Deputy Director for Trade Analysis, Project Delivery and Support

These are key leadership roles within the EU and International Trade Directorate. You will be working closely with your co-Deputy Director to lead the Trade Analysis, Project Delivery and Support team (TAPS). TAPS is a multi-disciplinary team covering the analytical, project management, business management and SCS private office diary support functions. We are looking for an experience analyst and highly visible leader, capable of leading and developing a high performing team as well as providing expert analytical advice on trade issues to Ministers and senior officials.

EUIT works to ensure that the UK’s trade policy, trade agreements and international and multilateral relationships deliver Defra’s environmental, climate change, food, farming, fisheries and biosecurity objectives. We do this in a range of ways, including representing Defra’s interests in UK trade negotiations and leading multilateral engagement at the World Trade Organization. We also lead work on exports to ensure UK producers and businesses can get the most out of these deals. This our key priorities include negotiations with the EU to secure a Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement, to enable agri-food products to move more easily between the UK and EU.

Within EUIT, the TAPS team has a multi-faceted role with responsibilities spanning the provision of high-quality advice and analysis on trade policy, providing project management expertise and support across all policy areas of the directorate and ensuring the smooth running of the directorate through its business management function. The overarching aim is to ensure that policy development is made in a structured and well evidenced manner.

You will be expected to:

• Co-lead the team with your co-DD by developing a strong vision for the team which has the capabilities and skills to deliver current and future objectives.
• Confidently provide expert analytical advice on Defra’s trade interests to Ministers and senior officials.
• Proactively shape the ways of working across the team, Defra and across Government to ensure that policy development is made in a structured and well evidenced manner.
• Directly line manage 2-3 grade 6s and provide support to all five G6s as and when needed (e.g. on occasions when your co-DD isn’t working)
• Provide leadership across the whole team, but with particular focus on trade policy analysis in support of bilateral and multilateral negotiations (tariffs, rules of origin provisions), the impact of international events on global and UK commodity markets, trade modelling and trade statistics, and standards in trade.
• Actively contribute to the Cross-Government trade analyst community, helping to continually improve the capability and professionalism of the UKs trade analysis profession and helping strengthen collaborative working between departments.
• Be an active member of the EUIT Leadership Group, proactively contributing to the leadership of the wider directorate.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Application Process

As part of the application process, candidates are asked to complete a CV and Personal Statement (no more than 1250 words) on how your relevant skills and experience meet the essential criteria. Completed applications must be submitted no later than the closing date of 23:55pm, Sunday 20th September 2026.

Informal conversations with hiring manager

Prior to the closing date informal conversations (not assessed) can be arranged with the vacancy holder, Sophie Brice, Director EU and International Trade. If you would like to arrange to speak with Sophie please contact David Lancaster via email David.Lancaster@defra.gov.uk

Sift

A sift will be conducted against the key criteria in the person specification. Applications will be assessed by the selection panel and shortlisted.

Staff Engagement Exercise (SEE)

These assessments will not result in a pass or fail decision. Rather, they are designed to support the panel’s decision-making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview.

Full details of the assessment process will be provided to shortlisted

candidates at the earliest opportunity. For further information regarding the assessments please visit -

https://scs-assessments.co.uk/

Interviews

You will be asked to attend a panel interview in London at 2 Marsham street, to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the essential criteria for the role. As part of the interview, we will ask you to prepare a short presentation. This will be confirmed in the interview invitation.

Interviews will be held face to face in London at 2 Marsham Street.

Other Information

Please let us know what adjustments we can put in place to help you through the recruitment process if you are disabled. To discuss your requirements in more detail, please contact: scscandidate.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk in the first instance.

Candidates who pass the interview criteria but are not offered a post may be kept on a reserve list for 12 months and may be offered similar roles across the department.

Defra Is committed to ‘name blind’ sifting. That means that identifying characteristics such as your name, gender, age, or address are removed from your application until after shortlisting for interview has taken place.

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