Head of Market Access Programme

Are you looking for a leadership role, delivering at the heart of one of this Government’s central missions?
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) exists to support UK economic growth, aiming to make every part of our country better off. We do this by enabling businesses to invest, grow and export, creating jobs and opportunities across the country.
This is an opportunity to lead our market access programme, the whole-of-government effort to remove barriers to UK exports around the world. The scale of opportunity here is vast: the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) assesses that removing non-tariff barriers with just the G20 countries could add an incredible £75 billion per year to UK exports.
This role sits within DBT’s International Strategy and Trade Relations directorate, formed in April to be the Department’s centre of geographic expertise and responsible for all of the UK’s trading relationships, bar those currently in live free trade agreement (FTA) negotiation. The role is responsible for overseeing the end-to-end process, taking issues raised by business and convening the right expertise and networks across Government to resolve them.
We are looking for a dedicated leader to join the senior management team of our EU and market access division. Alongside the global market access programme, we are responsible for the UK’s trading relationships with EU member states, some of the UK’s most important trading partners., This is an exciting role leading work with a global reach and tangible benefits for people throughout the UK. Your mission is to grow that impact, drawing on various facets of leadership: inspiring, developing and directing your team and the wider division; engaging the rest of the Department, wider Government and our overseas network to play their part in our programme; and continually innovating the structures that ensure we deliver results for Ministers and business.
1. Programme management – You will lead the team responsible for managing our market access programme. Together you are responsible for overseeing governance, monitoring and evaluation structures that enable colleagues from across Government – including our overseas network – to collaborate on identifying, scoping, prioritising and resolving billions of pounds worth of trade barriers each year. To this end, you’ll be able to work well with specialists from digital, analytical, finance and commercial backgrounds. At the same time, you’ll be skilled at influencing and understanding the needs of geographically-focussed trade policy colleagues in our directorate and the overseas network to enhance their delivery.
2. Strategy – As Head of Programme Delivery, your insights, both on a practical and strategic level, will be vital as we seek to increase the economic impact our programme can have, still further. In its manifesto, this Government promised to deliver an Industrial Strategy, a Plan for Small Business, and spoke about ‘Securonomics’, all in the context of its growth mission. You will work closely with our Directorate’s central strategy function and experienced colleagues from our overseas network, among others, to develop how the market access programme can support those core pillars of this Government’s economic agenda and Growth Mission, piloting new approaches to open and shape markets. As well as evolving processes (above), this will involve working with analysts on an evaluation, drawing on those insights to implement changes successfully and making an effective case for our work in next year’s Comprehensive Spending Review.
3. Leadership – You will lead a productive team of six people (2xG7, 1xSEO, 3xHEO) based across our London and Darlington offices. As well as delivering the market access programme, they are also responsible for overseeing the resolution of some of our priority market access barriers in the EU region – which provides a valuable day-to-day connection to the practical realities of removing trade barriers. You will also play a full and active role, alongside the Deputy Director for EU and Market Access, and two grade 6 peers, in ensuring we make our division something its members reflect on fondly at the end of their careers – where people grow and develop, are clear on our top priorities and work efficiently between teams., We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Delivering at Pace
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Working Together
+ Changing and Improving, 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 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.
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.
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.
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
We actively encourage applications from candidates from all backgrounds. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to the hiring manager: kalada.brucejaja2@businessandtrade.gov.uk.
+ 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.
+ 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.
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
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
Feedback
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

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
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
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).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
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).
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1. Leading delivery – You will have successful experience of being responsible for complex work, demonstrating effective planning skills and the ability to respond proactively when things looks like they might need to change. The successful candidate will be well practised in high-quality delegation, keeping seniors informed of progress and risks, and possess a level of personal effectiveness that means they can get stuck in to guarantee quality and timeliness.
2. Delivering across organisational boundaries – You have experience of leading work where achieving your objectives depended on you establishing 'common cause' outside of your team. The successful candidate will have strong communication skills (oral, written and visual), built on a desire to understand others' needs and goals, which you use in lieu of direct authority to influence and incentivise them to deliver.
3. Team leadership - You have well practised management skills, which you've used to provide clear direction for your team even at times of change or uncertainty, to get the best out of people from a range of backgrounds and levels of experience, and to take ownership for ensuring your team understands and is enthusiastic about the purpose of its work.
Desirable criteria
1. Experience of working on trade-related policy and/or with the UK overseas network.
2. Experience of managing programmes - which you can flex and apply proportionately.

Alongside your salary of £64,432, Department for Business and Trade contributes £18,665 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 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.