Country Policy Manager

Job summary

The Analysis Division is part of UKEF’s Risk Management Group (RMG). It manages portfolio risk, assesses country risk, and sets prices to ensure UKEF operates at no net cost to the taxpayer and meets its financial objectives. We work closely with the Risk Assessment Division (RAD), which assesses risks on corporates and other non-sovereign obligors; and the Business Group (BG), which is responsible for underwriting and new product development. We also pool our analytical skills to provide technical, modelling, and consultancy support to other teams across UKEF.

The Analysis Division has three teams:

• Economics and Country Risk (ECR): applies economic theory and quantitative techniques to support the department’s strategic priorities. It assesses the economic and political risks affecting UKEF’s sovereign business; represents UKEF at external forums, including the OECD and Berne Union; manages the sovereign risk frameworks that determine cover policy and country exposure limits; and oversees the department’s sovereign risk data.
• Pricing: ensures that UKEF premia are calculated in accordance with internationally agreed standards and our own financial objectives, and that our approach to pricing is supportive of and responsive to the needs of UK exporters.
• Operational Research and Analysis (ORA): helps teams across UKEF design, plan and implement strategic change, and improve operations and decision-making, using consultancy skills, portfolio risk modelling and technical leadership in data science and AI.

The Country Risk Policy branch sits within ECR and manages UKEF’s sovereign risk frameworks, including country cover policies and exposure limits. It also oversees the department’s sovereign risk data and communicates cover policy across UKEF, Whitehall and externally through UKEF’s website.

Job description

The Country Policy Manager oversees the Country Risk Policy branch’s outputs, ensures a high-quality day-to-day service, and improves team processes and systems. The role ensures that country cover policies reflect assessed risks and that exposure and remaining risk appetite data are accurate, helping determine the support UKEF can provide in each market. It also oversees the application of UKEF’s risk management policies and frameworks to mitigate excessive losses from risk accumulation and concentration. The postholder will contribute to, and may lead, reviews of sovereign risk frameworks governing portfolio risks and the availability of cover. These reviews involve senior stakeholders across UKEF and other government departments, including HM Treasury.

The postholder will manage the communication of UKEF’s country cover policies internally through the Country Information System (CIS) and externally through UKEF’s website and engagement with other government departments and organisations. Working closely with ECR’s Country Risk economists, they ensure that cover policies reflect assessed risks. The role also oversees UKEF’s sovereign risk data across several systems and works with digital, data, technology and operations teams to improve and automate processes.

The postholder will line-manage one HEO, directing day-to-day work, supporting development and assuring the quality of outputs.

Main Activities

• Contribute to the development and review of UKEF's cover policy and sovereign risk frameworks, including the exposure management framework for managing concentration risk.
• Work closely with the Country Risk Economists to ensure country cover policies reflect the assessment of economic and political factors that contribute to sovereign default risk.
• Maintain an accurate record of country risk parameters that are used to estimate potential losses and oversee the communication of country cover policies through the Country Information System, UKEF’s website and engagement with Whitehall and external organisations.
• Proactively monitor case work and policy enquiries, working with colleagues across the department and applying UKEF's risk management policies and frameworks to enabling underwriting of new risk and sound management of the portfolio.
• Perform analysis of portfolio and/or external data on risk, economic, or financial topics to deliver recommendations relevant to cover policy and risk concerns.
• Maintain accurate exposure and remaining risk appetite data across UKEF’s systems, investigating and resolving errors or anomalies.
• Drive technological innovation to improve and automate branch processes and systems in collaboration with digital, data, technology and operations teams, utilising data science techniques, coding and the latest AI tools.
• Lead the production of clear, accurate, and timely country-related advice and briefings for senior officials, ministers and other decision-makers.
• Manage and develop one HEO, setting priorities and assuring the quality of their work.
• Manage contracts for country risk data & analytic services that UKEF subscribes to.

This list is not exhaustive, and you may be required to carry out additional duties according to business needs.

