PCEN has three G6-led branches. There are currently vacancies in all of these branches, requiring the same broad skill-set. The post-holders will have opportunities to work on projects across these branches depending on the needs of the team and the development needs of the individual.
Negotiations Coherence : This team is responsible for ensuring our international trade policy operates effectively and innovatively. We run the continuous improvement of the negotiations programme, ensuring best practice is captured and maintained. We lead the coordination and delivery of TPIN's stakeholder engagement including delivering regular Ministerial roundtables with business and civil society. We run strategic projects and oversee cross-departmental collaboration to ensure a holistic approach to policymaking and negotiations.
Constitutional Affairs and Briefing : Responsible for policy and engagement on how trade policy is developed and how our trade agreements apply to our constitutional partners – the Devolved Governments, Crown Dependencies, and Overseas Territories. They lead a high-quality programme of engagement at both official and Ministerial level, and work closely with other government departments including the Ministry of Justice, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, and the Territorial Offices. The Briefing hub serves all of TPIN, and we produce a range of central briefing products to support excellent and effective information sharing.
PMO, Planning, Logistics, Contract Management, Business Management and Private Office (the PMO) : Responsible for planning and delivering what the negotiating teams need to be able to hold world-class negotiations. We source venues, manage all contracts including for external legal advice, and ensure security requirements are met. We also lead on governance for the group, including risk management. The PMO is also home to Amanda Brooks’ (Director-General of TPIN) Private Office and Business Management functions, as well as Business Management and Executive Support at the Directorate level.
Appointees to these roles will have the opportunity to provide cover in the DG’s private office, and to join the overseas security cadre who travel to support away negotiations being held overseas.
PCEN, is the engine room of the Trade Policy, Implementation and Negotiations group (TPIN). We work across TPIN, as well as with the Economic Security and Trade Relations (ESTR) group and with colleagues elsewhere in the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and across Whitehall, to deliver the UK’s Free Trade Agreement (FTA) programme. We also work with colleagues in ESTR on the implementation of these agreements to ensure businesses are taking advantage of the deals, and to ensure our future negotiation approaches reflect the evolving needs of businesses through the development of our trade policy more broadly.
The new government has resumed the FTA programme, currently comprising negotiations with the Gulf Co-operation Council, India, Israel, The Republic of Korea, Switzerland and Turkey. We are also committed to maximising the value of our status as a signatory to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). TPIN is also responsible for important domestic and EU policy, including on manufactured goods, services, and the operation of the Windsor Framework.
To support delivery across our portfolio in PCEN, we are seeking to recruit HEOs and SEOs who are interested in working across our team on a range of policy, stakeholder engagement and project management workstreams.
The responsibilities will broadly fall into stakeholder engagement, project management and policy categories but owing to the size and breadth of our team, we are able to shape roles to an extent, to suit an individual’s ambitions, development goals, and interests. Successful candidates may be appointed to work in one specific part of PCEN, or to deliver specific objectives across multiple teams. These positions therefore offer the opportunity to gain a breadth of experience in different policy and delivery skills, without needing to move roles but the ability to demonstrate a proactive approach to resolving problems is common requirement across all roles within the team.
The precise nature of your duties will depend on the specific objectives that are agreed with your line manager, who will remain consistent even if you are working on different priorities across teams. You will be expected to display a degree of flexibility, and openness to taking on new responsibilities according to business priorities, which will naturally change over time. Typical responsibilities in these roles may include:
* Leading on stakeholder mapping and planning work. Organisation of and preparation for Ministerial or Senior Civil Servant meetings, including planning agendas and other supporting papers to achieve the desired objectives;
* Preparing advice to Ministers on specific policy issues in order to secure decisions and support our departmental objectives;
* Liaising with teams across TPIN and ESTR about their negotiation requirements and planning for delivery, identifying and sourcing logistics;
* Delivering projects that the team has been asked to lead on, considering scope, feasibility and approach; securing buy-in from the relevant teams and then leading on one or more aspects of delivery;
* Ensuring we can model the best practices we champion through corporate responsibilities for the team, directorate or group, including information management and security, risk, business or finance management.
PCEN has a strong learning and development culture and you will be supported through a mix of formal and informal learning to help you succeed. As a team we work well, support our development and maintain resilience by being willing and encouraged to cover each other’s portfolios proactively and support and flex or lean into issues as needed.
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