Investor Relations Officer

Job summary

Increasing private investment, foreign and domestic, is crucial to the UK’s economic growth and the future prosperity of its citizens. Leveraging private investment is also fundamental to delivering energy transition and establishing international leadership as a science and technology driven economy.

The Office for Investment (OfI) was spun out of Downing Street in January 2021 and is now a joint unit between No.10, HMT and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science, and Trade (DBIST). The OfI is an exciting, creative and dynamic place to work among a motivated and driven team with both commercial and public sector backgrounds. The Office works closely with Secretaries of State, Junior Ministers, and No.10 to deliver the highest-value, highest profile investment propositions.

The team operates a flexible and flat structure which means that staff across all grades have the opportunity to work directly alongside the senior leadership and have direct exposure to ministers and senior business executives.

OfI's vision and mission is to secure investment to drive growth, job creation and increased productivity across the UK. We are proactive and entrepreneurial, delivering ambitious outcomes aligned to the Industrial Strategy and HMG Missions. To become a centre of excellence for attracting and growing investment we want to attract talented people from the private sector and across government who are curious, creative and agile in pursuing emerging opportunities for the UK.

This is a wide-ranging role where you will get to develop new skills and build on existing ones to increase investment opportunities and shape the wider Government policies investors will operate under.

You will have a unique opportunity to engage directly with varied stakeholders across all levels of seniority, including established and new businesses, investors, colleagues overseas, sector specialists, DBIST Senior Leadership, and Ministers.

Job description

The Investor Relations (IR) Officer will support inward investment from institutional investors by:

• Supporting strategic relationships between the UK Government and large institutional investors, such as pension funds, asset managers, private equity companies, and real estate developers from the North American region.
• Build collaborative, trusted relationships with investors and provide guidance on complex policy and commercial issues. Where appropriate, support investors to shape their UK market-entry, expansion or capital-deployment strategy.
• Analyse investors’ mandates, allocation strategies and investment criteria, identify where these overlap with government priorities, and translate that analysis into practical engagement plans.
• Proactively identify and support the project management of high-impact investment opportunities, working in virtual teams across government to help investors seize opportunities and overcome barriers to UK investment.
• Work closely with embassies, high commissions and consulates, alongside sector teams and the UK’s nations and regions, to maintain a coherent investor offer and delivery plan.
• Represent the UK with investors and at external events, including webinars, regional and national events, industry conferences, senior-level roundtables and bilateral meetings.
• Support the development and maintenance of the capital formation team’s regional support offer.
• In addition, you will need to contribute to relevant databases and performance tools.
• Given the investor-facing nature of the role and the locations of their offices, regular travel to London will be required, alongside occasional international travel.

Person specification

We are looking for a curious, dynamic and collaborative individual who wants to build a thorough understanding of what drives institutional investment and who can form strong relationships across government and with external stakeholders.

The successful candidate will be able to balance competing priorities, communicate clearly and convincingly, and combine analytical rigour with a practical focus on delivery. They will be enthusiastic, engaged and committed to supporting colleagues and wider OfI objectives.

Essential Criteria:

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

• Enthusiasm for understanding a range of subject areas and for getting to grips with the political, social, economic and commercial forces that shape investment opportunities and challenges.
• Relationship-driven: Ability to cultivate and maintain relationships with institutions and businesses, well as internal and external stakeholders, to deliver high impact outcomes.
• Delivery-focussed: Proven experience of delivering at pace and working well under pressure, able to think strategically, and demonstrate initiative, proactivity, resilience and agility. Demonstrated ability of operational delivery to ensure that goals are met, including through data-driven and evidence-based decision making.
• Clear communicator: Highly effective communication, networking and influencing skills, with strong understanding of international trade and investment.
• Written skills: Excellent written and verbal briefing skills.
• Events: Experience of delivering high-profile events or visit programmes.

Desirable Criteria:

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;

• Prior working knowledge and experience of the financial sector or working with institutional investors in the North American region.
• Experience of influencing the commercial process of inward investment and promoting investable projects to international investors.
• Experience of working in or with multiple HMG departments on complex, cross-cutting activity.
• Understanding of capital markets and the use of different asset classes by institutional investors.
• Experience of matrix working across regions, time zones or cultures.

Behaviours

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

• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,666, Department for Business and Trade contributes £10,911 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%

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, Strengths and Experience.

After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Numerical Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application.

Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23:55 on 29 November 2026. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

Online Test Maintence

You will be directed to the Talogy - True Talent – Scheduled Maintenance Window Webpage for online tests during an outage.

Our online test supplier will be performing scheduled maintenance on Sunday 15th November 2026 between 4pm and 7pm and Sunday 29th November 4pm to Midnight. You will be unable to access tests during this period.

If you are in the middle of a test when the maintenance begins, your progress will be paused. You will be able to resume your test from where you left off via your application centre once the downtime has ended. Please note that you will not be able to launch any new tests while the system is offline.

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 that relate to the essential criteria listed in this advert. Any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years should be explained. The CV should not exceed more than 2 x A4 pages.
• A Personal Statement of up to 500words, 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 may be conducted on the Personal Statement only. Candidates who pass the initial sift of the Personal Statement will either progressed to a full sift where the CV is then assessed, or progressed straight to further assessment/interview.

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

Please note, following a recent change to the Machinery of Government, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) will be renamed to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) as of 20th July 2026. BIST will connect the UK’s world-class science and technology base directly to the businesses, places and workers that will drive good growth across the country. Such changes will not affect the selection process for this campaign; however, we wanted to take this opportunity to advise you of the recent changes to our department.

You can find further information here regarding recent governmental changes Machinery of Government changes: Fact Sheet - GOV.UK.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) 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 : nitya.sonal@officeforinvestment.gov.uk
• Email : nitya.sonal@officeforinvestment.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 at Resourcing@trade.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

DBT T&Cs 2025-08-18 Opens in new window (doc, 46kB)DBT candidate pack July 2024 (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 943kB)