Policy Advisor Darlington, North East England, England
Job description
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About the job
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Things you need to know
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Location
About the job
Job summary
This recruitment is continuing as usual, but candidates should be aware that following the Government’s announcement on the changes to some civil service departments, roles will be located in the new Department for Business and Trade.
The Department for Business and Trade brings together business expertise and world-class trade negotiators under the vision of making the UK the best place to start and grow a business – driving growth, increasing jobs, and raising wages and living standards.
We are seeking proactive and diligent people who are looking to start a career in Trade Policy and Trade Negotiations. The successful candidate will gain the skills to develop work across several policy areas. After you grow in confidence, you will be able to take an area of policy and run with it.
This is a fast paced and exciting area of policy. You will need to be flexible and able to balance competing priorities. While you do not need specific knowledge of the area, you will need to become an expert quickly. The successful candidate will also need to be able to express highly technical and sophisticated arguments in a manner that is easy for non-experts to understand. You will need to collaborate across Government departments to identify UK interests, leverage support for policy positions, and help formulate UK strategy for negotiations.
We have an ambitious programme of trade negotiations, so you will likely work on negotiations with several countries – sometimes simultaneously. There may be a requirement to travel internationally, sometimes for multiple weeks at a time.
Our team is friendly, hardworking and collaborative. We pay special attention to providing training and support needed to allow individuals to achieve and excel. We recognise the importance of professional and personal growth and will encourage you to develop your skills and trade knowledge.
We will keep a reserve list, from which further appointments can be made, for future roles both within this team and elsewhere within the Department.
Job description
The successful candidate will:
- Work with colleagues across Government to analyse information from a wide variety of sources. Develop policy positions that are consistent with UK domestic and emerging international policies.
- Coordinate and contribute to trade negotiations. As confidence grows, participate in negotiations including future in-person international travel.
- Analyse the needs of businesses and consumers and develop negotiation objectives in a rapidly changing environment. Advise how technical outcomes from negotiations relate to real-world business impacts, and communicate this in a way that businesses understand.
- Write briefings and other materials related to policy areas for Ministers and Senior Civil Servants.
- Commission legal and other analytical advice to inform our positions.
- Ensure that processes are in place to implement commitments in UK law and operational practice.
Person specification
Essential Criteria
- The ability to analyse information and balance multiple priorities.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to build collaborative relationships and persuade and influence others, working with a wide range of stakeholders inside and outside Government.
Personal Attributes & Skills
You do not have to have expertise in Trade Policy for this role – we are particularly looking for people wanting to take their first steps for a career in Trade.
The ideal candidate for this role will have the analytical and organisational skills to get into the detail of trade agreements and trade barriers experienced by UK businesses. You will need to be happy with learning and communicating technical detail.
You will need strong interpersonal skills to support work with domestic and overseas colleagues. You will also need to be able to persuade and influence others to create collaborative solutions, sometimes in the face of sustained opposition.
In pursuing your objectives, you will be enthusiastic about developing yourself and others around you. You will prioritise effectively to meet competing needs and support colleagues at critical times. You will be flexible and ready to be redeployed in other roles, taking on new challenges as the team’s goals evolve.
There are no minimum educational or experience requirements for this role. We welcome applications from anyone, whatever your work or life experience. We would particularly welcome applications from people who might not have thought of a Civil Service career.
Successful applicants will need to be willing to go through security clearance to ‘SC’ level. In most cases, this requires that candidates have been living in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years. If you want to check eligibility, please contact us.
Hybrid working
The role will be based in Darlington.
Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas.
Informal hybrid working arrangements will be available as agreed with the vacancy manager and in line with the requirements of the role.
Most DIT employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending 2-3 days a week (pro rata) in an office, on average.
Support in applying for our vacancies is available by joining a virtual Candidate Support Session. These sessions include helpful tips and advice on the recruitment process, from application to interview.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Working Together
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
- Making Effective Decisions
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 average employer contribution of 27%
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.
Sift will take place week commencing 27/03/2023.
Interviews will take place week commencing 10/04/2023.
As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV and Personal Statement.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Please align your CV with the person specification and include details of any relevant skills. Maximum of 2 A4 pages.
In your personal statement, please explain why you are applying for the role, and how you demonstrate the essential criteria and personal skills and attributes set out in the person specification. Maximum word count of 500 words.
In the event that there is a high volume of applicants, a short sift will be conducted based on Personal Statement only. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
If you are offered an interview, you will be asked to give a presentation.
For this role, the Department will not consider sponsoring a visa or issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship. Please note we are unable to offer advice on any Visa and Immigration cases.
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service 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.
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 had their employment continued. Any applicant’s 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.
Please note – the successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before being released for another role.
The Department for Business and Trade embraces and values diversity in all forms. We welcome and pride ourselves on the positive impact diversity has on the work we do, and we promote equality of opportunity throughout the organisation.
Please note – harmonised terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
Further Information
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
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. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
Reasonable Adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
- Contact Government Recruitment Service via [email protected] as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs
- Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Vetting Requirements
All security clearances require you to provide evidence of your UK footprint where you have been physically present in the UK.
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.
If you require SC clearance you will need to provide evidence of the below requirements.
Checks will be made against:
- Departmental or company records (personnel files, staff reports, sick leave reports and security records)
- UK criminal records covering both spent and unspent criminal records
- Your credit and financial history with a credit reference agency
- Security Services records
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
- certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
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).
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
Recruitment team :
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 DIT 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
