Deputy Director, Trade and Emerging Markets

If you’re interested in making a difference to people’s lives, the Treasury can offer you an exciting opportunity to influence decision making that affects the whole of the UK. Working at the heart of government, we collaborate across government to promote responsible public spending and drive strong and sustainable economic growth.  

Our work ranges from protecting customers through the regulation of the financial sector, helping to reduce carbon emissions and creating a greener economy, to promoting British trade around the world and supporting people across the country on jobs, growth and more.  

HM Treasury is proud of a diverse and inclusive work environment, committed to fairness and the promotion of equality of opportunity for all. We know that having a range of experiences, ways of working and thinking makes us stronger and better at developing policy that reflects the needs of every community. We embrace different views and experiences and value the new perspective that people from a variety of circumstances bring to the work we do. We welcome applications from candidates who have not previously worked for the Civil Service, mid- and late-career changers with transferrable skills, people from all backgrounds and circumstances regardless of disability, gender, age ethnicity, LGBT+ identity and socio-economic status.  

We are part of the Darlington Economic Campus, a pioneering new cross-government hub which brings people together to play an active role in the most important issues of the day whilst working closer to the communities we serve. The campus provides the opportunity for people from all over the UK to help shape the future of the country, and our flexible working practices ensure you can collaborate effectively with our partners. It’s central government, made more accessible to you! 

The Financial Services Group advises the government on how to promote a stable and efficient financial services sector, to deliver excellent outcomes for consumers and business, enhance the UK’s position as a global hub for financial services and support economic growth across the country.  

The financial services sector is important to the UK economy – providing significant numbers of jobs and making a large contribution to the UK’s economic output. It also provides essential services to individuals – for example, helping them to purchase goods with ease, buy their first home, and plan for their retirement. During the COVID pandemic, it played a critical role in supporting individuals and businesses – for example, in providing payment holidays for individuals and businesses affected by the pandemic and working with the government to deliver Bounce Back Loans.  

We ensure that financial services businesses such as banks, investment firms, financial advisors and insurers are well-regulated. Ensuring firms treat customers fairly, customers have access to a range of financial services as a result of competition in the market, and there are appropriate remedies in place when things go wrong. 

We work on a significant international agenda which includes promoting openness and trading links between the UK and countries all around the world, including through Free Trade Agreements and other international dialogues and negotiations.  To do this we work closely with colleagues in offices overseas from the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office and the Department for International Trade. 

Working with stakeholders is key in Financial Services – for example, we work closely with the independent regulators to help them fulfil their roles, consult consumer groups on issues affecting them, and work with the sector on wider issues like the net-zero agenda. 

About the Trade & Emerging Markets Team

Are you interested in negotiating trade agreements and engaging with the largest emerging markets? The UK hosts one of the world’s largest financial centres, and financial services is a vital part of the UK economy, contributing 12% of GDP, £100bn in tax receipts and the single biggest sectoral contributor to our trade balance. The future of our global financial hub will depend on the strength of our relationships with our trading partners, and particularly the largest and fastest growing emerging markets.

The Trade and Emerging Markets team (TEM) leads HM Treasury’s policy and engagement on financial services in emerging markets and across all trade negotiations. The team consists of two units covering these areas: the Emerging Markets Unit is responsible for developing policy towards some of the most dynamic regions of the world, partnering with key emerging markets such as China, India and Brazil, but also more broadly across ASEAN, Latin America and the Middle East. The Financial Services Trade Unit is responsible for running the financial services aspects of all trade negotiations with non-EU trading partners, working closely with the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and is currently negotiating Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with India, Canada, the Gulf Cooperation Council, Israel and Switzerland, and is preparing for the launch of negotiations with South Korea.

This is a senior and high-profile role in the group, with new and pressing issues emerging every day. We need an outstanding individual with strong leadership, management and policy delivery skills. This role offers an excellent and senior insight into our international relationships all around the world – and at a time when our approach to trade and investment is more vital than ever. In this team, it is vital to utilise a good network of contacts with other government departments, regulators, industry and partner countries to take the agenda forward creatively and strategically.

