Regional Market Access Adviser (SWE21.382)

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer. We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow.
This is an exciting opportunity to join the newly founded DIT Europe Market Access Centre (MAC). The MAC sits at the heart of the Department for International Trade's activity across Europe, supporting businesses to understand the terms of trade following the UK's departure from the EU, and make the most of trade opportunities between the UK and European countries. The successful candidate will be part of the team that oversees regional issues and resolves market access-related enquiries from UK and EU firms, supporting them to navigate the new trading rules, but also act as a centre of expertise, proactively providing advice to key stakeholders on forthcoming changes or emerging issues.
The successful candidate will be part of a team with a diverse set of skills and backgrounds, with the aim of building at pace substantial policy expertise on the key regulatory issues in the context of UK-EU trade. The team will work closely with the broader Export Support Service in DIT HQ, other Government Departments, as well as Market Access and Trade Policy colleagues at European Posts, to handle enquiries but also coordinate DIT's response to existing and upcoming market access challenges. Each role will lead on a portfolio of specific issues, and build a strong level of expertise on the key regulatory issues in the context of UK-EU trade.
There will be up to four regional roles, working alongside a Market Access Adviser in Brussels and an analyst, and report to a team lead. The roles will work virtually as a team, and therefore can be based in any European market listed below.
The eligible countries for application are: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
Main Duties and Responsibilities:
.Lead on a portfolio of key European policy areas (e.g. Customs / RoO, SPS, VAT, Conformity Assessment, key sector-specific regulation), consolidating knowledge and information from across European Markets, and building a bank of expertise on the subject. The individual will address multi-market, EU-wide or complex issues using this expertise, and lead any regional initiatives on these policy areas, for example chairing a cross-network working group.
.Build and maintain relationships on these policy areas, with business engagement leads in London, UKMIS Brussels and Capitals, to engage with European Business Representative Organisations and other key stakeholders to disseminate advice and further build knowledge of how rules are impacting stakeholders.
.Use their policy expertise to monitor and evaluate developments and enquiry flow to contribute the MAC's development as a centre of knowledge for Trade Policy and Market Access issues in the context of UK-Europe trade, creating in-house capability and "off-the-shelf" guidance for distribution throughout the network.
.Actively anticipate and mitigate upcoming EU regulatory challenges, creating pre-emptive guidance and leading regional briefing to inform the wider network of these changes.
.Support HMG colleagues, including other EU Posts and Brussels, to understand, inform, and influence on these issues and where possible tackle barriers to trade, coordinating DIT's EU-wide activities with colleagues in Member State Posts.
.Use EU trade policy expertise to support DIT Sector Teams to overcome emerging regulatory barriers in key, highly regulated sectors under the TCA.
.Work closely with the other Regional Market Access Advisers to ensure the smooth running of the MAC, for example to effective triage incoming enquiries, and build strong working relationships with colleagues in the network, e.g. Market Access Officers, and UK ESS / Policy Hub for UK-Policy related issues.
.Contribute to training for DIT Europe staff to understand Market Access issues in order to support their clients and other stakeholders, and to inform senior colleagues' external engagements.
.Contribute to wider DIT Europe objectives.
The successful candidate will need to be able to understand and interpret complex detail from EU and national laws and procedures, be a strong communicator to explain these to businesses as well as to other colleagues, and enjoy working closely and collaboratively with a wider range of stakeholders in country teams, regionally and with London.
The Regional Market Access Adviser will be expected to lead on their assigned policy areas, and bring together a range of contributing colleagues across the network to effectively, efficiently and proactively work to improve the UK-EU trading relationship.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience
.Full professional proficiency in English (written and spoken, minimum of C1 level for CEFR framework*);
.Proven expertise in dealing with regulatory, Market Access and/or Trade Policy issues in an EU / international trade context or in a policy context (e.g. working for or with Government authorities);
.Strategic commercial and economic awareness
.Demonstrable analytical skills, and the ability to make sense of complex information;
.Proven experience in managing a range of senior stakeholders;
.Strong written and oral communication skills to explain these issues to broad audiences;
.Strong IT skills (MS Office suite).

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience
.Experience working on EU affairs across multiple Member States;
.Technical experience working on customs, rules of origin, VAT, SPS, regulatory affairs, or other barriers to trade;
.Confident understanding of the TCA and wider aspects of the UK-EU relationship;
.Experience working with Business Associations and/or sector specific trade associations.

Required competencies
Seeing the Big picture, Leading and Communicating, Collaborating and and Partnering, Building