Deputy Director, Creative and Channel Reach (Marketing, Creative and International)

Job summary

This is an exceptional leadership opportunity for a senior communications professional to shape how BIST markets itself, domestically and globally, and how it tells its story creatively across every channel and touchpoint.​

As Deputy Director for Creative and Channel Impact (Marketing, Creative and International), you will lead four specialist teams: Domestic Marketing, Creative and Studio, Science and Innovation (interim) and Global Campaigns, responsible for the full arc of BIST's marketing and creative output. From insight-driven domestic campaigns that drive business behaviour change, to flagship international campaigns promoting the UK as a world-class destination for trade and investment, to the creative vision that binds it all together.​

You will be a full and active member of the Communications and Marketing Senior Leadership Team, sharing collective responsibility for the performance of the whole directorate and the success of our integrated campaign model. You will serve as Senior Responsible Officer for one of BIST's four priority campaigns, working closely with a multidisciplinary team to deliver against long-term objectives.​

​This role demands someone who combines deep marketing expertise with sharp strategic instinct, creative ambition, and strong political awareness. You will be comfortable operating at pace and under pressure, and you will bring the credibility and judgement to be a trusted adviser at the most senior levels of the department.​

Success Measures​

• A high-performing, integrated marketing and creative function recognised across government for its impact, innovation, and professional standards​
• Domestic campaigns that demonstrably drive business behaviour change and support the growth mission​
• A coherent, compelling UK brand presence internationally, delivering measurable ROI on global campaign investment​
• A motivated, inclusive team with strong capability, clear development pathways, and a culture of creative excellence​
• Strong cross-government collaboration and shared creative and campaign standards​
• Efficient use of resources with measurable creative and business impact

Candidate Information Call ​

The hiring manager for this position; Laura Dolphin, will be hosting a virtual call for any interested applicants to discuss the role and answer any questions. Please note this is not part of the formal assessment process. ​

This will be held via Microsoft Teams on 16/09/2026 at 14:30-15:15 (UK time). ​Please click here for the meeting link.

Job description

Strategic Leadership​

• Lead BIST's integrated marketing and creative strategy, translating ministerial priorities into compelling campaigns that support growth.​
• Integrate ex-DSIT and DBT campaigns and teams as appropriate ​
• Provide strategic leadership for three teams and a priority DBT campaign, setting direction, standards, resources and delivery priorities.​
• Contribute as a member of the Communications and Marketing SLT, sharing responsibility for directorate performance and capability.​

Strategic Campaign SRO​

• Be the SCS Senior Responsible Officer for a strategic campaign, leading a multi-disciplinary matrix team​
• Manage internal stakeholders including Ministers and SpAds, ensure appropriate resourcing, identify capability gaps and drive an ambitious insight-led strategy​​

Domestic Marketing / Science & Innovation​

• Oversee all UK-facing marketing and communications activity, ensuring campaigns are insight-led, impactful and deliver measurable outcomes.​
• Ensure UK businesses are aware of BIST's full service offer​

Creative and Studio​

• Lead the department's creative vision and brand, ensuring high-quality, audience-focused content across all channels that turn policy priorities into impactful, audience-focused storytelling.​
• Drive innovation, consistency, value for money and creative excellence across in-house and agency-produced work.

Global Campaigns​

• Oversee BIST's international marketing and communications activity, including the GREAT Trade and Investment (GTI) campaign.​
• Oversee global communications operating models, partnerships and capability, ensuring effective delivery and coordination across government and international markets.​
• Manage the GTI budget, maximising ROI, value for money and campaign impact.​

Budget and Resource Management​

• Hold accountability for significant marketing and creative budgets, ensuring robust financial management, effective resource allocation and value for money.​
• Oversee agency procurement and supplier relationships.​

Stakeholder and Ministerial Engagement​

• Provide strategic advice to Ministers, senior officials and partners, building trusted relationships across government, industry and agency networks.​
• Represent DBT at senior Whitehall and cross-government forums, supporting Government Communications Service (GCS) priorities.​

People Leadership​

• Lead, inspire and develop 3 high-performing teams and a matrix campaign team, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, inclusion and professional excellence.​
• Build capability across the directorate, supporting talent development and alignment with GCS professional standards.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Strategic Leadership and Campaign SRO​
  Proven track record of leading transformational communications or marketing programmes at a senior level, translating organisational priorities into effective strategies and delivery, and acting as Senior Responsible Officer for major campaigns in complex and fast-moving environments.​
• Integrated Marketing and Creative Excellence​
  Substantial experience leading large-scale, insight-led marketing campaigns across multiple audiences, stakeholders and markets, with a strong understanding of creative strategy, brand governance and delivering creative excellence across in-house and agency-produced content, supported by the use of evidence-based communications and evaluation frameworks.​
• International Communications Experience​
  Experience developing and delivering international marketing or communications campaigns with significant budgets and demonstrable return on investment, working across different markets and cultures while coordinating activity through complex stakeholder or partner networks.​
• People Leadership and Collective Responsibility​
  Strong track record of leading high-performing, diverse teams through organisational change, building inclusive and high-performing cultures, developing talent, and contributing to wider organisational leadership beyond your immediate function.​
• Stakeholder Influence​
  Proven ability to build trusted relationships and influence at senior levels such as C-Suite, Ministers, partners and external stakeholders​
• Budget, Commercial and Contract Management​

Significant experience managing substantial budgets, ensuring value for money, financial accountability, and demonstrable experience managing effective commercial, procurement and agency management and team culture to deliver that. Experience working with agencies and identifying and designing agency partnership models ​

Desirable ​

Experience of international trade, investment promotion or similar sectors, alongside familiarity with audience insight, behavioural science and recognised communications best practice and professional standards.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £86,000, Department for Business and Trade contributes £24,914 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

How to apply​​​

Please follow the online instructions on the Civil Service Jobs website to apply for this role. Applications must be submitted no later than 23:55 on 20/09/2026. ​

You will be asked to upload the two documents outlined below. It is essential you add your full name to both documents:​​

1. A CV setting out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role. Please provide reasons for any gaps within the last two years.​​​
2. A Supporting Statement of around two pages of A4, providing examples of how your experience meets the essential criteria.​​​

Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification. ​​​

If you encounter any issues or are unable to apply online please contact SCSRecruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk in the first instance​.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

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 : SCS Recruitment Team
• Email : scsrecruitment@businessandtrade.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : scsrecruitment@businessandtrade.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 at SCSRecruitment@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: Civil Service Commission Complaints​

Attachments

Deputy Director, Creative and Channel Impact Domestic Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 7652kB)Deputy Director, Creative and Channel Impact - Domestic Accessible Candidate Pack Opens in new window (docx, 169kB)