Department for Business and Trade

Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

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

About the job

Job summary

Trade Policy, Implementations and Negotiations Group (TPIN) champions sustainable UK economic growth by negotiating and implementing trade agreements, including leading the DBT contribution to the reset of the UK-EU relationship; and by providing policy leadership for work to remove market access barriers, work on multilateral trade, and on development of broader economic relationships in a changing world. The Director General for TPIN is the senior responsible owner for Trade Strategy, one of the Secretary of State’s four top priorities.

In this role you will be responsible for the smooth and efficient running of the DG’s office. You will lead a team of two (line management of another private secretary and task management of a diary secretary). You will be line managed by a Grade 7 Business Manager, but you will be directly task managed by the DG. 

You will need to build a high degree of influence, responsibility, and autonomy across a variety of senior staff within the department. You will ensure the DG’s day-to-day business is transacted efficiently and on time; that high quality products are delivered to the DG; and that the flow of information to and from teams across TPIN is optimised. To be successful in the role, you will need to maintain a strong overview of the DG’s and Department’s priorities, and to develop and maintain working relationships with a range of teams and senior officials across DBT and Whitehall.

Private office roles can involve periods of more intense working and higher levels of challenge than wider civil service roles. We work hard in the team to balance requirements with well-being, and ensure TOIL is taken promptly for excess hours. The skills and experience you will develop in this role will put you on a strong footing for further progression in your career.

As you will be working closely with the Director General (Amanda Brooks), a second, informal, interview with the DG will be needed. This second interview will only be offered to candidates who pass the first interview. 

Job description

Reporting to the Director General, you will:

• Manage, track, and deliver against a varied range of DG priorities, working closely with the DG diary secretary, HEO Private Secretary and diary secretary, and alongside Group business manager.
• Provide line management to, and oversight of, the HEO Private Secretary and their portfolio and active support for diary secretary.
• Provide direction and ensure smooth running of all the office processes including the DG’s box, the inbox, information management and storage – refining and adapting these processes as needed to maximise efficiency.
• Lead on your private office portfolio (ensuring sound insight and advice can be provided to the DG), and confidently communicate DG policy priorities / steers to directorate teams.
• Develop and support effective working relationships with teams and senior officials in DBT and across government in order to maintain a good oversight of DG people communications, acting as the point of contact between the DG and their group (and vice versa).
• Undertake a corporate objective which, for example, contributes to improving the inclusivity, well-being, or working environment for colleagues at DBT.

Person specification

The below is a list of characteristics which may be helpful in this role. These will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but are laid out to help candidates understand more about the role.

We are looking for someone who has the personal effectiveness to deliver outcomes in a fast paced and sometimes pressured environment. We would encourage you to apply if you:

• Have impeccable organisational skills and can keep track of substantial amounts of information and different pieces of work, with a structured approach to information management.
• Possess excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills, with an ability to communicate steers clearly and succinctly.
• Have a track record of delivering at pace, prioritising, and organising resource effectively to resolve issues as they appear.
• Are a resilient person who can think clearly and project calm during unexpected events.

Essential Criteria

The below criteria are essential and will be assessed at application stage:

This role would generally suit someone who has:

• A high level of organisational skills and ability to keep track of large amounts of information and difference pieces of work in a pressurised, fast-paced office.
• Experience of working collaboratively with, and delivering through, a large and diverse group of colleagues.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills (both orally and in writing) and confidence in communicating steers clearly and succinctly with a range of audiences including senior colleagues.
• If you do not already have clearance at SC level, you will need to be prepared to apply immediately on appointment.
• This role can be based in any DBT Hub location, but applicants should bear in mind that frequent travel to London will be necessary - possibly on a weekly basis. 

Desirable Criteria

The below criteria are desirable only. These will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but will be used in the event of tied scores between candidates; 

• Experience working within trade and/or Private Office is desirable but not essential.

Behaviours

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

• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £41,156, Department for Business and Trade contributes £11,922 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 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.

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 : Catrin Conway
• Email : catrin.conway@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.

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