Summary

Here at the Department for International Trade, we help British businesses sell their goods and services around the world. Our job is to make it easier for businesses to reach customers and investors abroad, and fight for them when they have problems. Sound like something you’d like to be a part of?

We're looking for someone to join us, who will be as enthusiastic as we are. This is a starter role, which can also be done as an apprenticeship. You don’t need to know anything about trade, the Civil Service or have years of work experience. All we want to see is willingness to try new things, as well as energy and talent to help solve the challenges we face.

What we offer

You might never have considered a career working for the Government, or you might have thought about it but don’t know what it is all about. That is where this role comes in. As a Policy Officer, you’ll be introduced to an important and exciting part of the Government. You’ll start in a support role, but we’ll give you increasingly stretching work as you grow in ability and confidence. Our team is vibrant, hardworking and collaborative, and we offer a supportive culture where you will you be valued, listened to and encouraged to succeed. We’ll equip you with the skills and confidence to thrive in this role, or any other Civil Service role you might want to take in the future.

Apprenticeship pathway

As part of this role, you have the option of completing a Level 4 apprenticeship scheme with us which means you can get a recognised qualification (equivalent to a Higher National Certificate) while doing the job. If you want to do this, we’ll set aside time for you to take part in off-the-job learning activities, including workshops, digital courses, mentoring and work shadowing. To do the apprenticeship, you’ll need to confirm you meet the below qualification criteria:

• Hold 5 GCSEs at Grade C (or equivalent) or higher; including English Language and Maths; or equivalent Level 2 qualifications.

OR

• 2 A-levels, or equivalent Level 3 qualifications.

However, if you’ve already got qualifications higher than Level 4, the apprenticeship scheme won’t be suitable for you.

You can find out more about the Policy Apprenticeship Scheme here

But it’s up to you – if an apprenticeship is not for you, it’s not a requirement for this role!

Job description

What will you be doing?

To start with you will be responsible for:

• Building relationships with stakeholders, including businesses, non-governmental organisations and trade associations who want to reach customers around the world.

• Working with other Government departments to understand what they want from trade negotiations.

• Running working groups to help us plan our goals.

• Writing documents that will be read by Ministers and other senior officials.

• Creating a positive working environment by identifying and supporting new ways of working for the team.

Hybrid Working

You will do a lot of different things if you work with us - no two days are the same. We also understand that you will have your own commitments and ambitions, and we will try to support these. We offer flexible working patterns, including part time work and job share.

Most DIT employees will be working a hybrid pattern, which means a mix of working in our offices in either Darlington or London and working from home. Most colleagues who work full time spend 2-3 days a week in the office. If you work part time, this won’t mean you’ll be expected to come into the office 2-3 days a week; instead, you will only be expected to work the same proportion of your working time in the office (so roughly one day a week).

We’ll work with you to find a working arrangement that suits you and you’ll be asked to express a preference for whether you would like to be based in either Darlington or London. This will be agreed with your line manager in line with the requirements of the role.

If your office location is London, you will be eligible to receive London weighting in your salary.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas.

Appointments will be made to candidates in merit order based on location preferences.