Senior Policy and Engagement Officer

This is an exciting time to join the Department for International Trade (DIT). The work we do has a real impact on jobs and growth across the United Kingdom. Our mission is to help businesses export, drive inward and outward investment, negotiate market access and trade deals, and to advocate free trade. We are an international department based in 108 countries, and we work closely with our colleagues worldwide. Working in DIT you will have the opportunity to shape the UK’s international trade agenda for years to come.

We are recruiting for one SEO in the World Trade Organization & Multilateral Team, which sits within DIT’s Trading Systems Group and is responsible for influencing global trade rules and managing the UK's relationship with the WTO and other multilateral fora. The position is within the team’s Strategy and Policy branch, which is responsible for delivering the Department’s engagement with our key WTO partners and multilateral fora, including the G7, the G20, the Commonwealth, and the World Economic Forum, as well as driving forward our multilateral negotiations and policy development.

As a Senior Policy and Engagement Officer, you will be responsible for delivering and shaping our multilateral policy priorities with key bilateral partners like the US, Japan, India, and Brazil, and through a number of these institutions. You will need to work with colleagues across the Department and Whitehall to identify and develop the UK’s multilateral trade policy priorities, working closely with colleagues across the WTO and Multilateral team to ensure a coordinated approach in how the Department delivers its objectives with bilateral partners and through these institutions. You will support the UK’s engagement (senior official and ministerial) with bilateral partners and at high profile meetings of these institutions, ensuring that the UK is well positioned to deliver its trade policy objectives. In this role, you will engage regularly with colleagues across Whitehall, our diplomatic network, and officials in other WTO Members’ administrations. The team works flexibly around the busy periods when these meetings occur - you will therefore have the opportunity to gain experience across the broader portfolio of the team.

**Job description**
- Lead the Department’s engagement with key partner countries on multilateral issues, including through establishing formal bilateral dialogues, where appropriate.
- Shape the development of UK multilateral trade policy objectives, working closely with colleagues within the Department and across Whitehall.
- Prepare and support senior officials and ministers for high profile multilateral meetings to deliver UK multilateral trade policy objectives.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with colleagues within DIT, across Whitehall and the overseas network, in particular, FCDO, DCMS, DEFRA, BEIS, HMT, Cabinet Office and UKMis Geneva to help co-ordinate and deliver the UK’s policy priorities.
- Draft briefings, replies to Parliamentary Questions and other materials related to the Department’s multilateral policy priorities with partner countries and multilateral institutions.
- Develop engagement plans in line with multilateral trade policy priorities, working to understand and influence trading partners around the world.
- Deliver the UK’s attendance at high profile multilateral meetings, including working with colleagues in the overseas network.

**Hybrid Working**

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

Informal hybrid working arrangements will be available as agreed with the vacancy manager and in line with the requirements of the role.

Most DIT employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending 2-3 days a week (pro rata) in an office, on average. If your office location is London, you will be eligible to receive London weighting.

For this role, the Department will not consider sponsoring a visa or issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship. Please note we are unable to offer advice on any Visa and Immigration cases.

**Person specification**

**Essential Criteria**
- Ability to work at pace to successfully deliver policy priorities in an international setting.
- Ability to work independently and take the initiative to drive forward work, in an area where the political landscape is constantly evolving
- Ability to understand a wider government perspective on developments to ensure activity is relevant and ensure plans reflect wider strategic priorities.
- Strong ability to work collaboratively within and across teams, the ability to build and maintain relationships across the Department and Whitehall.
- Strong written and presentational skills, able to present complex issues clearly and succinctly to ministers and senior stakeholders.

**Desirable Criteria**

Experience of working on issues relating to international trade, economic diplomacy and/or related sectoral or international work (e.g. In