Export Support Service Engagement and Events Manager

This is an exciting time to join the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), the department for economic growth. We support businesses to invest, grow and export, creating jobs and opportunities across the country. This important work is vital to UK prosperity and has a real impact on jobs and growth across the UK. 

This role sits within the Export Support Service (ESS), which provides support at home and in overseas markets for UK businesses who want to sell their goods or services to the world. You will work to build awareness and understanding of two core services of the ESS, including the digital enquiry and call-back service – the Department’s first point of contact for UK businesses to get responses to questions about exporting.  The second service, ESS International Markets is the face of overseas export support for small and medium sized enterprises, servicing over 10,000 enquiries annually. ESS International Markets’ global network of over 80 staff provide trusted market entry guidance and advice for businesses who are looking to enter new markets. The team in the UK oversees that global network, driving continuous improvement, setting direction and ensuring value for money.  

The Engagement and Events Manager will act as a central coordination point for the network, leading the secretariat for engagement planning to ensure stakeholder engagement with key strategic partners across DBT, government and externally is aligned and effective. This will include maintaining products and forums to coordinate engagement and ensuring colleagues across ESS and DBT have the tools and messaging required to communicate the service. It is crucial that ESS is targeting the right businesses to maximise their export potential. Your work will ensure we are disseminating the right messaging, to the right amplifiers, to reach the right audience, including working with Ministers to achieve this.  

In addition, you will be part of a small, core team within ESS responsible for delivering team events across the UK, overseas and online. From all-staff conferences to events during International Trade Week, to ad hoc strategic activity throughout the year, your work will help ensure the ESS International Markets’ global team is connected and motivated, and that the service is joined-up and visible across DBT’s wider export support ecosystem. 

This is a key role within an ambitious and complex area of activity that is under significant Ministerial and stakeholder scrutiny. Your work will make a direct contribution to the delivery of the Department’s goals to increase exports. We are a supportive team committed to your professional development.  

Overseas and UK-wide travel may be required in this role, though is not guaranteed. 

Your responsibilities will include but are not limited to; 

• Organising and delivering team events such as international staff conferences and away days in the UK and overseas. 
• Supporting stakeholder engagement and raising awareness of ESS internally and externally, drawing on effective relationships with overseas colleagues and teams based throughout the UK.  
• Maintaining communications and engagement products including presentations, case studies, core scripts and a forward look.
• Ensuring ESS engagement is aligned with wider communications and engagement activity of DBT’s export support ecosystem, driving collaboration across the organisation, including the international network. 
• Leading X-ESS engagement, embedding and promoting team culture.
• Delivering internal and external presentations. 
• Sharing insights and support the implementation of continuous improvements to the service.

Essential Criteria 

• Strong planning skills, able to identify and address risks and execute projects using your own initiative.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, comfortable communicating with a range of stakeholders including excellent presentation skills.
• Well-organised, able to manage and balance competing priorities.
• Excellent drafting and briefing skills with good attention to detail.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and management skills.

Desirable Criteria  

• Knowledge of international trade and/or understanding of UK export policy.  
• Experience working in a client-facing role or delivering a service.
• Experience of engaging stakeholders and working collaboratively.  
• Experience working in an international organisation. 

Personal Attributes & Skills 

• A skilled, natural collaborator that enjoys working with complex stakeholder networks.  
• A dynamic, proactive problem solver, you will be driven to improve the service and thrive in bringing your team’s goals alongside the wider development of DBT’s export support.  
• Ability to deliver at pace.
• An understanding of issues faced by exporters. 
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and written and have a great attention to detail.
• You will have a strong focus on customer service and will want to enhance the service we offer. 

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

• 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.

Job contact :

• Name : Georgina Metcalfe
• Email : Georgina.Metcalfe@businessandtrade.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : dbtrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk