Head of Business Growth Advisers

Job summary

The work we do in DBT helps businesses in all parts of the UK to grow domestically and internationally, creating higher paying jobs and strengthening communities.

This is an exciting time to be part of the Domestic and International Markets and Export (DIME) Group, which plays a vital role in advising, supporting, and promoting UK businesses to grow and export, delivering economic growth through our network of colleagues across the UK and overseas.

You will play a pivotal role driving a major transformation of how small and medium sized businesses across the UK receive export support.

Job description

We are seeking an outstanding strategic and operational leader for this high profile, fast paced role at the centre of government’s ambition to boost UK growth—and you will work closely with ministers, senior leaders and businesses to champion and deliver a bold new service model.

About the role

As the senior lead for the domestic Business Growth Adviser (BGA) network, you will shape and deliver a national transformation programme that will redefine how thousands of SMEs access expert export advice. You will bring digital innovation, operational excellence and service design together to deliver a modern, customer focused, data driven advisory service aligned to our new ‘digital first’ operating model.

This is a role for someone who thrives in complexity, communicates a compelling vision, and can galvanise teams, partners, and ministers around a shared mission for change.

What you will lead

Transforming a national advisory service

• Lead the end-to-end transformation of the Business Growth Adviser function—aligning digital and non-digital services with the new Target Operating Model.
• Champion new ways of working across the network, ensuring a clear, ambitious vision is communicated internally and externally.
• Work with ministers, senior officials, UKEF and key partners to promote the programme and expand the service’s reach into new business communities.

Building a digital, data powered lead generation engine

• Partner with the Head of Digital Service Operations and wider Export and Oversees teams to deliver digital first support, supported by digital lead generation of businesses.
• Automate and streamline processes to ensure BGAs have a high quality, continuous flow of new businesses to engage with.
• Embed data driven decision making across the service.

Setting the performance culture for a world class service

• Develop new performance measurement approaches alongside the Export Performance and Planning Team.
• Introduce a rolling growth portfolio model with clear referral processes across and from the wider export support ecosystem.
• Design KPIs and success measures that reinforce positive behaviours, prioritise impact, and align fully with the UK’s Export Operating Model.

Turning policy ambition into measurable delivery

• Translate policy direction and stakeholder needs into operational delivery that demonstrates tangible improvements.
• Close the feedback loop through evaluation, impact reporting and continuous improvement.
• Ensure the voice of the customer shapes future enhancements.

Shaping national coverage and enabling agile deployment

• Work at pace with the DD for Service Design & Delivery to define BGA coverage across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
• Design advisory access that meets the needs of Place Based Teams and regional ecosystems.
• Develop a flexible surge model enabling temporary redeployment of BGAs for major events, campaigns or strategic priorities, with clear processes for portfolio reallocation.

Leading and inspiring high-performing teams

• Provide strong leadership to 4 G7 managers and a wider team of around 70 staff across the UK.
• Build capability, confidence and cohesion across dispersed teams delivering at pace during major organisational change.

Additional duties may also be required in line with business need, these can include, but are not restricted to, assisting with local or national events, accompanying customers or Ministers on visits domestically or overseas, and attending events as DBT ambassadors, upholding professional standards and embodying a positive experience of the department internally and externally.

Person specification

Essential

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

• Strategic leadership in medium to large-scale service transformation, with a record of delivering measurable improvements across complex delivery networks and leading people through significant service delivery change.
• Excellent business, stakeholder and ministerial or other senior figure management, with the ability to collaborate and influence at all levels within an organisation and with external partners to galvanise a shared mission for change.
• Strong analytical and performance management skills, with experience using data to inform decision-making and drive continuous improvement.
• Clear understanding of people development, including skills planning, succession planning and career progression pathways.
• Proven ability to lead change compassionately, managing transformation programmes with sensitivity to team dynamics and organisational culture, while driving the highest expectations and performance.

Desirable

The below criteria are desirable only. These will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but will be used in the event of tied scores between candidates;

• Experience embedding financial or export advisory services into operational delivery models.
• Understanding of digital integration in service delivery and transformation programmes.

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £69,185, Department for Business and Trade contributes £20,042 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 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.

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.

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 will be conducted on the CV. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

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

Reasonable Adjustments

We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process. In order to request an adjustment:

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section on the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process.

Alternatively contact the Government Recruitment Service at DBTrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Please see attached Candidate Pack for further information on: Diversity and Inclusion; Benefits; Learning and Development; Working Patterns and what we deliver as a department.

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 (Select as applicable from: 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 : Rebecca Denham
• Email : rebecca.denham@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 T&Cs 2025-08-18 Opens in new window (doc, 46kB)DBT candidate pack July 2024 (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 943kB)