Senior Policy Adviser

Job summary

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is responsible for promoting British trade across the world. This is an exciting time to join DBT’s Economic Security and Trade Relations Directorate General, where you will have the opportunity to shape the UK’s international trade agenda for years to come.

The Goods and Tariffs team leads on several high-profile policy areas, including determining the import tariffs the UK should apply, establishing the UK as a leader at the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other multilateral fora and wider goods trade policies including suspensions and export restrictions. The team is therefore vital in supporting the UK’s independent trade policy, and the UK’s international reputation and position in institutions on the world stage. This is a challenging and rewarding role working at the intersection of policy and diplomacy, involving both technical and strategic work.

We are recruiting for an SEO lead for our market access pillar of work. This involves leading the UK’s work to address market access barriers facing UK exporters. Market access is also a high priority area set out in the Trade Strategy. This is a broad role which involves engaging other countries at the WTO to understand, challenge and resolve a wide range of barriers facing key UK export markets. This role also involves managing the UK’s goods negotiations with acceding WTO members, delivering high quality WTO notifications in pursuit of the UK’s commitments to transparency and overseeing UK goods policy on short supply export restrictions – part of an ongoing global debate that rose to prominence during the COVID-19 Pandemic. This is a stretching role that will require leadership in driving forward a programme of work with multiple work strands, continually building capability and understanding of tariff policy, and will potentially involve representing the department externally, and the UK Government, publicly and internationally.

The opportunity may be taken to offer roles to successful candidates in other parts of the team.

The Goods and Tariffs team embraces the Civil Service’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. We work on challenging issues but in a supportive and learning environment. We champion DIT’s policies on flexible ways of working to accommodate a wide range of personal situations.

Job description

The responsibilities of these roles may include:

• Shaping the UK’s multilateral market access programme, identifying barriers to trade and working closely with post to engage other WTO members in order to resolve issues.
• Leading engagement with other WTO members as well as making specific interventions in committees, across the broad agenda of global goods market access
• Directly representing the UK at the World Trade Organization, including with occasional travel to the WTO in Geneva
• Working in close collaboration with teams spread across the department, building knowledge and capability around multilateral levers and building long term strategy to address specific market access issues
• Supporting DBT’s Ministers and senior management, providing briefing and written advice where needed.
• Working collaboratively across government, including with post, and building working networks to understand and craft well-evidenced policy positions across sectors.
• Helping to develop a large evidence base to inform strategy and complex positions, through working with analysts and using stakeholder intelligence.
• Engaging with domestic stakeholders to gather evidence and to deliver DBT positions and policy with confidence.

Person specification

Essential criteria

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

• Experience of leading policy development in a complex area
• Experience working and managing relationships with other government departments
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Ability to see the big picture and think strategically

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;

• Experience of working in the international space, including experience of trade negotiations
• Knowledge and experience of trade policy
• Strong numerical or analytical background
• Line management experience

Personal attributes and skills

The below is a list of characteristics which may be helpful in this role. These will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but are laid out to help candidates understand more about the role.

This role would generally suit someone who;

• See the big picture and demonstrate high intellectual energy to identify links and opportunities in a fast-moving policy area.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, able to persuade and influence others in a collaborative fashion, at different levels of seniority across government, including Ministers, and across the international space.
• Able to identify, evidence and analyse policy options with authority, drawing upon experts as appropriate.
• The candidate should have excellent judgement and political acumen. The postholder will be someone who can progress strategic objectives despite ambiguity and competing challenges.

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £42,391, Department for Business and Trade contributes £12,280 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, Strengths 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 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.

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

Vetting

The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years. Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.

Feedback

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

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.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 : Iain Fifer
• Email : iain.fifer@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 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 19092023 Opens in new window (doc, 46kB)DBT candidate pack July 2024 (1) (2) Opens in new window (pdf, 943kB)