Business Engagement Advisor

Job summary

The Department for Business and Trade sits at the heart of the government's number one priority: kickstarting economic growth to deliver the highest sustained growth in the G7. The Department is a fantastic place to work, with wide ranging responsibilities across the economy that provide the opportunity to make a positive difference to people's lives and the prosperity of the UK.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Construction Stakeholder Engagement team, within the Construction, Logistics, Airports and Water Team, which is part of the Sustainability and Infrastructure Directorate in Business Group, responsible for leading Government’s engagement with business.

The construction sector is high-profile and a key driver of economic growth. The team is responsible for providing an industry sponsorship role within Government.

The team is fun, friendly and supportive and made up of around 16 staff. We are committed to creating a positive, motivating, and inclusive working environment for everyone. We are looking for people who can contribute to our culture, as well as what we deliver.

The role can be fast paced and demanding. The postholder will need to be comfortable working at pace, providing challenge and have an ability to work closely and diplomatically with multiple stakeholders.

In this role, you can expect regular exposure to Ministers, daily opportunities for engagement with a range of industry stakeholders at CEO level and across Government, and to develop your knowledge of how Government and a key business sector work together, addressing and handling multiple challenges to deliver a sector that is more resilient and works better for everyone.

Learning and development are highly valued by our Directorate. The postholder will have access to a range of internal and external opportunities to build their skills and knowledge, including, but not limited to, site visits, role-relevant training, Departmental learning events, mentoring, and a large number of departmental networks.

Job description

The successful candidate will:

• Have day to day responsibility for management of the Construction Leadership Council and some of its sub-groups, including:
  • Setting up meetings and calls
  • The public email accounts
  • Communications
  • Newsletter
  • Regular upkeep of the website.
• Support to the Grade 7 for the management of Construct Zero, including with website upkeep and data collection of progress of targets.
• Stakeholder engagement with CLC member organisations and businesses.
• Support with briefing and the development of communications material.

Person specification

Essential criteria

The below criteria are essential and will be assessed at application stage;

• Organisational and Administrative Skills: Efficiently manage logistics for meetings, calls, communications, and digital platforms, ensuring smooth day-to-day operations of the Construction Leadership Council and its sub-groups.
• Communication Skills: Produce clear, engaging content for newsletters, emails, and website updates, while maintaining professional and responsive communication with stakeholders.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Relationship Management: Build trusted relationships with CLC member organisations and businesses, acting as a key point of contact and ensuring effective collaboration across the sector.
• Digital and Data Skills: Maintain and update websites and digital tools, and support data collection and reporting to track progress against Construct Zero targets.
• Teamwork and Support: Provide proactive support to senior colleagues and contribute to a collaborative team environment, ensuring shared goals are met efficiently and effectively.
• Content Creation and Design: Experience in producing visually engaging newsletters, web content, and stakeholder communications using tools like Canva, SharePoint, or basic HTML/CMS platforms.
• Desirable
• Strategic Awareness: Ability to understand and align day-to-day activities with broader departmental and government priorities, particularly in relation to construction, sustainability, and economic growth

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,367, Department for Business and Trade contributes £10,245 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

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 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.

Your application will be sifted against the Experience criteria of the Civil Service Success Profiles.

We aim to sift both the CV and the Personal Statement but, in the event of a large number of applicants, an initial short sift may be conducted on the Personal Statement only. Candidates who pass the initial sift of the Personal Statement will either progressed to a full sift where the CV is then assessed, or progressed straight to further assessment/interview.

Candidates who pass the sift will be invited to interview, where we will assess you on the Success Profiles elements of Behaviours and Strengths.

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.

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.
• Candidates that do not quite meet the standard for this role may be offered a position at a lower grade.

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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Stuart Young
• Email : Stuart.Young@businessandtrade.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : dbtrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles.
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DBT by email: Resourcing@businessandtrade.gov.uk.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.
For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission/Complaints.

Attachments

DBT candidate pack July 2024 (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 943kB)DBT T&Cs 2025-08-18 Opens in new window (doc, 46kB)