About the job

Job summary

This is a great time to join the Department for Business and Trade.  The work we do has a real impact on businesses, jobs and growth across the United Kingdom.  Our mission is to help businesses export, drive inward and outward investment, negotiate market access and trade deals, and to advocate free trade.   

Here in Trade Defence Directorate, you will be joining an exciting policy area which spans the geo-politics of international trade to the very specific details of World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.  We play a key role in championing the rules-based international trading system, operating the UK’s trading system and protecting UK businesses from unfair trading practices. 

Trade Defence is a relatively new Directorate and we are really keen for everyone to get involved in shaping the friendly and energetic culture of the team.  We work in an open and collaborative way and strive to deliver an excellent evidence-based service to our Ministers. But perhaps most importantly we want to collectively build a team where everyone feels supported to be themselves, to do their best work, fulfil their potential and have fun!    

As the senior Business Manager and Head of the Directors’ Office you will play a key role in developing the infrastructure that supports this culture.  You will support the Directors in their day-to-day work, shaping their agenda, and supporting them to deliver their job as effectively as possible.  Working with the Directorate’s senior leadership team, HR and Finance Business Partners you will oversee the delivery of the directorate’s business management infrastructure, including financial budgets, strategic workforce planning and wider corporate activity to ensure the Directorate as a whole is a slick operation!  

There is also scope to shape the role depending on the skills and development goals of the successful candidate.  For example, there will be the opportunity to lead on cross-cutting pieces of policy advice to the Directors and to play a private secretary type role in supporting decision-making by the Directors.  

Job description

The successful candidate will:  

• Lead, manage and support the business management team, including line-management of at least 1 HEO and with potential to take on a broader span. 
• Provide a strategic support function to the Directors, including providing advice on policy decisions.  
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with a range of senior officials and their support teams across the department. 
• Manage, track, and deliver effectively against a range of Director business priorities, commissioning submissions at the right time and highlighting any issues that require immediate attention. 
• Provide oversight, and monitoring for the Directorates’ people data, finances, and a range of wider corporate returns. 
• Support the Senior Leadership Team to manage the team budgets including oversight of management accounts, tracking and forecasting spend. 
• Working with directors, HR and Finance Business partners to update and maintain staffing records and supporting senior decision making.

Person specification

Essential Criteria 

• Strong prioritising skills and the ability to plan, organise and work well under pressure – managing conflicting demands effectively. 
• Experience of line management: empowering and delivering through your direct reports and creating a high performing and learning culture. 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, high attention to detail.  
• The ability to analyse and synthesise data in order to make recommendations. 
• The ability to delegate and drive your own work forward and deliver objectives as part of the team, while exercising sound judgement. 
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills including the ability to work with people at all levels. 

Desirable Criteria 

• Experience working in a Business Management role or providing high level corporate support would be beneficial. 
• Understanding of financial accounting at a directorate level

Personal Attributes & Skills 

The ideal candidate will be organised and enthusiastic with strong communication skills.  You will be accustomed to working at pace and prioritising your workload.  As a team player, you will be adaptable and confident in dealing with people at all levels, remaining calm and composed in fast-moving situations.  You will be self-aware and keen to use feedback to help you learn and develop as a professional. 

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 (750 words) explaining your motivation for applying for the role and 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:

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.   

• 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. 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.