The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is the department for economic growth. We support businesses to invest, grow and export, creating jobs and opportunities across the country.
The Small Business Growth Directorate supports Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to start, grow and prosper. We lead the Government’s strategic thinking on small business policy to support growth and productivity. The Directorate is also responsible for SME finance, sponsoring both the British Business Bank and the Office of the Small Business Commissioner (which focuses on prompt payments); programmes that support firm level productivity such as our flagship Help to Grow Management scheme; and we look after small firms’ international interests through SME chapters in trade agreements and collaborations with other countries and institutions such as the OECD. We do this through co-ordination, engagement and policy development with relevant teams across Government. We also have a strong embedded analytical function which works right across these areas.
The directorate has established a Small Business Strategy team to drive progress on this SoS priority. The team’s core purpose will be to lead on strategic thinking on small business policy issues to support growth, productivity and good jobs. We will do this through co-ordination, engagement and policy development with relevant teams across Government.
The role sits within the Analysis, Strategy and International (AS&I) Division of the Small Business Growth Directorate, which is a multi-disciplinary division made up of policy specialists, analysts and trade professionals.
The Small Business Growth Directorate is a friendly, supportive and inclusive place to work and the team regularly meet for office days and also facilitate social activities to those who wish to join. We welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and line managers are supportive of individual working requirements.
This is a high profile, fast paced role in a much-scrutinised area of policy with a great deal of senior interest from both Ministers and senior officials. It requires collaboration right across DBT and other government departments as well as with a range of external stakeholders.
The exact requirements of this SEO role will be determined once in post and we are keen that they shape their work. It is envisaged that the SEO will support the G7s and the G6s on policy development but also be given opportunities to own and drive individual pieces of work. Specific responsibilities are likely to include:
Ownership of policy areas where the strategy team will be required to drive policy thinking at pace, involving research, stakeholder engagement and options analysis;
* Set-up and ongoing smooth management of senior (DG and ministerial) fora, both internally and across-government, to drive decision making;
* Respond to commissions (ministerial briefings, speeches submissions, Parliamentary Questions) related to SMEs;
* Support with co-ordination of the upcoming Spring Spending Review for the SBG directorate;
Given the rapidly evolving nature of this work, you will need to be comfortable with adapting to change if needed.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident .