Policy Advisor – Bilateral Trade Relations Africa Team


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Details

Reference number

317005

Salary

£31,443 – £36,624
London: £35,008 – £36,624 National: £31,443 – £33,097
A
Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Job grade

Higher Executive Officer

Contract type

Permanent

Business area

DBT – DG TSG – Bilateral Trade Relations

Type of role

International Trade
Policy

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time

Number of jobs available

1

Contents

Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, London, Salford

Job summary

The Bilateral Trade Relations (BTR) directorate within the Department for Business and Trade, is responsible for opening markets and strengthening the UK’s global trading relationships through bilateral Ministerial and government-to-government engagement. 

As the UK seeks to develop closer trade and investment relationships with the rest of the world and deliver its new strategic approach to Africa, this is an exciting time to be working on trade policy in Africa. 

This role offers significant opportunities to drive the development and delivery of trade policy in Africa as part of the Bilateral Trade Relations (BTR) Africa team. The postholder will support efforts to address barriers UK businesses face when seeking to invest or expand across African markets. 

Core responsibilities include progressing work on priority market access issues, driving the utilisation of DBT’s digital market access service and supporting the UK’s new strategic approach to trade policy across Africa.  

Job description

Key activities and deliverables of the role include: 

  • Working with DBT and FCDO colleagues at posts across Africa to understand their markets, UK business interests, local Government interests and the tools available to HMG to overcome market access barriers; 
  • Overseeing trade policy aspects of the UK’s bilateral relationships in the region; including supporting work on the UK Nigeria Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership 
  • Preparing briefing, submissions and PQs for Ministers; 
  • Embedding DBT’s digital market access service in markets across the region; 
  • Working closely with posts and across Whitehall to develop action plans to overcome market access barriers; 
  • Inputting bilateral trade policy priorities into multilateral fora and vice-versa 

The role will be based in either Darlington, London, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Salford, Belfast and Birmingham. You will be asked to express a location preference during the application process.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas.

Person specification

Essential Criteria 

  • The ability to work collaboratively in and across teams, building and maintaining long-lasting working relationships. 
  • Confident and clear written and spoken communication skills, and the ability to persuade and influence others. 
  • A problem-solving outlook and strong analytical skills. 
  • The ability to balance competing priorities. 
  • An interest in international trade, and its political and economic context would be beneficial.

Desirable Criteria 

  • A demonstrable interest in Africa and/or emerging markets. 
  • Experience working with stakeholders in different locations.
  • Experience collecting and analysing evidence.
  • Experience preparing written briefings and reports.

Personal Attributes & Skills 

  • Ability to pick up and understand new topics and material quickly.  
  • Comfortable working flexibly, responding positively to new work and other changes as they arise.  
  • Team player, willing to support colleagues across the team to deliver our work.

Behaviours

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

Alongside your salary of £31,443, Department for Business and Trade contributes
£8,489 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.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours 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 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. 

As part of your interview, you will be asked to deliver a short oral presentation, details will be provided prior to your interview.

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.

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

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.
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 : Mujina Kaindama
  • Email : Mujina.Kaindama@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 Sept 2023 Opens in new window (pdf, 737kB)
DBT T&Cs 19092023 Opens in new window (doc, 46kB)

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