Deputy Director, Future Industries and Resilient Economies

Job summary

The Industrial Strategy Unit leads the whole of Government effort to implement our Modern Industrial Strategy. The Strategy, published in June 2025 as a White Paper and eight sector plans, sets out our 10-year plan to significantly increase business investment in the UK economy. It sits at the heart of this Government’s growth mission and Plan for Change, to enable more people into good jobs, raise living standards, and achieve productivity growth in every part of the United Kingdom. ​

As well as taking significant steps to make it easier and simpler to do business in the UK, the Strategy has made positive choices: backing eight sectors (IS-8) with the highest growth potential, and the frontier industries at their leading edge – and targeting the places and clusters across the UK that support those sectors.​

A distinguishing feature of our work partnership. The Unit collaborates with sector- and policy-owning departments across central government, with local and devolved government, international counterparts, trade unions and, crucially, business, both to deliver the commitments set out in the Strategy, and respond to emerging risks and opportunities. A crucial component of this is our work with the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council whose members provide independent expert advice on the delivery of the Industrial Strategy through engagement with stakeholders and the development of a strong evidence base. ​

​The Industrial Strategy Unit sits within the same directorate as the Industrial Energy Unit, charged with delivering the Industrial Strategy’s flagship British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS), which will reduce electricity prices for thousands of businesses.

Candidate Information Call

​The hiring manager for this position; Kalada Bruce-Jaja 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 Tuesday 3rd March at 11am (UK time). ​

Please click here for the meeting link -https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/31423391106220?p=PYo9u191WUxDu1XlDe

Job description

This is an exciting opportunity for experienced policy leader to make a tangible difference to people’s lives throughout the UK, enabling our economy to navigate changing geopolitics and seize the technological opportunities of the decade to come. The successful candidate will lead the Future Industries and Resilient Economy division and play a central leadership role in delivering the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy. The team work across Government to facilitate high impact policy development and delivery of each of the “IS-8” sector plans. This involves the full spectrum of policy incubation, influencing and implementation, and leading our work on strategic international partnerships.​

​The role requires senior leadership within the Unit, across government and internationally – shaping our culture and building a community of expertise and genuine shared endeavour across 12 departments. You will work closely with Ministers, businesses, No 10 and international partners. ​

Key responsibilities include: ​

• Provide senior leadership within ISU, DBT and across government, developing a high performing multidisciplinary team and championing wellbeing, strong line management and capability building. ​
• Implement the Industrial Strategy’s eight sector plans, ensuring clear ownership, unblocking issues, supporting delivery and maintaining strong alignment with ministers and Whitehall. ​
• Influence horizontal levers (energy, innovation, international, economic security, data, net zero) to support the IS-8, working closely with departments cutting levers (energy, innovation, international, economic security, data, net zero) and managing competing departmental interests.​
• Incubate new policy ideas, identifying opportunities, such as AI Growth Zones, civil-military collaboration and procurement reform. ​
• Build strategic partnerships with business, international partners, local leaders and other stakeholders, to ensure robust and effective policy. ​

​This role will report to the Director for Industrial Strategy and lead a division of 12 people.

Person specification

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the following skills and experience:​​

• Collaborative leadership style, adept at building coalitions and driving delivery.​​
• A track record of leading high performing teams through ambiguity and change.​​
• Has developed and delivered innovative economic policy.​​
• Personal credibility with senior business leaders, ministers and international partners.​
• Worked in complex, matrixed structures and delivered tangible, measurable outcomes working across organisationalboundaries.​

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £81,000, Department for Business and Trade contributes £23,465 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%

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 08/03/2026. ​

​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. ​​​

​For further information on the recruitment process please see the attached Candidate Information Pack.

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

​DBT now host Senior Civil Service (SCS) Candidate Support sessions for those wanting to learn more about the application and recruitment processes for SCS roles within DBT, if you are interested, please register for a session here - https://registration.crowdcomms.com/dbtscsrecruitment

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 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

2026-02-13 DD, Future Industries & Resilient Economy Opens in new window (pdf, 5895kB)2026-02-20 - Accessible Candidate Pack - Deputy Director Future Industries and Resilient Economy Opens in new window (docx, 148kB)