About the job

Job summary

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 by promoting the UK as a great place for business.     

The Grants Delivery Team helps to do this by delivering a wide range of business grant programmes on behalf of the Department. These include financial support for large scale projects (e.g. helping to green the automotive industry and delivering the energy support package to help people during the cost-of-living crisis) as well as small grants such as helping up and coming bands to get noticed and grow their sales.     

This is a fantastic opportunity to become part of the DBT team as we deliver our schemes and grow our role as other new grant schemes transfer to us.  Our role in awarding and monitoring grants across a wide range of policy areas requires us to ensure that while supporting businesses and designing delivery to place the minimum burden possible, we also comply with the Government Grant Standards and HMT’s Managing Public Money to ensure best value for money, minimise the risk of fraud and protect the taxpayer.     

We are a friendly and supportive team who look after each other and work in a fast paced and dynamic environment as our team and its remit expands to reflect Ministerial and Departmental.  We need people who enjoy being part of a team and who can give attention to detail and understand how that contributes to our strategic delivery.  We want people that can work proactively at pace and collaboratively across our team and wider stakeholders, and who can provide leadership and support, so the whole team successfully delivers its objective.

Job description

These roles have two major components:

Grant Appraisal - leading the appraisal of large, complex and strategically important applications for grant funding, including conducting appraisals; acting as the primary contact between DBT, the applicant and across other Departments and stakeholders throughout the appraisal process; working with specialists to assess value for money, case for assistance and subsidy control; writing case papers including Ministerial submissions and presenting the case to approval boards; and preparing grant offer letters as required.

Grant Monitoring – managing a portfolio of grant beneficiaries to undertake the effective monitoring, closure and assurance of awards. This will require regular contact (including site visits where applicable) with a wide range of businesses and intermediaries.

Responsibilities will include:  

• Leading on assigned cases (as Account Manager) proactively leading at pace the process of application, appraisal and contracting, ensuring that key milestones and timelines are adhered to often in an environment of change and/or ambiguity.  
• Using sound judgement, reasoning and analysis to develop solutions in response to challenges and changing situations, remaining calm under pressure to understand and define issues, and taking a strategic view when leading and delivering the process to land these often large and complex investments in the UK.   
• Working effectively at pace with specialist colleagues internally and across Whitehall including forensic accountants, economists, policy professionals and legal advisers, influencing direction and a shared view to maintain momentum and progress. 
• Undertaking appraisals on assigned cases, drafting associated papers giving clear recommendations and options to Senior Civil Servants, Ministers, and other approval boards, balancing the need to protect the taxpayer and the strategic objective. 
• Develop and maintain effective relationships often at senior levels in companies and across Departments providing reassurance, managing expectations and clearly explaining rationale for decisions made. 
• Taking a leadership role in the development of expertise and best practice in the appraisal and monitoring processes and acting as a source of advice and support to others. 
• Proactively review grant recipient performance (in Monitoring function) against agreed KPIs (including expenditure), undertaking monitoring visits and processing claims, in line with deadlines and guidance provided.   
• Using judgement and analysis to identify issues and risks in a timely manner including working with applicants, grant recipients and other stakeholders to agree and implement remedial action e.g. grant agreement variations.  
• Drafting or contributing to the drafting of documents including; briefings to senior leaders, Ministerial Submissions, Parliamentary Questions, Freedom of Information Requests, Parliamentary returns and MP letters etc.   
• Where required undertake line management of other team colleagues in line with the Civil Service Leadership statement and DBT priorities; including setting targets as well as reviewing progress and performance against agreed priorities and personal development objectives.   

Person specification

Personal Attributes & Skills

Essential Criteria

• Ability to think and implement strategic thinking demonstrating an appreciation and understanding of the bigger picture in terms of the wider economic and political context.  
• Strong and effective interpersonal skills coupled with excellent leadership and relationship management skills.  
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to work at pace simultaneously across a broad portfolio, managing conflicting priorities to meet challenging deadlines. 
• Experience working directly with companies in either a grant management, finance or policy role.  
• The ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team. 
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail with the ability to maintain multiple datasets/spreadsheets efficiently and securely.  An ability to spot discrepancies with the initiative to investigate further.  
• The ability to work flexibly across the Directorate within a matrix working model and work collaboratively with external public and private sector stakeholders.   
• Experience of working with policy teams, other internal and cross-Whitehall interested parties as well as external bodies including local authority, private sector businesses, and other stakeholders.    
• The ability to meet the travel requirements of the role which could be at short notice (e.g travelling to an applicant company site) and on average would be once every 1-2 weeks.

Desirable Criteria

• Strong and effective interpersonal skills coupled with excellent relationship management.  
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to work simultaneously across different cases in your portfolio. 
• Visible and effective line management  
• The ability to think strategically and consider the bigger picture.  
• The ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team. 
• The ability to deliver at pace, managing conflicting priorities and meet challenging deadlines. 
• Sound analytical skills and a strong attention to detail with the ability to spot discrepancies and the initiative to investigate further.  
• The ability to work flexibly across the Directorate within a matrix working model  
• The ability to meet the travel requirements of the role.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £53,560, Department for Business and Trade contributes £14,461 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 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. 

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. 

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 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.   

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

• 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

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. 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.