Head of Economic Resilience, International and Defence - Industrial Strategy Unit (ISU)

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is the department for economic growth. We support businesses to invest, grow and export, creating jobs and opportunities across the country. We operate in an increasingly dynamic international environment, with a range of forces rapidly reshaping the global economy.

To meet this challenge, the Government launched a new Modern Industrial Strategy on 23 June. This 10-year plan is central to the Government’s Growth Mission and aims to make the UK one of the best places in the world to do business. It focuses on unlocking investment, boosting productivity, and creating 1.1 million high-quality, well-paid jobs across thriving sectors.

The Strategy is designed to shape the kind of growth the UK pursues, leveraging UK strengths in services and manufacturing, while enabling leadership in emerging industries. It also supports key national priorities including Net Zero, regional growth, and economic resilience.

The Strategy has been international from the start, learning from international best practice, developed in consultation with a broad range of partners, and outlining interventions to support businesses take up international opportunities.

The Industrial Strategy Unit (ISU) is responsible for delivering the Strategy alongside HMT. It sits at the heart of the department but operates as a cross-government unit coordinating work across Whitehall.

This is an exciting role leading the team responsible for delivering commitments in the Industrial Strategy on economic resilience, international and defence. You will lead a team of 3 FTEs - with opportunities for matrix management of others.

You will join the team at an important moment in leading the Unit’s implementation priorities, and in developing Industrial Strategy policies. Your team will lead ISU’s priorities on economic resilience, international and defence, with a clear view of which will have the greatest growth impact and of the role and value add your team can provide.

On economic resilience, initial priorities will include driving further analytical work to identify critical supply chains for Industrial Strategy sectors and to shape government investment activity to strengthen resilience in these. On international, this will involve shaping a programme of work on Industrial Strategy Partnerships to achieve ambitious outcomes – the first of which was announced with Japan in March – and broader international engagement. On defence, you will work with MOD to finalise the Defence Sector Plan – the Defence Industrial Strategy - and make progress in implementing key growth-driving commitments.

You will develop excellent working relationships with teams responsible for delivering these commitments, flexing your approach to co-lead, influence or track their work - ensuring ambition and accountability. You will also work closely with your G6 counterparts across ISU to ensure coordination with other areas and help the Unit remain a high performing, friendly and inclusive place to work.

Core responsibilities will include:

• Developing and overseeing the ISU’s programme of work on economic resilience, international and defence – outlining priorities based on growth impact and establishing the required relationships, structures and processes with other teams and departments.
• Working with analysts to develop an approach and methodology to undertake further work on critical inputs to Industrial Strategy sectors and interventions needed to strengthen resilience.
• Developing relationships with Public Finance Institutions and sector funding programme leads across Whitehall and deploying analytical insights on supply chain vulnerabilities to shape their investment priorities.
• Developing a programme of work on Industrial Strategy Partnerships, outlining country priorities and delivery/engagement plans, gaining buy-in on this new model among policy and sector teams, and mainstreaming their delivery across Whitehall.
• Working with MOD to co-design and deliver interventions in the Defence Industrial Strategy key to growth, particularly on innovation and exports.
• Driving improvements in coordination across government on dual-use technologies, setting up new governance structures and bringing departments together to co-develop investment and innovation priorities.
• Developing outstanding relationships with teams across Whitehall and working with them to continue identifying opportunities for the Industrial Strategy to drive economic resilience and international opportunities.
• Engaging with external institutions to improve the team’s knowledge and evidence base, while communicating and championing the work of ISU.
• Being a proactive and collaborative member of the Unit’s Senior Management Team.

Security Clearance: We are looking for candidates who have SC clearance, or are willing to apply for it upon joining.

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