Person specification

UK Export Finance is looking for motivated individuals with a desire to learn about the business. Successful candidates will be provided not only with functional training to enable them to do well in their role, but also with personal development to help them to achieve their career ambitions. Please note that the person specification below outlines at which stage(s) you will be assessed on how you meet the criteria for the role(s) including:-

A = assessed at application stage I = assessed at interview stage

T = assessed by test stage = assessed at presentation stage

Essential

Qualifications

• Degree level qualification or equivalent professional experience. (A)

Knowledge

• Knowledge in Microsoft Office, including Excel at an intermediate level. (A)

Skills/Ability

• Numerical ability. (T)
• Ability to build good working relationships with stakeholders and work as part of a team. (A, I)
• Attention to details e.g. ability to identify errors, issues and other anomalies. (A, I)
• Ability to analyse and interrogate data, and to organise and present results through appropriate data visualisation techniques. (A, I, P)
• Proven planning and organisation skills to manage multiple competing demands, prioritise work and produce high-quality outputs while meeting demanding deadlines. (A, I)
• Ability to communicate effectively, written and spoken, to a range of stakeholders including ability to respond with authority and credibility within area of responsibility. (A, I, P)
• Ability to work autonomously in a responsible manner seeking advice when appropriate. (I)
• Ability to manage and coach team members, sharing knowledge to ensure they're equipped to carry out tasks. (A, I)

Experience

• Experience of writing reports featuring detailed analysis and clear recommendations for decision makers. (A, I)
• Experience of working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders from all levels. (A, I)
• Evidence of working in an operational role and manage multiple tasks and priorities in a time critical environment to an agreed standard. (A, I)
• Experience of working independently but seeking advice at key decision points. (A, I)

Qualifications

Degree level qualification or equivalent professional experience. (A)

Behaviours

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

• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions

Technical skills

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

• Presentation - a topic agreed by UKEF and provided to candidates in advance of the interview.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £51,000, UK Export Finance contributes £14,774 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• 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%

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, Ability, Experience and Technical skills.

We are assessing candidates using Success Profiles and Line Management Standards (see Appendix 1) and across the whole process we will assess your Experience, Ability, Technical, and Behaviours and Line Manager Standards as highlighted below.

The application must be completed by 23.55 on the day of the closing date for it to be accepted.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Please ensure that you read through the Candidate Information Pack attached to this advert, before applying.

All applications will be sifted against our essential criteria outlined in the personal specification. In addition to this, applicants will also be asked to complete an on-line ability test, this must also be completed prior to the deadline for your application.

• Qualification
  • Degree level qualification or equivalent professional experience. (A)
• On-line ability test
  • Civil Service Numerical Test (closing date 12:00 on Monday 21September 2026)
• Behaviour statement - 250 word statement
  • Changing and Improving
  • Making Effective Decisions
• Statement of suitability - you should fully articulate in 500 words how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification within the Information Pack.

For the initial sift your application will be evaluated against:

1. Experience - CV / Application and Statement of Suitability
2. Ability - Civil Service Numerical Test (closing date 12:00 on Monday 21 September 2026)
3. Behaviours - 250 word statement
   • Changing and Improving
   • Making Effective Decisions

In the event of a high volume of applications, there will be a pre-sift on the following essential criteria’s

• Ability to analyse and interrogate data, and to organise and present results through appropriate data visualisation techniques. (A, I, P)
• Ability to communicate effectively, written and spoken, to a range of stakeholders including ability to respond with authority and credibility within area of responsibility. (A, I, P)

If you are successful following the sift stage, you will be invited to an initial interview, to be held onsite at 1 Horse Guards Road; this will include the following assessment:

1. Behaviours / Experience - a formal panel interview where you will be interviewed across all three behaviours highlighted in Appendix 1.
   1. Behaviour - Changing and Improving
   2. Behaviour - Making Effective Decisions
   3. Behaviour - Working Together (aligned to the Line Management Standard - Delivery Focus)
2. Technical - you will be assessed across your technical expertise and acumen, in relation to the essential criteria.
   1. Presentation - a topic agreed by UKEF and provided to candidates in advance of the interview.

Details of interview panel members will be e-mailed to all successful candidates who are invited for interview.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) 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.

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.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 : UKEF Recruitment
• Email : Recruitment2@ukexportfinance.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Recruitment2@ukexportfinance.gov.uk

Online test instructions

Civil Service Numerical Test (closing date 12:00 on Monday 21 September 2026)

Further information

Should you have a complaint or wish to raise any concerns regarding the recruitment process, please e-mail your complaint to the Head of Pay and Resourcing (UKEF) at Recruitment2@ukexportfinance.gov.uk and include “Complaint” in the subject heading. Should you remain dissatisfied following UKEF’s investigation then you can refer your complaint to the Commission - http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/making-complaint.

Attachments

Information Pack - Country Policy Manager - Sep 26 Opens in new window (pdf, 1813kB)