff Engagement Exercise
• An Individual Leadership Assessment
• A Media Test

Psychometric assessments will not result in a pass or fail decision. Rather, they are designed to support the panel’s decision making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview.

Shortlisted candidates may be invited to an informal discussion with the Secretary of State or a Junior Minister prior to the final interview. A representative from the Civil Service Commission will also be present.

Interview

If you are successful at the application stage, you will be invited to attend a panel interview in order to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification.

The interview will be a blended assessment consisting of a series of questions against the Civil Service Success Profiles Behaviours and Experience, details of which can be seen in the essential criteria.

Candidates will likely be required to give a presentation on a particular topic at the interview and this will be sent to you in advance.

Full details of the assessment process will be made available to shortlisted candidates. 

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact Government Recruitment Service at: scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
• Complete the ‘assistance required’ section in the ‘personal information’ page of your application form to provide information we should be aware of that will enable us to support you further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Reserve list

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months, which the Civil Service may use to fill future suitable vacancies across government for candidates who are considered appointable following interview.

Further Information

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact: scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Please note that the successful candidate will need to hold, or be prepared to apply for Developed Vetting level. Further details can be found at United Kingdom Security Vetting: Applicant - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

You will need to have been resident in the UK for 5 out of the last 10 years.

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

Open to UK nationals only.

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.