Deputy Director, Risk, Assurance & Improvement

Job summary

DBT Finance teams are at the centre of our mission to support economic growth, and we are looking for a Deputy Director of Risk, Assurance & Improvement to help us deliver on that agenda.​

​The successful candidate will play a crucial role in overseeing the department’s assurance framework, strengthening internal controls, and supporting the business to effectively identify and manage its risk. You will own the relationship with the Government Internal Audit Agency, and work closely with DBT’s Audit, Risk and Assurance Committee to deliver a robust risk and assurance framework for the department. You will also play a central role in building departmental capability, developing tools, standards and behaviours that uplift professionalism and performance. ​

We are looking for a candidate who is excited by the opportunity to position risk, assurance and internal audit at the centre of the department’s improvement activity, providing real value to the business through close working and constructive relationships. The successful candidate will also play a critical role in the next stage of our directorate change journey, working with the rest of my SLT to ensure our team is in the best shape for the future. ​

​We have a small, close-knit leadership team, and we support each other, so you must be someone who collaborates brilliantly, and can energise your team to do the same. Above all, we are looking for candidates who care about our people and can inspire them to fulfill their potential. ​

If you are excited by the sound of this opportunity, and want to help lead the team during this critical period, we would love to hear from you.

Job description

The successful candidate’s responsibilities will include: ​

• Leading and developing a team to deliver a broad portfolio across risk, assurance, internal audit liaison and improvement, positioning the team as expert advisors to the business, our Audit, Risk and Assurance Committee and senior leaders across the department.​
• Leading DBT’s risk framework and strategy, ensuring robust identification, management and reporting of organisational risks through proactive engagement with the business.​
• Overseeing DBT’s assurance framework, strengthening internal controls, and driving continuous improvement and finance capability across the department. ​
• Managing DBT’s relationship with the Government Internal Audit Agency, to ensure high quality internal audit delivery and effective follow up on recommendations, improving the way DBT delivers its work and ensuring a sound system of control exists. ​
• Overseeing improvement programmes to enhance financial and operational controls, securing efficiency and value for money in everything we do. ​
• Being a core member of the Finance directorate’s senior leadership team, contributing to our collective leadership of the team and cross departmental governance.​
• The role is available on a full-time or part-time basis. Please note that the above responsibilities may be adjusted, as necessary, to reflect your specific working arrangements.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• Senior qualified professional in risk, assurance, audit or organisational improvement within government or a similar complex environment. Finance qualified (CCAB or equivalent) candidates are also welcome to apply.
• Proven ability to lead large, high performing teams and deliver complex portfolios of work. ​
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with credibility at senior official and board level. ​
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to explain complex issues clearly. ​
• Experience driving continuous improvement and strengthening organisational controls or capability.

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 15/02/2026. ​

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 please see the Candidate Information pack linked below.

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

2026-01-22 Deputy Director, Risk, Assurance & Improvement Opens in new window (pdf, 6557kB)2026-01-22- Deputy Director, Risk, Assurance & Improvement- Accessible Candidate Pack Opens in new window (docx, 150kB)