Head of China Strategy and Security
| Posting date: | 06 May 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £67,170 to £78,192 per year |
| Additional salary information: | National £67,170 - £76,117 London £70,845 - £78,192 |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 18 May 2025 |
| Location: | Darlington |
| Company: | Government Recruitment Service |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 403151/1 |
Summary
This role sits within the China, Eastern Europe and Central Asia team. This comprises three China Grade 6s, and a G6 Eastern Europe & Central Asia. The three Grade 6-led China teams work collaboratively, with a matrixed approach to how sectoral and policy responsibility are resourced and led across them.
This is a leadership role, which will play an important part in shaping the China team’s work programme and remit, with a focus on the department’s overall China and Hong Kong strategy and security considerations. The successful candidate will be required to think strategically and with foresight, managing the often-complex balance between growth, security, and other HMG priorities. They will need to engage effectively across DBT, the overseas network, and other government departments. They will also take an active leadership role in the wider team.
- Lead DBT work on security aspects of the UK’s relationship with China and Hong Kong, working closely with a range of DBT teams (such as sector teams, policy teams, and National Security teams) and other government departments. Manage the complex balance between growth, security, foreign policy, and the government's other priorities.
- Anticipate and track political and geopolitical shifts and developments in third countries, and their implications for DBT’s China and Hong Kong priorities.
- Work with analyst and economist colleagues to both proactively and reactively identify the economic impacts of security policies, to inform consideration of the proportionality of new measures. Ensure business and trade equities related to China and UK growth are appropriately assessed and factored into cross-government policy making, and that DBT policies reflect wider cross-government objectives.
- Oversee the development of overall DBT strategy on China, providing strategic coherence across a range of policy areas. Identify and advocate for DBT priorities across government, and ensure consideration of how DBT levers can support wider UK government objectives. Oversee input into and briefing for senior and Ministerial meetings related to China across government to ensure the inclusion of business and trade interests.
- Oversee the development of overall DBT strategy on Hong Kong, and ensure DBT equities are reflected across government and consideration is given to how DBT’s levers can support the government’s overall approach.
- Engage effectively across the department, the overseas network, and Whitehall at a senior level. Build strong networks with policy and analytical stakeholders across prosperity and security teams to utilise their expertise and understand their priorities, and continuously increase the department’s credibility and evidence base in security contexts.
- Develop and empower a high performing team (two Grade 7s and three/four SEOs/HEOs) and supervise of other members of the China team on a matrixed basis.
- Be an active part of the leadership of the wider team.
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