About the job

Job summary

About Us 

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is the department for economic growth. We support businesses to invest, grow and export, creating jobs and opportunities across the country. Our Mission is to:   

• Redraw our rules to ensure businesses thrive, markets are competitive, and consumers are protected.  

• Secure investment from UK and international businesses.  

• Advise, support, and promote British businesses to grow and export.  

• Open up new markets for businesses by removing barriers and striking trade deals.  

• Promote free trade, economic security and resilient supply chains.  

DBT is a great place to work. We support one another, share our successes and challenges, empower staff to be their best and provide opportunities to build careers. We embrace continuous learning, smarter working and diversity and inclusion. We embody the Department’s Spirit, Excellent, Connected, Confident and Collaborative, working as One DBT. We value diversity in all its forms.   

Our Team 

The Senior Portfolio Analyst role sits within the Change Portfolio Office (CPO), a part of the Project Delivery and Change Directorate (PD&C) which sets standards and grows capability in project delivery and change.  PD&C oversees DBT’s portfolio of major change projects, providing support and assurance and ensuring the Department delivers the best combination of change projects within the resources available to achieve our strategic objectives. 

The CPO team operates as a central function with strategic oversight of DBT’s major change projects, so you’ll be working at the heart of Government.  We ensure the Department is investing in the right change initiatives, providing key insights to inform senior decision-making and supporting delivery of the major projects by ensuring they are set up for success.  Our role is to help projects improve and deliver better outcomes and benefits for business, the public and the taxpayer. 

Job description

The Role 

As Senior Portfolio Analyst, you’ll serve as a subject matter expert, critical friend and named point of contact to help projects to deliver their agreed benefits. We ensure projects are set up for success and have plans, risks logs and governance arrangements in place. You will help us identify cross-cutting themes and escalate issues and challenges as required. 

We’re looking for someone to help design, implement and maintain a portfolio management and controls framework with standardised processes and governance. This will include establishing and maintaining the Change Control process to enable scope to be managed and controlled. You will also contribute to core PMO functions including RAID management, planning, reporting, data analysis, lessons learned and tool development. You will feed into a regular reporting cycle to provide insight, analysis, information and support that strengthens portfolio oversight and enables senior management to make effective decisions across the portfolio.  

The successful candidate will be responsible for: 

• Portfolio Management Frameworks - Work with the wider team to design, implement and maintain documentation for the Project Delivery Portal, a central repository of project standards and guidance for the DBT project delivery community. This includes establishing and maintaining a definitive Change Control process. 

• Stakeholder Engagement – Build and maintain strong working relationships with partners and stakeholders, including the ability to work across boundaries to influence and gain confidence of senior project delivery leaders and sponsors. 

• Risk and Issues Management – Support projects to set up effective RAID management, analyse risks and issues from across the portfolio and identify cross-cutting themes and challenges. 

• Planning - Support projects to set up effective planning practices, collate and analyse high-level plans from across the portfolio to provide key insight to senior management. 

• Portfolio Reporting and Analysis – Support the monthly reporting process for DBT’s major programmes portfolio. This includes providing analysis and insight on the bi-monthly returns for the portfolio reporting pack as well as other portfolio performance analysis as required. 

• Account Management – Support the Portfolio Account Manager to ensure that projects deliver in line with departmental strategic objectives. On occasion this may include assuming account management responsibility for specific projects which will involve regular engagement with Project Managers and attending Project Boards. 

• Project Support - Support projects throughout their delivery lifecycle to ensure they are set up and running effectively, supports customer delivery through general advice, risk management, planning, reporting etc. 

We will hold a reserve list of candidates to fill roles that are the same or very similar roles for 12 months.

Person specification

Essential Criteria 

• Project Delivery - You will have good working knowledge and skills in Project Delivery, having experience of working on portfolios, programmes and projects. 

• Project Delivery Frameworks/Methodologies - Knowledge and understanding of project delivery practice with a background in projects and experience using and championing associated project delivery methodologies. 

• Analytical Skills and Insight - Ability to analyse data and present qualitative and quantitative information in a concise and meaningful way through working alongside programmes and other portfolio functions. 

• Delivering at Pace in Ambiguity - Ability to work to tight timescales and adapt to changing circumstances, managing competing priorities and ensuring delivery of quality products.  

• Changing and Improving - Ability to identify areas of improvement and create innovative approaches to delivering better quality services and processes. 

• Project Delivery Accreditation - You will be a government accredited Project Delivery professional or are willing to work towards it:  

• Government Project Delivery Accreditation is based on an assessment of an individual’s knowledge, skills, experience and behaviours aligned to standards set by the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA). 

• To become accredited, you will need to provide examples of your PD experience, ensure you continue to develop your skills and obtain a formal qualification e.g. APM Project Management Qualification. We will support you during your accreditation journey. 

• For more information, please visit the Government Project Delivery Capability Framework (PDCF). This shows the career paths, competencies and development opportunities for people in the government project delivery profession. 

Qualification  

Candidates must hold one or more of the project delivery qualifications as defined in the Government Project Delivery Capability Framework (PDCF) (page 70), candidates will be asked to provide a copy of their certificate prior to interview. 

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, Experience and Technical skills.

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 that there is a high volume of applicants, a short sift will be conducted based on CV only. 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.
• This role may be considered as a secondment opportunity. Please reach out to the hiring manager listed at the bottom of this advert to discuss.

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.   

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

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.