About the job

Job summary

DBT is recruiting for an exciting and stretching SEO role, working to support the UK’s policy on trade remedies (anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard measures), which are crucial in promoting free and fair trade, tackling unfair trade, and levelling the playing field for UK businesses. The Sponsorship Team work to support the UK’s current and future interests in trade remedies by managing the relationship between Government and the Trade Remedies Authority, an arm’s length body.

The Sponsorship team sits within the wider Trade Remedies team in DBT, which is a friendly, collaborative, and supportive team, with high People Survey scores in engagement in our work, and a consistent focus on inclusion and L&D. In our team we are working to a hybrid model and support flexible working where possible and in line with delivering business outcomes.  

This is an exciting time to be joining DBT’s Sponsorship Team. We are responsible for building, improving, and maintaining a highly effective relationship with one of the department’s arms-length bodies, the Trade Remedies Authority. The TRA investigates whether new measures are needed to defend UK economic interests against unfair international trade practices. They are a vital component of the UK’s trade policy framework - ensuring a high-functioning relationship between DBT and the TRA is critical to the delivery of our mutual objectives. 

The successful candidate will join a friendly, inclusive and proactive team. They will find opportunity to both better understand UK trade policy and build on recent policy successes in this unique area. We look forward to welcoming you as part of our team. 

Job description

The role will involve: 

• Assisting in the development of DBT’s sponsorship governance capability, ensuring it meets HM Government’s standards and code of practice and keeping up to date on developments in the broader sponsorship work area. 
• Supporting our engagement with the Trade Remedies Authority to build a highly-functioning relationship with DBT and wider Government, aiding the troubleshooting of policy issues where necessary. 
• Engage effectively across DBT and across Government in strategic projects on issues of interest, such as leading a programme of strategic engagement with sectors to better engage them with Trade Remedies. 
• Work flexibly across the team on projects as they arise. 

Person specification

Essential Criteria 

You must ensure the successful candidate meets your specification entirely, so do not put expectations that are not vital. 

• Good stakeholder and relationship management skills, with the ability to build and maintain effective relationships across organisational boundaries.  
• An ability to think strategically and creatively across a range of priorities to find solutions to complex problems  
• Effective written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate complex matters to different audiences.  
• Organisational ability and independence, with the ability to pursue strategic projects on your own initiative 

Desirable Criteria  

• An interest in, and understanding of, international trade and/or the sponsorship of arm's length bodies. 

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 explaining your motivation for applying for this role and the extent to which you satisfy the requirements of the role. Maximum 500 words

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 Person statement 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.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to  Disclosure and Barring Service, Disclosure Scotland or 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.