About the job

Job summary

The purpose of the International Trade Profession (ITP) is to attract talent, build capability, and retain expertise in trade across Government, including the devolved administrations and overseas. The International Trade Profession (ITP) Team is responsible for designing, developing, and embedding the Profession’s offer.  We work collaboratively with others to ensure the Profession meets the needs of its 4000 members.   

The Profession’s work is underpinned by three strategic pillars: Great Careers, Great Curriculum, and Great Network. These each include a variety of workstreams including Career Pathways, Professional Standards, Job Shadowing and Mentoring, Network & Community, and Learning and Development. Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) is embedded in all our work, and the Profession is supported by a strong Comms and Engagement Strategy.  The Profession is governed at a strategic level by a cross-Government board and operational oversight is retained by the Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) Board. This role will involve supporting senior leaders including Crawford Falconer, the UK’s Chief Trade Negotiation Adviser and Government’s Head of International Trade Profession.   

As a Higher Executive Officer (HEO) workstream lead for the Profession, you will lead delivery of a number of different areas of the Profession. Workstreams could include:  

• Events and Special Projects: Developing a comprehensive events programme to support the career development offer for trade professionals, and trade capability. Provide strategic link to three pillars to ensure events are aligned to overall strategy.    

• Embedding the Profession within the Department of Business and Trade (DBT): Supporting DBT's Heads of Profession to deliver for members in DBT, embedding the offer, developing strategy to meet DBT’s needs, developing comms and engagement within DBT.   

• Data and Evaluation: Strengthening the evaluation of the Profession’s offer, including data management and gathering.    
• Governance and project management: supporting work in the wider team on project management and workstream delivery.   

This is an exciting and innovative role in a supportive and friendly team. You will be empowered and supported to develop initiatives both new and existing to further improve the Profession and make a real difference in the development of a trade cadre across Government.  

Job description

We are currently reviewing multiple roles in the team and so the accountabilities below reflect the breadth of work that may be undertaken, reflecting the various  areas of the Profession outlined in the Role Summary.  

• Develop and manage a network of contacts across His Majesty's Government (HMG) who are engaged in the Profession.   
• Manage data gathering for the Profession, including managing Profession membership numbers and internal communications, including use of SharePoint to deliver content.  
• Work with your networks to plan and organise events and seminars for trade professionals.  
• Manage monthly reporting to senior stakeholders, assessing progress against the team workplan and strategy, and working closely with the team lead and senior stakeholders to overcome delivery challenges.    
• Develop cross-Government strategy led out of DBT in designing, developing, and embedding the Profession’s offer overseas.   
• Represent the Profession at internal and cross-Government forums.  
• Establish excellent working-level relationships with colleagues from across Government and act as a day-to-day point of contact for Profession queries.  
• Develop workstreams and shape initiatives of various pillars of the Profession.  
• Present updates and propose new or improved initiatives to stakeholders at all levels across the Profession.   

Person specification

We do not expect those applying to have experience working Government professions as you can learn this on the job. 

Desirable Criteria  

Experience in planning or managing events would be useful for some aspects of the role.    

Experience of Professions would be useful.

Experience of data management could be useful.

Personal Attributes & Skills 

The International Trade Profession Team are looking for positive, engaged, and motivated individuals, with a desire to support the professional development of the UK’s trade professionals.   

We are looking for candidates who have the following skills and experience:  

• Experience of working with stakeholders from different teams or organisations, building positive working relationships, and confidence in dealing with senior officials.  
• Self-starter, with the ability to manage and prioritise personal workload and take forward routine work and some projects independently.  
• Applicants should be able to demonstrate their ability to work effectively to deliver discreet projects autonomously, as well as being a collaborative team player with a strong customer focus. 
• Candidates will have strong interpersonal skills and be adept at tailoring messages for different audiences.  
• Ability to work at pace, delivering at short timescales and with limited oversight.   

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,858, Department for Business and Trade contributes £8,871 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 750 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 Personal Statement only. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/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.