Policy & Strategy Coordinator
Department for Business and Trade
About the job
Job summary
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is the department for economic growth. The Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) directorate develops and operates tools and services to support businesses to invest, grow and export, creating jobs and opportunities across the country.Job description
Government is undergoing a digital transformation and, at the forefront of that, the Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) Directorate is working at the cutting edge of how people interact and are empowered by digital government services.
The DDaT team is made up of experts in digital, data and technology who are pushing boundaries every day. The team is looking for a Policy & Strategy Coordinator to work across the Directorate to coordinate information and advice to ensure improved oversight and clearer direction for all teams; helping us to meet objectives, fulfil DBT ambitions and unlock funding opportunities. You will be part of the policy and strategy component of DDaT’s Business Operations team working to enable the work of Digital, Data and Technology portfolios and professions.
You do not need any knowledge of digital, data and technology to apply. We are looking for someone who can work autonomously across a broad directorate; helping to set clear strategic direction, improve collaborative ways of working between professions and portfolios, maintain oversight of DBT’s digital footprint and design a gold-standard in hybrid working.
We are committed to giving the successful candidate a unique opportunity to develop their knowledge and experience of agile, user-centred design, and digital, data and technology.
About you
You do not need any knowledge of digital, data and technology to apply. We are looking for someone who can work autonomously across a broad directorate; helping to set clear strategic direction, improve collaborative ways of working between professions and portfolios, maintain oversight of DBT’s digital footprint and design a gold-standard in hybrid working.
We are committed to giving the successful candidate a unique opportunity to develop their knowledge and experience of agile, user-centred design, and digital, data and technology.
Main responsibilities
You will:
- Coordinate the Directorate’s commission returns both for the Chief Operating Officer and as part of DBT’s reporting requirements to the Central Digital & Data Office (CDDO). These include performance data, strategic narratives, delivery milestones and other briefing requests.
- Enable teams in understanding the medium to longer term objectives of their work by supporting the development and iteration of the overarching DDaT Strategy and individual portfolio strategies and business plans
- Scan for developments which could affect the Directorate’s delivery, including relevant media and parliamentary monitoring, and through stakeholder engagements.
- Work collaboratively to facilitate innovation, improve join-up and promote awareness of overarching departmental priorities all in a hybrid context.
- Embed working practices to ensure consistent messaging and data use between governance, briefing and commissioning remits.
- Ad hoc secretariat support as required.
Person specification
- Be a strong communicator with an ability to build a high-level knowledge of the digital, data and technology portfolio priorities and delivery milestones to inform and coordinate commissions.
- Be highly organised in uncertain contexts with an eye for detail and an ability to work at pace; calmly coordinating effective delivery even during the busiest times.
- An ability to identify and handle potential risks, understanding when to tackle issues directly and when to escalate, and demonstrating sound judgement in your advice to colleagues and Chiefs (Deputy Directors).
- An ability to build excellent collaborative working relationships across the Directorate; issuing clear instruction and helping teams’ to balance commissions against routine delivery objectives.
- An ability to prioritise and co-ordinate reactive work with longer-term proactive assignments.
It is desirable that you have:
- Previous experience working in a strategy or coordination role.
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
Things you need to know
Selection process details
As part of the application process you will be asked to upload a two page CV and complete a 500 word maximum personal statement outlining how you meet the essential skills and experience listed above. You can use bullet points and subheadings if you prefer.
Sift will be from week commencing 01/07/2024
Interviews will be from week commencing 8/07/2024
Please note these dates are indicative and may be subject to change.
If there is a high volume of applications, we will sift looking at your personal statement only. You may then be progressed to full sift or straight to interview.
How we interview
At the interview stage for this role, you will be asked to demonstrate relevant Strengths and Behaviours from the Success Profiles framework. Behaviours
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Changing and Improving
- Communicating and Influencing
Strengths are designed to test your innate talents so are not listed on the advert to ensure you provide a natural answer.
How we offer
Offers may be made in merit order based on location preferences. If you pass the bar at interview but are not the highest scoring you will be held on a 12-month reserve list in case a role becomes available. If you are judged a near miss at interview, you may be offered a post at the grade below the one you applied for.
This role requires SC clearance. DBT’s requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years. Failure to meet this requirement will result in your application being rejected and your offer will be withdrawn.Checks will also be made against:
- departmental or company records (personnel files, staff reports, sick leave reports and security records)
- UK criminal records covering both spent and unspent criminal records
- your credit and financial history with a credit reference agency
- security services record
- location details
More about us
This role can only be worked from within the UK, not overseas. If you are based in London, you will receive London weighting. DBT employees work in a hybrid pattern, spending 2-3 days a week (pro rata) in the office on average. 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.You can find out more about our office locations, how we calculate salaries, our diversity statement and reasonable adjustments, the Recruitment Principles, the Civil Service code and our complaints procedure on our website.Find out more about life at DBT, our benefits and meet the team by watching our video or reading our blog!
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
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.