About the job

Job summary

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is responsible for promoting British trade across the world. This is an exciting time to join DBT’s Economic Security and Trade Relations Directorate General, where you will have the opportunity to shape the UK’s international trade agenda for years to come. 

The Goods and Tariffs team leads on several high-profile policy areas, including determining the import tariffs the UK should apply, establishing the UK as a leader at the World Trade Organisation and other multilateral fora and wider goods trade policies including suspensions and export restrictions. The team is therefore vital in supporting the UK’s independent trade policy, and the UK’s international reputation and position in institutions on the world stage. This is a challenging and rewarding role working at the intersection of policy and diplomacy, involving both technical and strategic work. 

The exact portfolio of the roles will be determined with government priorities in mind, but could include: 

• Multilateral Goods and Market Access – Leading our goods committees pillar, overseeing all UK input to goods committees at the WTO, representing the UK at the WTO where necessary. The role may also involve helping to progress our ambitious market access agenda, resolving barriers that open foreign markets to UK exporters. 
• Applied Most Favoured Nation (MFN) tariff policy – shaping and protecting the UK’s tariff policy which is an integral part of the UK economic growth. This involves weighing up a multitude of factors affecting key economic decisions for the UK across the whole economy, while balancing global trade objectives and tensions.  

These are stretching roles that will require leadership in driving forward a programme of work with multiple work strands, continually building capability and understanding of tariff policy, and will potentially involve representing the department externally, and the UK Government, publicly and internationally. 

The Goods and Tariffs team embraces the Civil Service’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. We work on challenging issues but in a supportive and learning environment. We champion DIT’s policies on flexible ways of working to accommodate a wide range of personal situations. 

Job description

The responsibilities of the role may include: 

• Engaging international organisations including the World Trade Organisation to shape and deliver work programmes that progress the Government’s objectives 

• Delivering the UK’s multilateral goods strategy, managing a long-term programme of work in collaboration with teams spread across the department, and shaping the UK’s approach to international engagement. 

• Representing the UK at World Trade Organisation, including with occasional travel to the WTO in Geneva 

• Supporting DBT’s Ministers and senior management, providing briefing and written advice where needed. 

• Working collaboratively across government, including with post, and building working networks to understand and craft well-evidenced policy positions across sectors. 

• Helping to develop a large evidence base to inform strategy and complex positions, through working with analysts and using stakeholder intelligence. 

• Engaging with domestic stakeholders to gather evidence and to deliver DBT positions and policy with confidence. 

Person specification

Essential Criteria 

• Experience of leading policy development in a complex area  
• Experience working and managing relationships with other government departments  
• Excellent written and oral communication skills   
• Ability to see the big picture and think strategically 

Desirable Criteria  

• Experience of working in the international space, including experience of trade negotiations 
• Knowledge and experience of trade policy 
• Strong numerical or analytical background 
• Line management experience 

Personal Attributes & Skills 

• See the big picture and demonstrate high intellectual energy to identify links and opportunities in a fast-moving policy area. 
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, able to persuade and influence others in a collaborative fashion, at different levels of seniority across government, including Ministers, and across the international space. 
• Able to identify, evidence and analyse policy options with authority, drawing upon experts as appropriate. 
• The candidate should have excellent judgement and political acumen. The postholder will be someone who can progress strategic objectives despite ambiguity and competing challenges. 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,384, Department for Business and Trade contributes £10,633 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.

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.

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. 

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 otherwiseleave 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.