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Policy
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Location
About the job
Benefits
Things you need to know
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Location
About the job
Job summary
We live in a rapidly changing world which is seeing the Supply Chains we rely on for the UK’s security and prosperity being placed under unprecedented strain. Simultaneously, innovations in technology are creating new opportunities for economic growth and supply chain resilience. Our mission is to support businesses through these changes, build resilient Supply Chains and maintain supplies of the critical goods needed for the UK economy, essential services and national security.
The Strategy and Policy team, within the Global Supply Chains and Economic Security Directorate, develop policies and interventions to strengthen the resilience of the UK’s critical Supply Chains. We ensure close cooperation with business and academia in the development of these policies.
Our recently launched Critical Imports and Supply Chains Strategy sets out how we will expand collaboration between government, business, and academia to safeguard the most critical Supply Chains now and in the future. This includes the launch of the Critical Imports Council, with two meetings anticipated for the first half of 2024.
This role will support business and academic engagement in the implementation of the Strategy – particularly the delivery of the Critical Imports Council – alongside taking forward individual actions contained in the Strategy. You will be working with businesses, trade associations, academics, and other government departments on a range of cross-cutting policy areas.
You will also be responsible for ensuring consistent internal and external messaging on supply chain resilience for the directorate, managing requests for briefings on supply chain policy and emerging disruptions.
The team is high-performing, ambitious, and inclusive, and is the ideal place for those looking to develop their Strategy and Policy skill-set.
Job description
In this role, you will:
- Play a leading role in work to establish a new industry/government Critical Imports Council.
- Support the delivery of a programme of business and academia engagement on Global Supply Chains, including supporting ministerial engagement when required, to inform the development of relevant policy proposals and tools.
- Coordinate closely in our business engagement with Supply Chains and economic security colleagues across government, ensuring outcomes of our engagement are disseminated across the network and acted upon.
- Support the delivery of tool-kits for businesses, to help them improve understanding of their Supply Chains and take steps to improve resilience.
- Lead a project to harness the government’s overseas network in identifying new suppliers for critical goods and making connections with UK businesses.
- Draft and coordinate standing communications products and reactive briefing requests, including for ministerial and international engagement.
Person specification
Skills and Experience
Essential Criteria
- Communication skills, both written and verbal.
- Strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Experience engaging across government.
Desirable Criteria
- Experience of working with businesses or other external stakeholders.
- Experience briefing senior officials/ministers and writing submissions.
- Experience in policy and strategy development across government.
Personal Attributes & Skills
- You will be a strong communicator – both written and orally - confident writing for a variety of audiences, preparing briefs, submissions and papers for colleagues and seniors, including Ministers, and presenting your ideas to colleagues.
- You will be a self-starter with excellent interpersonal skills. You will be confident in engaging and working with external stakeholders to build meaningful relationships.
- A strategic thinker, you will enjoy problem solving and you will compile, assimilate, distil, interpret and present evidence and options, drawing upon experts as appropriate. You will be able to summarise key messages for different audiences.
- You will have a strong interest in and focus on continuous learning and be open to learning, keeping knowledge and skills set current and evolving. You will be a resilient, collaborative and flexible team player.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Delivering at Pace
- Communicating and Influencing
- Seeing the Big Picture
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%
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 only. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Location and working arrangements
This role is available in seven UK locations and can only be worked from within the UK, not overseas.
Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DBT, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.
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:
- 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.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service, Disclosure Scotland and 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
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.
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 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
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 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
