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Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
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Policy
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About the job
Job summary
This is an exciting time to join the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). The newly created department oversees the domestic business environment, breaks down international barriers to trade and investment, and helps boost economic growth by ensuring the UK is a country where businesses can thrive.
We are recruiting for a role within the Cross Cutting team that sits in the Trade Negotiations Group. The Trade Negotiations Group is responsible for negotiating and implementing the UKs trade agreements with partner countries from across the globe to support the growth of UK businesses internationally. The Group has over 700 people, expert in diverse technical areas of trade policy and negotiations and is at the cutting edge of delivering the UKs trade negotiation objectives.
The Trade and Gender Equality team sits within the Cross Cutting Policy deputy directorate, leading on the policy development, negotiations and implementation of policy positions that advance gender equality in trade. Our aim is to deliver His Majesty’s Governments commitment to a gender-responsive trade policy, seeking to ensure women can fully access the benefits of trade to support economic growth.
Provisions and Chapters on Gender Equality are an increasingly established feature of modern, comprehensive, ambitious Free Trade Agreements (FTA). Our FTA provisions reaffirm domestic or international commitments to gender equality and provide the framework to cooperate with our FTA partners to identify and overcome barriers for women in trade.
We also work multilaterally across a range of organisations including the World Trade Organisation (WTO), G7, G20 and with the OECD to ensure gender equality objectives are reflected coherently across bilateral and multilateral engagements.
This role requires a team player who is able to lead on the development and the delivery of policy objectives working across team structures. The successful applicant will play a key role in live FTA negotiations as well as obtaining broader policy development skills by working with senior colleagues on our multilateral engagement strategy and on the implementation of Gender Equality provisions within existing UK FTAs.
The Trade and Gender Equality team is a high performing and supportive team that champions flexible working. We really value the benefits of diversity and inclusion.
We pay special attention to providing training and support needed to allow individuals to excel. We recognise the importance of professional and personal growth and will encourage you to develop your skills and trade knowledge.
Some international travel is expected as a part of this role in support of the engagements and negotiation rounds with partners.
There is also the possibility of line management of 1 HEO.
Job description
The successful candidate will:
- Lead on the preparation for FTA negotiation rounds, including briefing, drafting and engaging with legal, partner countries, wider government colleagues in the UK and abroad and external stakeholders.
- Lead sections of virtual or in-person negotiations on trade and gender equality.
- Deputise for the Grade 7 Chapter Lead in negotiations and other bilateral work, where appropriate.
- Lead sections of policy development work as part of an evidence-based approach to trade policy. This will include working with DBT analysts to increase the departments gender-disaggregated data collection and analysis.
- Support and lead on sections of work on the implementation of FTAs and contributing to multilateral engagement.
- Potentially undertaking line management of one HEO.
- Undertake engagement with external stakeholders, with other government departments and within DBT.
In this role you will:
- Work across the team to deliver both bilateral and multilateral objectives.
- Build and maintain strong relationships across the Trade Negotiations Group and the wider DBT, FCDO and OGD teams to test and clear policy positions on gender equality and womens economic empowerment.
- Draw on expertise from analysts, lawyers, other policy teams, overseas colleagues, and businesses to ensure coherence of policy positions.
- Develop and support team delivery of briefing materials.
- Be an excellent team player, support policy development and adapt to changing priorities across a variety of workstreams.
Person specification
Essential Criteria
- Good written, verbal and interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate policy to a range of audiences.
- Ability to operate in a fast-paced environment under tight time constraints, remaining flexible and adaptable.
- Confident written and oral communication skills, with a skill for communicating with colleagues and external stakeholders at all levels.
- An excellent team player who can support policy development and adapt to changing priorities across a variety of workstreams.
Desirable Criteria
- Experience of international or domestic negotiations.
- Knowledge or experience of trade policy.
- Understanding of the political landscape and enthusiasm for seeking opportunities to advance womens economic empowerment.
Person Specification
This post will be attractive to an individual with:
- A collaborative work ethic and the ability to build and maintain effective working relationships.
- Ability to confidently present and advocate policy positions.
- Enjoyment of problem-solving, working with other teams and seniors to develop new positions.
- Confident in operating autonomously to deliver within the parameters of agreed steers.
- Effective at driving work forward in an uncertain or ambiguous environment.
- Willingness to flex to meet new requirements.
- A passion for ensuring that gender equality is reflected in the trade policy making process.
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
Benefits
£10,274 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 average employer contribution of 27%
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
Please refer to the attached candidate pack for further information on our benefits.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
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 explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the essential criteria.
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.
In the event of a large number of applicants, an initial short sift will be conducted on the Personal Statement only. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
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.
Candidate Support
You may want to join a virtual Candidate Support Session. These sessions include helpful tips and advice on the recruitment process, from application to interview.
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.
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 will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
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).
Apply and further information
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Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Joseph ODIARI
- Email : joseph.odiari@businessandtrade.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : dbtrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
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
