Senior Policy Advisor, Multilateral - Intellectual Property

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is responsible for promoting British trade across the world. This is an exciting time to join DBT’s Trade Policy, Implementation & Negotiations Group, where you will have the opportunity to shape the UK’s international trade agenda for years to come. 

The Intellectual Property (IP) team, within that group, has responsibility for developing and delivering IP trade policy; using bilateral and multilateral forums to promote UK interests and negotiating and implementing the IP chapters of international trade agreements. The team’s objective is to promote balanced and effective protection of UK IP overseas and uphold the international IP framework to encourage innovation, trade, and growth.

As part of the multilateral IP team, the post-holder will represent the UK in multilateral forums, primarily the World Trade Organization (WTO), working with His Majesty’s Government colleagues in the UK and overseas, and engaging with international trading partners, to develop and promote UK IP policy interests.

Various policy areas at the WTO intersect with IP, including health and access to medicines, access to green technology, and technology transfer. There will be opportunities to lead policy development on certain issues, alongside supporting multilateral negotiations, in which you will work closely with other government departments such as the Intellectual Property Office, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, and Department for Health and Social Care. This is an international facing role, meaning you will build relationships with officials in overseas Governments to influence their decision-making process and seek information on their approach towards negotiations. Our work attracts significant business and civil society attention, requiring regular collaboration with stakeholders to assess external views on multilateral IP matters. Given the high-profile nature of our work, you will be responsible for briefing seniors and supporting the team in briefing Ministers. The role involves international travel, primarily to Geneva.

To succeed in the role, the post-holder will be an effective and clear communicator with strong interpersonal skills, able to summarise and explain complex issues in easily understandable ways and identify the key strategic drivers behind important decisions. Policy-making skills including analysis of evidence, sound judgement and political understanding will also be essential, along with collaboration across government to access skills and expertise and engaging internationally to promote the UK’s interests at the WTO and beyond.

• Represent the UK at the WTO TRIPS Council (IP Council), supporting the team with Council preparations, e.g., statements, bilateral engagements, and planning.
• Developing and maintaining collaborative relationships with teams across DBT, other departments including the UK Mission to Geneva, and international trading partners relating to Intellectual Property matters in multilateral forums.
• Leading policy development of emerging WTO policy issues involving Intellectual Property, e.g., pandemic preparedness or climate change.
• Supporting stakeholder and international engagement, assessing, distilling, and incorporating views received into policy considerations.
• Helping develop strategic approaches to negotiations across different multilateral forums.
• Supporting the team prepare for negotiations, including briefing seniors and Ministers where required.
• The role comes with line management responsibilities of 1 Executive Officer and may come with task management responsibilities across matrix working in the wider IP team.