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Job summary

The advertised role will support the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council (Industrial Strategy Advisory Council - GOV.UK) to deliver robust advice to the Government following the publication of the Industrial Strategy; specifically supporting the ISAC members to deliver bespoke policy projects, give evidence-based recommendations to Government and engage extensively with relevant stakeholders, ensuring that the ISAC’s time and expertise is used to maximum effect to maximise impact and delivery of Industrial Strategy objectives.

This is a demanding but highly rewarding role, working with influential external voices to deliver one of the Secretary of State’s key priorities. This role reports into the G6 Head of Operations, Policy and Engagement in Manchester and works closely with the wider Industrial Strategy Sponsorship and Treasury teams to ensure the ISAC gets access to top quality information and inputs (including meeting with key senior policy leads across Whitehall) across its policy workstreams and is in turn able to provide the Government with robust and evidence-based advice.

Job description

Key Accountabilities

• Policy lead for ISAC initiated projects and ISAC’s advisory role into IS-specific and HMG-led projects.

• Working with ISAC members to design, incubate and sometimes deliver ISAC-based projects based on ISAC areas of interest (e.g. Place); working closely with Sponsorship team to ensure these adhere to ISAC’s remit and add value to ISAC’s work plan, and working with analytical colleagues to plot project scope and evidence base, maximising the ISAC’s unique role in forwarding the Growth agenda.

• Policy responsibility for ad-hoc advice requested by HMG on Energy, Infrastructure, Tech and Innovation Policy (e.g. BICS, CAS, TAR), including relevant internal DBT and OGD engagement on these themes.

• Lead for stakeholder engagement relevant to ISAC’s own-initiated projects, including conducting stakeholder mapping and developing a bespoke engagement plan for the ISAC-led projects that aligns and complements ISAC’s overarching stakeholder plan.

• Ensuring light-touch project management across the team is shaping and monitoring delivery

• Driving cross-cutting join-up on Place across the Secretariat; ensuring a consistent and fair place-based approach is in place across the ISAC’s workplan.

• Responsible for Advisory input into Place-related policy at HMG request, e.g. supporting the Regional and Welsh Investment Summits.

Person specification

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.

The ideal candidate will be self-motivated, comfortable to work in an agile and changing context where there is a high need to flex to new priorities. They will be a pro-active team player with a strong background in policy development. They will enjoy working with external stakeholders and have high standards for delivering a quality service – sometimes with quick turnaround.

Essential Criteria

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

• Strong verbal communication skills and ability to work with, and influence, stakeholders both internally and externally and build personal credibility with influential advisers.
• Ability to make timely and effective decisions and problem-solve in a fast-moving policy context.
• Excellent briefing and drafting skills: Proficiency in preparing clear, concise, and informative briefings and documents.
• Comfortable working with agility in a context of change and transition.

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;

• An understanding of the drivers of economic policy and/or some familiarity with industrial policy would be desirable but not essential.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,511, Department for Business and Trade contributes £16,660 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.

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 500 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.
• 250 word statements for the selected Behaviours.

Your application will be sifted against the Experience and Behaviours in the Civil Service Success Profiles.

We aim to sift the CV, Personal Statement and Behaviours, 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 be progressed to a full sift where the CV and behaviours; Leadership, Communicating and Influencing, and Delivering at Pace are 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.

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.

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 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.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

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 : Abbie Lea-O'Mahoney
• Email : Abbie.LeaOMahoney@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 candidate pack July 2024 (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 943kB)DBT T&Cs 2025-08-18 Opens in new window (doc, 46kB)