Senior Policy Adviser, Netherlands and Belgium

Are you looking for an opportunity to develop your strategic thinking, build your profile, and work on a key departmental priority?

This is an exciting time to work in the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), a department at the heart of the UK's relationship with the global economy. We support businesses to invest, grow and export, creating jobs and opportunities across the country.

You will join the International Strategy and Trade Relations (ISTR) directorate, within its EU Member States team. Policy Advisors are responsible for developing strategies on trade policy and identifying opportunities to improve the UK's overall trading relationship with some of its most significant trading partners. As well as this, the successful candidate will be expected to provide some leadership to the immediate team, including in the absence of your team leader and matrix managing a HEO.

Reinvigorating the UK's relationships with our European partners is one of the Government's top priorities. You will support this priority, as Senior Policy Adviser, by leading our approach to bilateral trade with the UK's 3rd and 8th largest trading partners (Netherlands and Belgium, respectively). You will become an expert on our trade policy priorities in these markets. You will work with other departments to understand and explore the opportunities, as well as the challenges, in our relationship.

You will design and implement strategies to tackle specific trade barriers, making trade easier for business.

Working across the department, you will develop creative ideas for how the UK could cooperate with Netherlands and Belgium on some of the major trading challenges, from advancing economic security to defending free trade. You will take project management responsibility for the overall work programme, updating senior stakeholders on priorities and progress.

We are an inclusive and tight-knit unit of around 20. The team is friendly and supportive, seeking to put each member in a position to grow and succeed professionally.,

• Developing the UK's approach to trade with Belgium and Netherlands. Working with the British Embassies in market, you will design and implement strategies to grow our trading relationships. You will learn about our partner countries interests in broader DBT priorities, for example in economic security or in multilateral trade policy matters.


• Identifying and tackling trade barriers. For example, you will support leads at both Embassies to resolve barriers where expertise is needed within DBT or across the UK Government. You will provide key input for colleagues at the Embassies by leading on stakeholder engagement in the UK to identify barriers for businesses in those markets, as well across broader EU Member States.


• Briefing seniors or Ministers for engagements with Netherlands and Belgium. You will lead on briefings for Ministers and senior officials with their counterparts, including joining up with other teams to input on EU Commission / Brussels engagements. You will hold the relationship with the Netherlands and Belgium Embassies in London to advance our priorities.


• Task managing a HEO. You will lead on matrix managing a HEO in the team who also provides support on the Netherlands. There is the potential for this to shift from matrix management to full line management in future.
  
  You will be a proactive and energetic team-player. You will be confident in setting a vision, and then engaging a wide network of stakeholders to deliver on that vision.


Experience of policy work, especially on trade or Europe, is desirable but not essential. Far more important is your ability to think critically, your willingness to learn, and your desire to be innovative and proactive in your approach.