About the job

Job summary

You will work as part of the Department for Business and Trade’s Investment Directorate, within the FDI Sector Advisory Services team. 

As a Technology Project Manager it will be your role to provide advice and guidance to foreign owned technology companies that are expanding globally. You will be required to position the UK Technology ecosystem as a leading business location for their growth and support them in setting up their new UK business. 

Job description

You will be required to provide expert guidance to Technology companies considering setting up in the UK. The demands of these companies can be varied, complex and challenging. 

Your caseload will comprise approximately 50 Technology companies looking to set up in the UK.  As a Tech Project Manager, you will provide UK sector insight and knowledge to land these investments in the UK over other global locations. These investments add value to the UK economy, creating jobs at the local level and supporting the UK’s ambition to be a leading Science & Technology Super Power. 

Day to day activity will see you operating as a critical friend to foreign owned Technology companies, providing them with bespoke investment propositions to help them select their investment location throughout the UK. You will coordinate and support visits to the UK to scope the investment opportunity by working in partnership with local governments, universities, centres of excellence and sector organisations such as TechUK.  

It will be necessary to build a wide support network across the UK tech ecosystem to enable you to provide the intelligence and connections required by the technology companies new to the UK. To do this attendance at key Technology events in the UK and internationally will help to build your knowledge base and expand your network. 

The team operates in collaboration with colleagues posted overseas at British Embassies and Consulates. You will be required to work daily over Microsoft Teams with virtual teams in all corners of the world, which requires great interpersonal skills, effective time management and flexible working hours. 

Within your client facing role speaking with international tech companies, you will be ideally placed to play a proactive a role in informing UK government on the suitability of policies to investors and what they perceive as barriers and opportunities in the UK, to continue shaping the sector from the government level down to the businesses it affects. 

Person specification

Essential Criteria 

• Hold a degree or have appropriate experience in a related business discipline.
• Likely to have 3+ years’ experience in similar roles.

Desirable Criteria  

• Some understanding of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and its impact on the UK economy. 
• Awareness of the different public organisations funded to support FDI in the UK and our global competitors. 
• Experience working in/with the Technology Sector – Cyber, AI, Semiconductors, Quantum, Telecoms.

Personal Attributes & Skills 

You would have excellent interpersonal skills to build global project teams that operate virtually to serve the needs of an international tech company. 

Effective organisation skills to manage a pipeline of approx. 50 companies all with varying needs, timescales and levels of priority. 

Be target driven as our performance is measured by the number and size of investments that land in the UK. 

Data and research minded as the development of propositions requires the ability to research topics and present salient information utilising data to position the UK as the top location for investment.

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 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 CV. 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

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.