About the job

Job summary

This is an exciting time to join the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). The work we do has a real impact on jobs and growth across the United Kingdom. Our mission is to help businesses export, drive inward and outward investment, negotiate market access and trade deals, and to advocate free trade. We are an international department based in 108 countries, and we work closely with our colleagues worldwide. 
 

We are seeking two enthusiastic and diligent policy leads in the Market Distorting Practices and Economic Coercion Team for this fast-paced, high-profile area, supporting Departmental priorities to secure world class free trade agreements (FTAs) and protect UK businesses from unfair practices. The role will be in the Trade & Competition sub-team, where we work to ensure open and fair competition for UK businesses by developing policy, resolving market access barriers, and negotiating commitments with trading partners on subsidies, state-owned enterprises and competition policy. 

This is an exciting area of policy. You will need to be proactive, dynamic, able to balance competing priorities and problem-solve. While you do not need specific knowledge of trade policy or the regulatory environment, you will need to become an expert quickly. You will also need to be able to express technical arguments in a manner that is easy for non-experts to understand. You will need to confidently collaborate with Government departments and businesses to identify UK interests, leverage support for policy positions, and help formulate UK strategy for negotiations and other international engagement.   

Our team is vibrant, hardworking and collaborative. We pay special attention to providing training and support needed to allow individuals to excel. We recognise the importance of professional and personal growth and will encourage you to develop your skills and trade knowledge.

Job description

These positions are high-profile and stretching roles for an SEO supporting DBT in bilateral and multilateral policy work. They will be supported in doing this by their G7 line manager, colleagues in our expert and specialised team as well as by country, analytical, legal and sectoral experts in the wider Department. 

The team puts a premium on learning and development and would encourage the successful candidate to be self-reflective and to regularly consider how they can develop and improve. The team helps each other in doing this and encourages innovation. 

1. Senior Policy Advisor – Multilateral subsidies & SOEs 

Key accountabilities include: 

• Developing subsidies and SOEs trade policy that is consistent with the UK’s domestic and international priorities, particularly on subsidies in support of the green transition. Creating an evidence-base for positions, including for country-specific negotiations or bilateral/multilateral engagement.  
• Working closely with colleagues across Government to develop joined up policy and ensure analysis of information from a wide variety of sources.  

• Developing a deep understanding of negotiation and policy issues, contribute to development of strategies and, in time, potentially participate in bilateral/multilateral engagement.   

• Analysing the needs of businesses and consumers and develop recommendations in a rapidly changing environment.   

• Advising how technical outcomes from negotiations or bilateral/multilateral work relate to real-world business impacts and communicate this in a way that businesses understand.  

• Writing briefings and other materials related to policy areas for Ministers and senior officials.  

• Commissioning legal and other analytical advice to inform our policy positions.

2. Senior Policy Advisor – Implementation and Bilateral Trade Relationships policy 

Key accountabilities include: 

• Ensuring that processes are in place to implement FTA commitments in UK law and operational practice.  

• Responsibility for the UK’s state-owned enterprises listing obligations, as set out in our FTAs.  

• Leading on bilateral engagement in competition, subsidies and state-owned enterprises, including by developing our policy positions on these areas in bilateral enhanced trade partnerships.   

• Analysing the needs of businesses and consumers and develop recommendations in a rapidly changing environment.   

• Advising how technical outcomes from negotiations or bilateral/multilateral work relate to real-world business impacts and communicate this in a way that businesses understand.  

• Writing briefings and other materials related to policy areas for Ministers and senior officials.  

• Commissioning legal and other analytical advice to inform our policy positions.

3. Senior Policy Advisor – Deputy Chapter Lead

• Developing trade policy on State-Owned Enterprises, Subsidies, Consumer Protection, and Competition that is consistent with the UK’s domestic and international priorities. Creating an evidence-base for positions, including for country-specific negotiations or bilateral/multilateral engagement.   

• Working closely with colleagues across Government to develop joined up policy and ensure analysis of information from a wide variety of sources.   

• Developing a deep understanding of negotiation and policy issues, contribute to development of strategies and, in time, potentially participate in bilateral/multilateral engagement.    

• Analysing the needs of businesses and consumers and develop recommendations in a rapidly changing environment.    

• Advising how technical outcomes from negotiations or bilateral/multilateral work relate to real-world business impacts and communicate this in a way that businesses understand.   

• Writing briefings and other materials related to policy areas for Ministers and senior officials.  

• Commissioning legal and other analytical advice to inform our policy positions.

Person specification

Essential Criteria 

• Experience of working with and coordinating decision-making across a wide range of stakeholders with diverse views.  

• Ability to drive forward own work proactively and independently, paying attention to detail on complex issues while often working at pace to tight deadlines.  

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to persuade and influence others.  

• You are a strong team player who is flexible and proactive and can work across organisational boundaries. 

Desirable Criteria  

• Knowledge or experience of trade policy.   

• Ability to compile, assimilate, interpret and present evidence to build options and make recommendations and decisions, drawing upon experts as appropriate. 

The ideal candidate will have the analytical skills to get into the detail of multilateral and bilateral trade agreements, trade policy issues and challenges facing UK businesses. You will need to be happy with learning and operating autonomously with limited supervision. You will need to have the problem-solving and organisational skills to lead policy development in a complex area.  

You will need strong interpersonal and communication skills to support work with domestic and foreign colleagues. You will also need to be able to persuade and influence others to create collaborative solutions, sometimes in the face of sustained opposition. 

In pursuing your objectives, you will be enthusiastic about developing yourself and others around you. You will prioritise effectively to meet competing needs and support colleagues at critical times. You will be flexible and ready to take on new challenges as the team’s goals evolve. 

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:    

1. 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. 

1. 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. 

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.   

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.   

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.