About the job

Job summary

We are seeking dynamic and motivated individuals to join our unique Negotiations Coherence team as Policy Advisers. Our team sits at the heart of the trade policy function in the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and works to ensure that the UK achieves the best outcomes in trade negotiations – a key priority for the Secretary of State for Business and Trade.  

We are looking to recruit three SEO's.

Two of the roles will sit in a new team to provide for more effective ways of working across the trade and business functions of the Department following the recent merger between the Department for International Trade and the business functions of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. In particular, these posts will play a key role in building a two-way understanding and ways of working between the Trade Policy, Implementation and Negotiations group and wider DBT teams on trade policy priorities.     

The other role will focus on continuous improvement of the UK’s trade negotiations. The post holder will lead on a variety of work streams and will need to engage extensively with colleagues working on trade negotiations to make sure best practice is effectively identified, recorded and followed throughout the negotiation lifecycle. They will also need to maintain an oversight and awareness of the UK’s trade negotiations programme, exploring emerging themes and developing solutions to complex policy and operational issues as they arise and work to ensure that best practice in other trade policy work is properly considered and reflected in best practice guidance.

Job description

DBT ways of working 

• Build awareness and capability within the group to integrate all aspects of DBT’s work into trade policy development and delivery.
• Support and upskill other parts of the Department in trade policy and negotiations, to enable them to draw out the interactions with their work.  
• Establish and maintain productive working relationships across the Department to understand the interactions of trade policy priorities with domestic priorities.   
• Horizon-scan for dependencies, risks, opportunities, and issues in these interactions, and deliver improvements or solutions where needed. 
• Help to establish and run new bespoke governance structures by providing secretariat support, identifying agenda items, and providing briefing for senior officials. 

Trade Negotiations Best Practice 

• Play a key role in driving forward the team’s continuous improvement work, ensuring key lessons from previous trade negotiations are captured and implemented across DBT.   
• Undertake project work on a range of areas, problem solving with policy teams on urgent issues and preparing reports and advice for senior decision making.    
• Draft clear, well-written pieces of key guidance on key aspects of Free Trade Agreement delivery to support future trade negotiations, building and maintaining an FTA Toolkit based on your gathering of expertise.  
• Develop effective relationships with a range of stakeholders and work thoughtfully with country and policy teams throughout the negotiation process to deliver good outcomes.   
• Deliver an efficient, quality service in convening key meetings, including identifying issues to bring forward for discussion, identifying preparation and or pre-briefing for meetings and providing quality secretariat support as required. 

Person specification

Essential Criteria 

• A strong communicator – both orally and in written products. 
• A natural relationship builder who can leverage contacts to progress and resolve issues. 
• A positive, collaborative approach with the ability to be flexible, proactive, and adaptable and provide support to other parts of the wider team as needed. 
• Ability to relate individual work streams to the Department’s wider strategic priorities with sound understanding of wider contexts. 
• An ability to balance competing priorities - both in terms of workload and different views on approaches to tackling an issue - to tight deadlines.    

The Department for Business and Trade has a comprehensive trade policy training and development programme available to all staff. We welcome policy and skills knowledge from a wide range of backgrounds recognising that subject-specific knowledge will often be developed in the role. Relevant support and training will be provided to ensure staff are equipped to carry out their roles effectively. 

Desirable Criteria  

• Knowledge of trade policy and trade negotiations.

Personal Attributes & Skills 

We are looking for someone who: 

• Is organised, with a pragmatic approach to issues. 
• Is a strong strategic thinker. 
• Enjoys a fast pace and diversity in their role. 

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 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. 

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

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.