Senior Policy Advisor for Trade Relations

Senior Trade Policy Advisor

SEO

Judicial and Legal Services Policy

The Legal Services Trade team is seeking to fill a permanent position for an SEO Senior Trade Policy Advisor. This recruitment is open to all qualified individuals who meet the eligibility criteria outlined in the broader Civil Service Jobs advertisement.

Location Options:

Successful candidates will have the flexibility to be based at one of the designated locations:

• 102 Petty France, London
• 5 Wellington Place, Leeds

Occasional travel between these locations may be necessary.

To adapt to the evolving needs of the Policy Group, all staff are expected to be present at their designated location (either 102 Petty France or 5 Wellington Place Leeds) for a minimum of two days each week. This hybrid working model is not contractual, and staff may be required to attend their base location more frequently.

Working Arrangements

At the Ministry of Justice, we endorse flexible working practices, offering roles that can be structured as:

• Full-time, part-time, or job-sharing options
• Flexible working hours
• Adaptable arrangements between base locations, MoJ Hubs, and home

In the event that we receive applications from more qualified candidates than available positions, we may maintain a reserve list for 12 months, allowing future vacancies requiring similar skills and experience to be offered to candidates on the reserve list without a new recruitment process.

We actively encourage applications from all individuals, particularly those from groups currently underrepresented in our workforce, and we take pride in being an employer of choice. For more information on our commitment to diversity and inclusion, please visit our Diversity and Inclusion page.

Compensation

New entrants to the Civil Service will typically start at the minimum of the pay range.

For current civil servants who successfully transition through an external recruitment process, starting pay will be determined by the better of:

• promotion terms or transfer terms, as applicable; or
• pay on appointment arrangements (minimum of pay range)

About the Ministry of Justice (MoJ)

The MoJ is the largest government department, employing over 90,000 individuals with a budget of approximately £10 billion. Our services are utilized by millions across the UK, including operations at numerous courts, tribunals, and correctional facilities.

Additional information can be found on the Ministry of Justice website.

Role Overview: Senior Trade Policy Advisor

This position will be situated within the Europe team. The successful candidate will be tasked with developing and implementing the MoJ's legal services trade objectives, aligned with the broader trade strategy of Her Majesty's Government (HMG). Collaboration with a diverse range of stakeholders, both within the department and across government, as well as within the legal sector, will be essential to achieve these complex policy goals.

Key Responsibilities:

• Spearheading policy initiatives to overcome market access challenges in legal services and enhance trading relations with Europe.
• Engaging with significant stakeholders, including foreign governments, ministers, and leading legal professionals through various communication channels (e.g., presentations, emails, sector events).
• Composing briefings, submissions, and speeches to support ministers and senior officials.
• Leading a promotional program for legal services trade within your designated region.
• Participating in the formulation and negotiation of legally binding international agreements (e.g., Free Trade Agreements) and relevant non-legally binding agreements (such as Memoranda of Understanding with foreign governments).

Required Skills and Experience:

Essential:

• Exceptional stakeholder engagement abilities and a talent for quickly establishing relationships across government and external entities.
• Proven capacity for strategic thinking and policy formulation, with sound judgment skills.
• Proficiency in delivering clear, evidence-based briefings in both written and oral formats on intricate policy matters to senior stakeholders and ministers.
• Strong prioritization skills and the ability to make effective decisions regarding resource allocation to manage time-sensitive tasks for both immediate and long-term outcomes.

Desirable:

• Familiarity with the justice system and legal services sector.
• Previous experience in collaboration with the legal services sector or similar professional services industries.
• A genuine interest in contributing to international policy areas that support HMG's trade agenda.
• An enthusiasm for policy development.

Candidates from HMPPS should be aware that the Ministry of Justice operates under different employment conditions than HMPPS. It is the candidate's responsibility to understand the terms and conditions applicable upon successful recruitment.

The MoJ is proud to be recognized as Level 3 Disability Confident. This initiative guarantees interviews for all candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for the advertised role as outlined in the job description.

Application Process

Candidates will be evaluated against the Civil Service success profiles framework.

It is crucial that all evidence submitted as part of your application, including your CV, statement of suitability, and examples of behavior, are truthful and factually accurate. Plagiarism, including presenting the ideas and experiences of others or those generated by artificial intelligence as your own, is strictly prohibited.

Experience

During the application process, candidates will be required to provide a Work History to assess relevant experience, career trajectory, and accomplishments pertinent to the role.

Behaviors

Candidates will also be asked to provide examples demonstrating how they have exhibited the following behaviors (refer to Annex A for further details):

• Communicating and influencing (lead behavior)
• Making effective decisions
• Seeing the big picture
• Delivering at pace

For more information on the CS Behaviors framework applicable at this grade, please refer to the CS Behaviors Framework.

In the event of a high volume of applications, the primary focus will be on the lead behavior of communicating and influencing . Successful candidates will then be invited for an interview, which will assess both behaviors and strengths.

Interview Process

Interviews will be conducted remotely. During the panel interview, candidates will be asked behavior-based questions to explore their capabilities in detail, as well as strengths-based questions to understand their motivations and interests relevant to the role.

There is no expectation for candidates to prepare for the strengths-based questions in advance, although reflection on personal interests and strengths may be beneficial.

Candidates will also be required to complete a brief written exercise prior to the interview. Details will be provided to those invited to interview.

Contact Information

For further inquiries regarding the role or team dynamics, please reach out to the designated contact person.

Annex A - The STAR Method

Utilizing the STAR method can assist candidates in providing relevant experience examples. This method allows for a structured approach to describe the situation, actions taken, and outcomes achieved.

Situation - Describe the specific situation encountered, providing sufficient detail for understanding.

• Where were you?
• Who was involved?
• What transpired?

Task - Clarify the objectives you aimed to achieve in the situation.

• What was the task, and why was it significant?
• What did you seek to accomplish?

Actions - Detail the specific actions taken, focusing on your contributions and the methods employed.

Results - Highlight the outcomes of your actions, providing quantifiable results where possible.

• What were the results of your actions?
• Did you meet your objectives?
• What lessons were learned from the experience?

Concentrate on the actions and results, ensuring to emphasize your strengths throughout.