Change text size:

Choose Style:

Senior Policy Advisor, Rules of Origin & Tariffs (Manufactured Goods)

  • Public sector
  • 02/09/2024
  • £39,384.00 - £46,715.00 /yearly
  • Full Time & Permanent
Job expired!

Job Overview

Job Type

Full Time & Permanent

Salary

£39,384 - £46,715 yearly

Date Posted:

02/09/2024

Expiration date:

12/09/2024

Additional Detail

Job ID

13932

Work Location

Remote and/or Onsite

Job Description

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

Job summary

The Rules of Origin and Tariffs team (ROOT) works across Whitehall to negotiate core chapters of UK Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with trading partners around the world, with a focus on manufactured goods.  The team also works collaboratively across the Department for Business and Trade to develop the UKs broader trade policy on tariffs and the implementation of the EU TCA and new FTAs for manufacturers.

We are recruiting for a stretching and rewarding SEO role in our highly motivated team of technical trade experts. This role offers the opportunity to help craft the UKs trade agenda for the benefit of UK industry and consumers, by providing the technical expertise in negotiations for Rules of Origin and Market Access chapters in new FTAs and ensuring manufacturers can take up the benefits of UK trade deals. The successful candidate will work across Whitehall to leverage significant expertise in manufactured goods trade and will contribute to our fast-paced, welcoming and dynamic team culture.

We are committed to personal and team development, working with all team members to hone their skills and seek opportunities for stretch and challenge. All team members also invest time in corporate activities, including our Directorates ambitious work streams on Diversity & Inclusion, Wellbeing, Co-Location and Hybrid Working and Learning & Development.

The role is suitable for flexible working. Several of the team currently work flexibly, and support will be given to ensure that the role fits with personal circumstances. The role may include some out of hours working during negotiations with trade partners in other time zones. A number of the current team are based outside of London across the UK.  If the successful candidate is recruited from outside of London the role will require some travel to London.

Note: The successful candidate will be required to undergo Security Check (SC) clearance.

Job description

Key responsibilities are likely to include:

  • Secure key outcomes for manufacturing sectors by representing their interests in the Rules of Origin and Market Access for Manufactured Goods chapters in critical FTAs. Exact negotiations within your remit will be confirmed.
  • Support DBT colleagues to develop negotiation strategy for manufactured goods.
  • Working with colleagues to formulate negotiation positions and fallbacks for manufactured goods interests ahead of negotiation rounds and during live negotiations, drawing on policy knowledge and precedents from previous negotiations.
  • Act as Deputy Rules of Origin and Market Access lead for Manufactured Goods, presenting and defending HMG positions in the negotiating room as part of the UK negotiation team.
  • Technical policy lead for DBT and HMG on at least one manufactured goods sub-sector, to be determined based on expertise and interest in role, building strong relationships with DBT sector teams and directly engaging and securing buy-in from external stakeholders.
  • Support on technical implementation issues under the EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) Rules of Origin chapter and implications for UK domestic policy, feeding into HMGs work around future UK-EU relationship. Work cross-Whitehall to ensure UK manufacturing businesses benefit from the TCA and other new FTAs.
  • Support on workstreams around the Pan-Euro Mediterranean Convention.
  • Work collaboratively with DBT colleagues, particularly deputy chapter leads, and influence colleagues to secure the best outcomes for UK businesses and consumers on both international and domestic trade policy.
  • Advise Ministers, SpAds and senior officials on trade policy issues relevant to DBT interests.
  • Task-manage HEOs in the team and up skill new and existing team members on key technical areas.
  • Play an active role in building a positive, inclusive, and supportive team culture.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

You should be able to provide evidence of:

  • Communicating and influencing:ability to communicate and engage effectively.
  • Seeing the big picture:understanding organisational priorities, working with others across and beyond your team to deliver them.
  • Making effective decisions: using evidence and knowledge to support accurate, expert decisions and advice.
  • Delivering at pace:balancing multiple priorities and delivering to often short time frames.

Desirable Criteria

You will be able to hit the ground running in this role if you can bring:

  • Experience of trade negotiations and/or international engagement.
  • Understanding of the trade interests of UK businesses and/or experience engaging with business stakeholders.

Personal Attributes & Skills

The successful candidate will be expected to:

  • Navigate a complex, technical policy area, working with pace and autonomy to develop robust policy and negotiating positions.
  • Establish credibility as both a technical trade expert and a specialist in negotiating strategy and tactics.
  • Have well-developed planning and analytical skills, with the ability to manage a programme of work and task-manage HEO colleagues effectively.
  • Bring strong communication, interpersonal and influencing skills in order to leverage relationships with OGDs, industry stakeholders and opposite negotiation teams.
  • Think on their feet and use sound judgement during negotiations to find rapid solutions to policy challenges.
  • Be comfortable working at pace on high profile issues; able to manage competing priorities.
  • Provide high quality policy advice to Ministers and senior civil servants; able to clearly explain complex issues in written and verbal briefings. 
  • Contribute to developing the performance and resilience of the team and directorate.

Behaviours

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

  • Seeing the Big Picture
  • Making Effective Decisions
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Delivering at Pace
Alongside your salary of £39,384, Department for Business and Trade contributes £10,633 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, 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. 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 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. 

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 CV. 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 [email protected] 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.
  • This role may be considered as a secondment opportunity. Please reach out to the hiring manager listed at the bottom of this advert to discuss.

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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] 

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 [email protected]

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. 

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting



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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
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 :

Recruitment team

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: [email protected].
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

 
REPORT JOB

Our use of cookies

We use necessary cookies to help our site function. We’d also like to use analytics cookies that help us make improvements by measuring how you use our website.

For more detailed information about the cookies we use, see our Cookies page.


Necessary cookies

Necessary cookies enable core website functionality such as network management, security and accessibility. You may disable these by changing your browser settings, but this may impact how the website functions.


Analytics cookies

 

We’d like to collect website analytics cookies information using Google Analytics to help us improve our website. We collect this data by running Google Analytics JavaScript on your device, which collects data about how you interact with our site. The data is collected in a way that does not directly identify anyone. For more information please see our Cookies page.