Senior Policy and Strategy Adviser - WTO and Multilateral
Department for Business and Trade
Apply before 11:55 pm on Thursday 14th November 2024
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About the job
Job summary
This is an exciting time to join the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). The work we do has a real impact on jobs and growth across the United Kingdom. Our Vision is to champion open and fair global trading that drives growth, creates better jobs and higher wages, and improves living standards in this country and around the world.
We are an international department based in 108 countries, and we work closely with our colleagues worldwide. Working in DBT you will have the opportunity to shape the UK’s international growth agenda for years to come.
The Multilateral and WTO Trade Policy Team is responsible for influencing global rules and managing the UK's relationship with the WTO and other multilateral fora, using the UK’s independent voice to advocate for and reform the rules based international system. The team sits within DBT’s Economic Security and Trade Relations Group.
We are recruiting for a senior policy adviser in the Policy and Strategy branch in the World Trade Organization (WTO) & Multilateral Team. In this role, you will be responsible for driving a strategic approach to Multilateral and WTO work ensuring clear objectives are delivered upon through a number of policy, strategy and engagement levers. You will be responsible for ensuring a coherent approach to UK activity at the WTO, including leading UK policy and strategy preparations for Ministerial Conferences and the General Council. In this role, you will engage regularly with colleagues across HMG, our diplomatic network, and officials in other WTO Members’ administrations. You will need to work closely with the MWTO programme team to ensure coherence of activity, and to making connections across workstreams to support WTO day-to-day activity. You will also work closely with seniors to support overall delivery and progress reporting up to Ministers. This is a unique opportunity to sit at the heart of trade policy and delivery, working to deliver UK objectives across a number of high-profile forums and cohering and driving multilateral trade policy to deliver tangible outcomes. You will be uniquely placed to provide strategic challenge on the work of the department and ensure multilateral policy and engagement is part of a joined up, coherent and strategic programme of work. You will need to be able to flex in line with business need, in adapting the role to support the cycle of WTO Ministerial Conference preparations.
Job description
· Work with experts across policy areas, including other departments, in developing the UK’s multilateral trade strategy and setting strategic objectives for the WTO. · Drive the implementation of the department’s multilateral strategic priorities, embedding the vision and objectives and driving coordination and coherence of UK activity within a defined programme of work across diverse policy teams. · Work with a programme team to oversee delivery of strategic objectives and develop products and processes to support effective ways of working. · Lead strategy and policy preparation for WTO Ministerial Conferences, General Councils and Trade Negotiation Committees, working closely with a small programme team to translate strategy into delivery. · Provide constructive critical challenge across a range of policy areas to ensure policy development and live negotiations and other day-to-day work at the WTO supports the delivery of strategic objectives · Prepare and support senior officials and ministers for high profile multilateral meetings to deliver UK multilateral trade policy objectives including the WTO Ministerial Conference and General Council. · Develop and maintain strong relationships with colleagues within DBT and across government in particular FCDO, DCMS, DEFRA, HMT, Cabinet Office and UKMis Geneva to help co-ordinate and deliver the UK’s policy priorities. · Lead drafting of briefings, submissions and cross-government communications to inform decisions by Ministers and senior officials. · There will also be line management responsibilities. |
Person specification
You will be able to build strong relationships with others across the department and OGDs to develop the UK’s multilateral policy priorities.
You will be comfortable working independently to drive forward the department’s multilateral strategic priorities and framework providing effective strategic challenge on how the work of the department and OGDs contributes to those priorities.
You will be able to make sense of complex issues in a challenging political and geopolitical context and you will possess first class problem solving skills.
You will have strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to draft at pace to a high standard. You will have excellent people and project management skills.
You will need to plan carefully to deliver many complex and competing tasks and be flexible and innovative to turn ideas into reality and make sure that they are delivered in the right way at the right time.
You will make a valuable contribution to the life of the Directorate, through engagement with wider corporate activities.
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
Essential Criteria
- Ability to work at pace to successfully deliver policy priorities in an international setting.
- Ability to work independently and take the initiative to make sense of, and drive forward work in an area where the geopolitical landscape is constantly evolving.
- Ability to understand a wider government and global perspective on developments to ensure activity is relevant and ensure plans reflect wider strategic priorities.
- Strong ability to work collaboratively within and across teams, the ability to build and maintain relationships across the department and xHMG.
- Strong written and presentational skills, able to present complex issues clearly and succinctly to ministers and senior stakeholders
- Ability to flex in line with business need, including keeping ways of working under review and responding positively to feedback.
Desirable Criteria
- Experience of working on issues relating to international trade, economic diplomacy and/or multilateral institutions.
- Experience of working on international summits or conferences.
- Experience of coordinating inputs from other teams into a coherent programme of work.
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
Benefits
- 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 employer contribution of 28.97%
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 of up to 750 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 Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/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:
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
- 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.
- Candidates that do not quite meet the standard for this role may be offered a position at a lower grade
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
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).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Isobel McIntosh
- Email : isobel.mcintosh@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
