About the job

Job summary

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is the department for promoting British trade across the world and ensuring the UK takes advantage of the huge opportunities available. The department develops, coordinates and delivers trade and investment policies to promote UK business internationally. DBT also develops and negotiates Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), endeavouring to expand market access for UK businesses and trade partners around the world.  

The Trade Policy Analysis (TPA) team provide high-quality evidence to drive the design, negotiation and evaluation of trade policy instruments which enhance trade and investment with the UK’s key partners, with a strong focus on free trade agreements. 

The Trade Policy Analysis team is looking for a proactive analyst to work in the Gender Equality and Innovation team. The role will support Trade and Gender Equality and Innovation chapters being negotiated and implemented with partners around the world. These workstreams represent key Departmental priorities, with considerable opportunities for analysis to actively shape negotiations and to present to Ministers and senior leadership. You will lead a team producing analysis and evidence to inform chapter negotiations and deploying it to maximum effect at the negotiating table. This will involve both the use of large, established datasets and the creative use of all available evidence when data is limited. International engagement is likely. 

The role is embedded in the Cross-Cutting Policy team in the Trade Negotiations Group. The team delivers on DBT’s commitments to have gender-responsive trade policy and to ensure that our trade deals are flexible and future-proofed to ensure we take advantage of new innovations. 

Job description

• Build evidence on the gendered impacts of trade policy, to support the negotiation and implementation of Trade and Gender Equality chapters as well as gender provisions which are included across the agreement. 
• Innovatively use existing data sources and work with teams across DBT to develop new gender dis-aggregated datasets. Use Excel and R/R Studio to analyse large and incomplete datasets. 
• Engage externally with academics and gender analysis leaders, for example through work at the OECD. 
• Support policy colleagues with work at the World Trade Organisation, through the UK’s leadership of the Informal Working Group on Trade and Gender and specifically on work to build countries’ capacity to analyse gender dis-aggregated data on trade. 
• Work to mainstream gender in analysis of trade policy across DBT. Lead the Cross-Whitehall Gender Analysis Working Group, which brings together analysts working on gender to ensure consistency, improve cross-cutting evidence and provide a constructive challenge environment. 
• Build evidence on the economic value of Innovation chapters, including case studies of how innovation can be supported through greater flexibility in trade policy. 
• Work across DBT and Whitehall (including with Innovate UK) to develop data and evidence needed to identify upcoming innovative opportunities which can be supported through bilateral trade relationships, and to ensure trade policy doesn’t unnecessarily hinder the trade of innovative goods. 
• Monitor and evaluate the impact of both the Trade and Gender Equality, and Innovation chapters. 
• Line management of an assistant analyst. 

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Applicants for this role must be a member of the GES or be prepared to become a member of the GES via the application process.
• Experience of leading complex analytical work across multiple projects, including proactively balancing competing priorities.
• Clear communication of analytical concepts to non-specialists, to support collaborative and joined-up decision making.
• Experience in or potential to line manage junior analysts, including supporting their development and well-being.

Desirable Criteria

• Knowledge of trade economics.
• Previous experience in gender equality and/or innovation.

Personal Attributes & Skills

We are looking for a proactive individual who combines strong technical and analytical skills with exceptional leadership. You will need to be comfortable promoting, shaping and using economic analysis in an impactful way to inform policy and decision-making. The ability to work collaboratively is essential. You will need to be an outstanding communicator and have the ability to influence and persuade across the department and more widely. You will need to be comfortable conducting analysis at pace.

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, 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 1000 words, explaining how you consider your technical 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.

Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

You must pass an assessment at interview based on the GES Technical Framework at the “Level 3 – Expert (G7)” level. (Note that applicants who are already GES members will also face the same assessment at interview and cannot be offered the job if they do not pass it.) The framework is available here.

The GES Technical Framework is broken down into 3 core areas of technical competency: 

1.    Application of Knowledge.
2.    Analysis of Data.
3.    Effective Communication.

The assessment of GES technical skills at interview will take the form of a short presentation by the candidate followed by questions from the interview panel. All 3 of the GES Technical Framework’s core areas of technical competency will be assessed via this candidate presentation and interview panel questions. You will be provided with a question in advance of the interview and asked to prepare a presentation of a specific length addressing this question. Candidates invited to interview will be given full instructions on the presentation being used.  

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 and 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.   

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.