About the job

Job summary

DBT is recruiting for a stretching senior policy advisor role, working at the forefront of the UK’s policy on trade remedies (anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard measures). Trade remedies are crucial in promoting free and fair trade, tackling unfair trade and levelling the playing field for UK businesses, and are therefore at the heart of the government’s international trade agenda.   

The Trade Remedies team are the HMG centre of trade remedies expertise, delivering our goals by working collaboratively, communicating effectively, and making the most of our diversity. We promote the UK’s current and future interests in trade remedies, strategically and coherently building the UK’s role as an exemplar and champion of the multilateral rules-based trading system. We are part of a newly created Trade Defence Directorate, whose mission is to ensure the UK is defended from unfair trade, market distortions and emerging threats to protect our economic prosperity and security.   

We are looking for a senior policy advisor to join the team’s international facing branch, working specifically on the Americas, multilateral and engagement portfolio. This portfolio covers the UK’s representation at the World Trade Organisation on all things trade remedies, ensuring compliance with our multilateral obligations, leading the UK’s international engagement strategy on trade remedies, and a focus on the Americas region when it comes to relationship-building, bilateral negotiations, implementation of existing bilateral commitments, and advocating for UK interests in the region.  

Much of this is still new territory for the UK, so this is a great opportunity to lead on novel, challenging and evolving work, gain exposure to international-facing work, build the department’s international reputation, and better understand the international trade policy landscape.   

The successful candidate will join a friendly, dynamic and supportive team, with a consistent focus on inclusion and learning and development, and high engagement in our work. We are working to a hybrid model and support flexible working where possible and in line with delivering business outcomes. 

We look forward to welcoming you in our team.   

Job description

The role will involve:  

• Leading our engagement and positioning in the WTO trade remedies committees;  
• Leading the development of an international engagement strategy;  
• Overseeing work to ensure the UK complies with its WTO and FTA obligations;   
• Overseeing the UK’s involvement in remedies cases in the Americas, ensuring UK strategic and economic objectives are met.  
• Heavily supporting on bilateral negotiations where such are ongoing. 
• Line managing and supporting the professional development of a policy advisor (also being recruited).  

Due to the changing and evolving nature of policy work, the postholder will also be expected to work flexibly across the team to support on wider priorities as necessary.  

The role will involve international travel.

Person specification

Essential Criteria 

• Confident ability to work collaboratively with internal and external colleagues to build and maintain strong relations. 
• Demonstrable ability to use evidence-based policy development and strong analytical skills to present policy options and build consensus.  
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to persuade others and bring together a wide range of stakeholders with differing and conflicting views.  
• Willingness to travel.  

Desirable Criteria  

• Experience of trade policy and an understanding of global trade.  

Personal Attributes & Skills 

The ideal candidate will be collaborative, proactive and enjoy working in a technical policy area, with international exposure.  

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,384, Department for Business and Trade contributes £8,871 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.

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.   

Interviews will take place week commencing 25/03/2024.

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.   

Location and working arrangements 

This role is available in seven UK locations and can only be worked from within the UK, not overseas. Most DBT employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending 2-3 days a week (pro rata) in the office on average. Changes to these working arrangements are available in certain circumstances but must be agreed with the vacancy manager and in line with the requirements of the role and can only be discussed with successful candidates. 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

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.