The post holder will have the following responsibilities:

1. Lead and manage the Trade and Emerging Markets team of around 20 policy officials efficiently and effectively, maintaining a professional, supportive environment so that it is a positive, motivated and valued part of the Financial Services Group.
2. Lead the UK’s approach to international Financial Services trade policy, including overseeing multiple parallel negotiations, ensuring the team has appropriate capability and personally intervening during critical moments, while engaging effectively with regulators, other government departments and Treasury colleagues, and international partners.
3. Provide strategic leadership to UK Financial Services trade and investment opportunities in key emerging markets, notably China, India and Brazil, enhancing ties with country partners and industry expertise, promoting year-round engagement as well specific country strategies, and working closely with DBT and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
4. Personally represent relevant policy with confidence and authority to ministers, senior officials and senior industry representatives. Alongside this, represent HM Treasury and the UK with senior international trade and financial services counterparts from other governments.
5. Be an active and engaged member of the Group’s Senior Management Team, by contributing to broader matters such as hybrid and multi-site working, the Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging agenda, and leading by example in terms of management, corporate engagement and demonstrating HMT values.

This role will require occasional travel, roughly once every 3-4 months.

Candidate Drop-In Session 
 
We will be running a candidate drop-in session for this role to give you greater insight about the role as well as the chance to learn more about HM Treasury and the recruitment process. If you would like to join us, then use the appropriate link below to join the call at the right time. 

Wednesday 18th October 1:30pm – 2pm

Click here to join the meeting

If you would like to speak to the hiring manager informally prior to the closing date for applications to find out more about the job, please contact Richard Knox at Richard.knox@hmtreasury.gov.uk  

Please review the Candidate FAQ document that is attached to the advert for guidance on how to complete your application.

Required Skills, Experience and Behaviours:

1. Outstanding leadership and management skills and experience, with the ability to motivate a high performing team and create and enhance capability in a fast-moving environment.
2. Strong experience and detailed understanding of international or financial services issues, with the ability to pick up complex concepts quickly, develop these into recommendations and communicate these with influence to senior stakeholders.
3. Excellent strategic thinking skills, with the ability to spot opportunities, establish a vision and bring senior officials on board.
4. Proven partner engagement and influencing skills and track record of delivering with senior partners through collaboration.

For your application, please send us a CV and a personal statement setting out how you meet the following skills, behaviours and experience. This should be no longer than 1000 words, and include no more than 250 words on each criteria above

Staff engagement panel exercise

If you are shortlisted, you will be asked to take part in a staff engagement panel exercise. This assessment will not result in a pass or fail decision. Rather it is designed to support the panel’s decision making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview.  

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Working Together

• 25 days’ annual leave (rising to 30 after 5 years), plus 8 public holidays and the King’s birthday (unless you have a legacy arrangement as an existing Civil Servant)

• Flexible working patterns (part-time, job-share, condensed hours)

• Generous parental and adoption leave package

• Onsite restaurant and coffee bar. The London office also offers a gym, showers and prayer room

• Access to a cycle-to-work salary sacrifice scheme, season ticket advances and payroll giving

• Access to a retail discounts and cashback site

• A Rental Deposit Advance Scheme to help meet the total costs of deposits for privately rented homes

• A range of active staff networks, based around interests (e.g. analysts, music society, sports and social club) and diversity (e.g. women in the Treasury, ethnic minority network, LGBT* network, faith and belief network).

Flexible working arrangements:   HM Treasury views flexible working as essential in enabling us to recruit and retain talented people, ensuring that they are able to enjoy a long-lasting career with us. All employees have the right to apply for flexible working and there are a range of options available including; working from home, compressed hours and job sharing.

HM Treasury operates an office based working approach across all Treasury sites – Darlington, London, and Norwich, with the expectation of achieving 50% attendance in the office as a minimum requirement, along with the flexibility of working remotely. This blended working approach allows you to work collaboratively, meet stakeholders face to face, support others and promotes a healthy work life balance (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review. All our offices have been recently modernised and designed to collaborate and connect with colleagues as well as desk and quiet space to allow a range of ways to work.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above.
This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions.
Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and
conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your
personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any
absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you
to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

Job contact :

• Name : Richard Knox
• Email : richard.knox@hmtreasury.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : hrrecruitment@hmtreasury.gov.uk