Deputy Director, Supply Chain Centre

Details
Reference number

433065

Salary

£81,000 - £91,000

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

GBP

Job grade

SCS Pay Band 1

Contract type

Permanent

Business area

DBT - ESTR - Global Supply Chains and Economic Security

Type of role

International Trade

Senior leadership

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time, Job share

Number of jobs available

1

Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Location

London Darlington

About the job
Job summary

This is an exciting time to join the Department for Business and Trade.

We have a clear mission - to grow the economy. Our role is to help businesses invest, grow and export to create jobs and opportunities right across the country. Click below to find out why you should join DBT's Senior Civil Service team:

The UK's Industrial Strategy 2025 sets out an ambitious vision: to build a resilient, innovative, and globally competitive economy, underpinned by world-class supply chains. As part of this, and echoed in the 2025 Trade Strategy, the Government committed to launching a new 'Supply Chain Centre' based in the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) to lead the government's work, working with business, to build the resilience of the supply chains critical to the UK's security and prosperity.

The Supply Chain Centre, informed by the work of the Global Supply Chains Intelligence Programme, will undertake data-driven, business-informed reviews of critical supply chains, including the sectors at the heart of the Industrial Strategy, and crystalise the specific actions needed to build resilience. The team is part of the Imports and Investment Security Directorate which brings together the majority of DBT's work on these issues.

We will launch the Supply Chain Centre in early 2026 and are now looking for a Deputy Director to lead the subsequent phase of work to put it and our established world class Global Supply Chains Intelligence Platform at the heart of the UK's sustainable growth and supply chain resilience work.

This is a unique opportunity to help shape the future of the UK's industrial landscape, developing world-leading supply chain capability that is robust, innovative, and responsive to global challenges. The post-holder will play a central role in delivering the ambitions of the Industrial Strategy 2025 and the Trade Strategy 2025 and positioning the UK for long-term success.

Candidate Information Call

The hiring manager for this position; Claire Vince will be hosting a virtual call for any interested applicants to discuss the role and answer any questions. Please note this is not part of the formal assessment process.

This will be held via Microsoft Teams on 30/10/2025 at 11:00-12:00 (UK time).

Please click here for the meeting link.

Job description

The role of Deputy Director, Supply Chain Centre & Global Supply Chain Intelligence Platform will be pivotal in strengthening end-to-end supply chain capabilities, driving digital transformation, and fostering collaboration with business across the UK and with international partners. The post-holder will champion the UK's role as a leader in advanced manufacturing and logistics, harnessing emerging technologies, data-driven insights, and strategic partnerships to support the UK economy to grow and to withstand future disruptions. The role offers substantial leadership and line management opportunities across a team of around 60 policy and analytical colleagues.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Leadership: Shape and deliver the vision, objectives, and operational priorities of the Supply Chain Centre and the Global Supply Chain Intelligence Programme, ensuring alignment with the Industrial Strategy 2025, Trade Strategy 2025 and wider government policy.
• Collaborative Innovation: Forge and nurture partnerships with industry, academia, government, and international stakeholders to drive co-creation, knowledge exchange, and best practice in supply chain innovation and intelligence.
• Data & Intelligence: Oversee the development of advanced supply chain intelligence capabilities, utilising data analytics, digital tools, and emerging technologies to generate actionable insights for UK industry and government.
• Resilience & Risk Management: Lead initiatives to identify, assess, and mitigate supply chain risks, supporting the development of agile, transparent, and secure supply chains domestically and globally.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Represent the Supply Chain Centre and Intelligence Platform at national and international forums, advocating for UK interests and facilitating cross-border collaboration.
• Policy & Advisory: Provide expert advice to senior leaders, departmental ministers, and external partners on matters related to supply chain strategy, resilience, innovation and response to shocks.

Person specification

• Confident and kind leadership, ability to foster consistent and strong performance from your team as well as influencing, relationship-building across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Successful development and delivery of strategy policy at senior level in large and complex organisations, including guiding teams in translating complex intelligence/evidence into decisions/actionable recommendations.
• Exceptional communication and presentation abilities, with experience representing organizations at a senior level including in an international setting.
• Project and programme management proficiency with strong organisational and financial acumen including experience/knowledge of procurement processes.
• Track record of creating a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, and adaptability in a fast-paced environment.
• Commitment to making a positive contribution to the corporate life of the directorate and wider department including championing diversity and inclusion.
• Please note that this role requires developed vetting security clearance (refer to slide 15 in the candidate pack for details)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £81,000, Department for Business and Trade contributes £23,465 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know
Selection process details

How to apply

Please follow the online instructions on the Civil Service Jobs website to apply for this role. Applications must be submitted no later than 23:55 on 09/11/2025.

You will be asked to upload the two documents outlined below.

It is essential you add your full name to both documents:

• A CV setting out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role. Please provide reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
• A Supporting Statement of not more than two pages of A4, providing examples of how your experience meets the essential criteria.

Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.

If you encounter any issues or are unable to apply online please contact in the first instance.

Please see the candidate pack linked at the bottom of the page for further information on the vacancy and the recruitment process.

DBT now host Senior Civil Service (SCS) Candidate Support sessions for those wanting to learn more about the application and recruitment processes for SCS roles within DBT, if you are interested please register for a session here -

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting .

See our vetting charter .

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles .

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants
Job contact :

• Name : SCS Recruitment Team
• Email :

Recruitment team

• Email :

Further information

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners' Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DBT by email at If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Civil Service Commission Complaints

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