About the job

Job summary

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is the UK’s international trade department. Our Vision is to champion open and fair global trading that drives growth, creates better jobs and higher wages, and improves living standards in this country and around the world. The Department brings together policy and operational expertise to break down barriers to trade and investment in markets across the world. 

The Trade Policy, Implementation and Negotiations Group is responsible for negotiating and implementing the UK’s trade agreements with partner countries from across the globe to support the growth of UK businesses internationally. The Group has over 700 people, expert in diverse technical areas of trade policy and negotiations, at the cutting edge of delivering the UK’s trade negotiation objectives. 

The UK will shortly be launching negotiations for an upgraded Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Turkey. Turkey is a key partner, with total trade totalling over £20bn per year. The UK and Turkey currently have an FTA in place, though it is outdated and does not focus on key areas of interest to the UK such as services and digital.  

This is a highly dynamic and engaging role, working at the heart of a high-profile FTA negotiation. You will be responsible for assisting the delivery of the UK-Turkey FTA negotiation programme, providing logistical and programme management support as required. You will also play a key role engaging with and managing stakeholders, both internal and external, including Senior Civil Servants and Parliament.  

You will contribute to the smooth delivery of negotiation rounds, working with various teams within the department to do so – this will include producing guidance for Chapter Leads, managing relationships with technology and security colleagues, and supporting on the scheduling of negotiation sessions.  

You will support the team’s comprehensive stakeholder engagement work, providing briefing for seniors, drafting responses to ministerial correspondence and helping the team fulfil its parliamentary scrutiny obligations by drafting responses to parliamentary questions.

Job description

• Assist on the delivery of FTA negotiation rounds, providing logistical support and guidance as required.  
• Maintain strong working relationships with relevant teams within the department. This will include working closely with IT, security and wider PMO colleagues.  
• Support with the wider project management of the negotiation programme, including the production of text, scheduling of negotiation sessions and commissioning of external legal work.  
• Provide briefings for senior civil servants and ministers ahead of key engagements, researching relevant issues and advising accordingly.  
• Draft initial responses to correspondence received by the team, including providing advice to seniors where appropriate.  
• Support the team’s wider stakeholder engagement programme, including engaging directly with external and internal stakeholders.  

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Desirable Criteria  

• Stakeholder engagement experience.
• Project management experience.

Personal Attributes & Skills 

• A team player with good relationship management skills, who is comfortable working with a wide range of stakeholders. 
• Strong aptitude for organisation and coordination.  
• An ability to work at pace in a fast-changing environment.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £27,329, Department for Business and Trade contributes £7,378 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.

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.

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.   

Location and working arrangements

This role is available in seven UK locations and can only be worked from within the UK, not overseas. Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DBT, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.   

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 

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.