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Head of Tariff Strategy

Posting date:	27 January 2025
Salary:	£55,836 to £66,338 per year
Additional salary information:	National: £55,836 - £62,823 London: £59,450 - £66,338
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	10 February 2025
Location:	Edinburgh
Company:	Government Recruitment Service
Job type:	Permanent
Job reference:	387457/5

Summary

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is responsible for promoting British trade across the world. This is an exciting time to join DBT’s Economic Security and Trade Relations Group, where you will have the opportunity to shape the UK’s international trade agenda for years to come.

The Goods and Tariffs team leads on several high-profile policy areas, including determining the import tariffs the UK should apply, establishing the UK as a leader at the World Trade Organization and other multilateral fora and wider goods trade policies including tariff suspensions and export restrictions. The team is therefore vital in supporting the UK’s independent trade policy, and the UK’s international reputation and position in institutions on the world stage. This is a challenging and rewarding role working at the intersection of policy and diplomacy, involving both technical and strategic work.

The exact portfolio of the role will be determined with Government priorities in mind, but will initially include:

• Leading the UK Global Tariff input into the Trade Strategy and scoping work into how tariffs can support growth.
• Leading the UK Global Tariff policy response to global developments, drawing on a variety of policies from across the Goods and Tariffs team. Developing a coherent policy approach across our multilateral and domestic portfolio to emerging issues such as US tariffs.
• Developing a coherent strategy for our tariff policy, encompassing all levers including duty suspensions, Autonomous Tariff Quotas, reliefs and additional duties.
• Leading the Autonomous Tariff Quotas policy, which covers sugar and a number of fish products and involves working across Government and with external stakeholders to balance domestic, environment, consumer, developing country and health interests.
• Developing the DBT tariff position on low value imports, working with HMT and HMRC colleagues to agree an HMG position and advice to ministers.

This is a stretching role that will require leadership and collaboration with your colleagues in driving forward a programme of work with multiple work strands, continually building capability and understanding of tariff policy.

The Goods and Tariffs team embraces the Civil Service’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. We work on challenging issues but in a supportive and learning environment. We champion DBT’s policies on flexible ways of working to accommodate a wide range of personal situations.

The responsibilities of the role include: Supporting DBT’s Ministers and senior management, providing briefing and written advice where needed. Working collaboratively across Government to understand and craft well-evidenced policy positions on tariff policy. Helping to develop a large evidence base to inform strategy and complex positions, through working with analysts and using stakeholder intelligence. Engaging with UK businesses to gather evidence and to deliver DBT positions and policy with confidence. Direct line management of one FTE and task management of others across the wider team depending on the project.

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