Head of Constitutional Affairs

Details:
Reference number:

• 337766Salary:

• £64,432 - £74,825- National £64,432 - £73,014 London £67,794 - £74,825- A Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%Job grade:

• Grade 6Contract type:

• PermanentBusiness area:

• Core Policy, Delivery & European Region - Trade Policy Implementation and NegotiationsType of role:

• PolicyWorking pattern:

• Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-timeNumber of jobs available:

• 1Contents

Location

About the job

Benefits:
Things you need to know

Location
- Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, London, SalfordAbout the job

Job summary:
The Head of Constitutional Affairs leads the team which ensures the Government’s international trade policy reflects the priorities and interests of all parts of the UK and the wider British family.

Within the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), the Trade Policy, Implementation and Negotiations (TPIN) group delivers trade policy for the UK, and a key focus is the departmental priority outcome of securing world class Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).

The Priority issues, Constitutional Affairs and Excellence in Negotiations (PCEN) team sits at the heart of TPIN. We provide a strategic link across teams within the Group, and from the Group to the wider Department, to help shape and deliver successful negotiations in a packed FTA programme.

The Constitutional Affairs team works with teams across TPIN and DBT to ensure that international trade policy reflects the priorities and interests of all parts of the UK and wider British family. The teams leads TPIN’s engagement with devolved administrations, Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories, and supports Ministerial engagement with their counterparts, on the full range of trade policy and wider strategic and constitutional issues.

Job description:
Responsibilities include:

• Leading a team of policy officials in the Constitutional Affairs team whilst also showing leadership on constitutional matters in international trade policy across TPIN.
• Growing strong working relationships with trade teams in the devolved administrations and supporting Ministers to engage with their counterparts to the same end; operating effective governance, troubleshooting emerging issues, and building effective ways of working across the breadth of the policy and country profile of the FTA programme and as we move through ratification, legislation and into implementation of newly negotiated FTAs.
• Developing and optimising DBTs approach to managing the relationship with the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories to represent their interests in the UK’s FTA programme as we progress through the FTA programme.
• Driving up awareness, engagement and capability in TPIN of constitutional issues, structures and approaches, to support proactive and effective engagement.
• Working across the wider Department including DBT teams in the Nations and across Whitehall including with DHLUC, Cabinet Office, FCDO and MoJ to ensure consistency with the overall HMG approach to constitutional affairs.

You will have significant staff management responsibilities, with two G7 direct reports and five S/HEO counter-signees. As part of PCEN SMT, you will also deputise for the Deputy Director and play an important role in the overall leadership of the wider team.

Person specification:
Personal Attributes & Skills

• A thoughtful and supportive leader who wants to make their team a great place to work.
• An excellent communicator and relationship builder that enjoys working with others to progress and resolve issues.
• A self-starter who thrives on driving new thinking and problem-solving.
• Flexible and resilient, comfortable delivering under pressure and ambiguity, and in complex circumstances both politically and technically.

Essential Criteria

• Strong communication and influencing skills, with the ability to manage a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, including by working confidently with Ministers.
• Ability to work across government to deliver Departmental objectives.
• Track record in providing supportive and flexible team leadership and management, including developing staff, managing resilience and well-being, and setting direction.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of working with either the devolved administrations, Crown Dependencies or Overseas Territories.
• Experience of international trade policy and/or negotiations.

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits:

• Alongside your salary of £64,432, Department for Business and Trade contributes £17,396 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.- Learning and developm