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 Trade Policy, Implementation & Negotiations Group, where you will have the opportunity to shape the UK’s international trade agenda for years to come.  

The Intellectual Property (IP) team, within that group, has responsibility for developing and delivering IP trade policy; using bilateral and multilateral forums to promote UK interests and negotiating and implementing the IP chapters of international trade agreements. The team’s objective is to promote balanced and effective protection of UK IP overseas and uphold the international IP framework to encourage innovation, trade, and growth.  

As part of the multilateral IP team, the post-holder will represent the UK in multilateral forums, primarily the World Trade Organization (WTO), working with His Majesty’s Government colleagues in the UK and overseas, and engaging with international trading partners, to develop and promote UK IP policy interests.  

Various policy areas at the WTO intersect with IP, including health and access to medicines, access to green technology, and technology transfer. There will be opportunities to lead policy development on certain issues, alongside supporting multilateral negotiations, in which you will work closely with other government departments such as the Intellectual Property Office, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, and Department for Health and Social Care. This is an international facing role, meaning you will build relationships with officials in overseas Governments to influence their decision-making process and seek information on their approach towards negotiations. Our work attracts significant business and civil society attention, requiring regular collaboration with stakeholders to assess external views on multilateral IP matters. Given the high-profile nature of our work, you will be responsible for briefing seniors and supporting the team in briefing Ministers. The role involves international travel, primarily to Geneva.  

To succeed in the role, the post-holder will be an effective and clear communicator with strong interpersonal skills, able to summarise and explain complex issues in easily understandable ways and identify the key strategic drivers behind important decisions. Policy-making skills including analysis of evidence, sound judgement and political understanding will also be essential, along with collaboration across government to access skills and expertise and engaging internationally to promote the UK’s interests at the WTO and beyond.

Job description

• Represent the UK at the WTO TRIPS Council (IP Council), supporting the team with Council preparations, e.g., statements, bilateral engagements, and planning. 
• Developing and maintaining collaborative relationships with teams across DBT, other departments including the UK Mission to Geneva, and international trading partners relating to intellectual property matters in multilateral forums. 
• Leading policy development of emerging WTO policy issues involving intellectual property, e.g., pandemic preparedness or climate change. 
• Supporting stakeholder and international engagement, assessing, distilling, and incorporating views received into policy considerations. 
• Helping develop strategic approaches to negotiations across different multilateral forums. 
• Supporting the team prepare for negotiations, including briefing seniors and Ministers where required. 
• The role comes with line management responsibilities of 1 Executive Officer and may come with task management responsibilities across matrix working in the wider IP team.   

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 or knowledge of Intellectual Property  

• Experience or knowledge of trade policy or international work 
• Experience of negotiations

Personal Attributes & Skills 

• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to persuade and influence others 
• Ability to see the big picture and think strategically to support setting overarching strategy 
• Ability to establish and maintain good collaborative relationships with a wide range of stakeholders   
• Ability to analyse complex issues and lead work across Whitehall to ensure aligned policy approach 
• The ability to compile, assimilate, distil, interpret and present evidence and options in a clear manner whilst drawing upon experts as appropriate.  
• Ability to deliver effectively, often to tight deadlines across a vast portfolio of work.   

The IP team is close-knit and friendly, and you will find yourself well supported by your management chain, your colleagues, and the wider department.  

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 (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. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.  

As part of your interview, you will be asked to deliver a short oral presentation.  Details will be provided prior to your interview.

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:

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

• 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

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.