Head of International Policy

Salary - £50,000 - £60,000
Closing date for applications – Friday 16th April 2021
Applicants are required to submit a covering letter and a C.V.

Role Summary

In 2021 and beyond the UK will need to significantly increase its outreach on the global stage. It will need to build a culture of exporting, negotiate new trade deals and build coalitions to shape the economic recovery. Business leadership and international collaboration will be fundamental to success with CBI’s International Directorate at the heart of delivering this vision on behalf of our members.
Based in the CBI’s London head office (but currently remote), the Head of Group role will manage the delivery of our domestic trade and investment policy agenda and be a lynchpin between our international offices (China, US, India, Brussels). You will be expected to develop bold, business-focussed policy ideas, leveraging member and cross CBI expertise, and communicate these clearly and concisely to members, politicians and stakeholders.

To do this successfully you will be required to lead a high performing team, nurturing and developing talent. Through your leadership of the team, you will help develop the CBI’s international strategy and embed this strategy within CBI policy teams and with our members. This role will directly manage 2 people and matrix manage 3 others but with scope to grow.

The international policy space is a high profile and increasingly important facet of CBI’s work. The UK is hosting the G7 and COP26 climate conference this year, with the CBI leading the B7 (a key advisory group to the G7 group of nations). Working with the UK International Director, you will play a key role in delivering a successful year of business leadership and policy impact for trade in 2021 and beyond. The role has excellent potential to develop as we deliver a vital economic vision for the UK. You will report to the CBI’s International Director.

Management and leadership responsibilities will include:

• Leading a team of five policy professionals, with 2 direct reports based in London and 3 policy professionals based in Washington DC, New Delhi and Beijing (joint reports with local manager)
• Develop strategy, manage projects, and allocate resources effectively within the team. Take ownership for high quality delivery with a focus on innovation and impact.
• Ensuring effective collaboration across CBI and with the UK and international partners.
• Investing time in ensuring effective professional development for team members.
• Contributing to the success of the wider CBI through active engagement in the leadership group of our policy team.

International team policy responsibilities will include:

• Support the develop of the CBI’s trade strategy, balancing the delivery of proactive policy campaigns and thought leadership with reactive activities arising from a wide-ranging regulatory agenda.
• Ensuring that trade policy and collaborating on the international stage are central to the CBI’s economic vision.
• Engaging with CBI members nationally and regionally, including relevant committees.
• Working closely with CBI members to develop and deliver trade and investment policy solutions that are influential with government and other key stakeholders. Briefing and advising senior CBI staff to advocate on these issues.
• Developing a whole of CBI approach to international policy, supporting colleagues to build their international knowledge and network to help shape global policy developments.
• Engaging with senior civil servants, parliamentarians, foreign governments and business organisations and multilateral bodies (WTO, OECD) working closely with the International Director.
• Promoting business interests in the media and on other public platforms.
• Deputising for the International Director as required.

Success criteria:

• Maintaining a highly motivated, collaborative and highly performing team, modelling behaviours.
• Working effectively across teams at the CBI to deliver collaborative projects.
• Achieving bold and innovative business-friendly policy outcomes in the team’s areas of operation
• Building and maintaining a high quality network of contacts to deliver key policy outcomes
• Working with colleagues across the business to ensure high impact communications via traditional and social media.
• Leading and engaging members to support their growth and CBIs impact and reputation

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

• Experience of successfully delivering high impact policy strategies and projects that involve balancing the views of a wide range of stakeholders.
• Strong knowledge of global trade policy and the ability to translate complicated policy areas to a business audience
• Effective and inclusive team leader with experience developing teams
• Understanding of UK political and international institutions with interest in the developing global environment
• Provided advice/guidance and influence at senior level, campaigning through adversity.
• Senior-level networks within UK policy-makers and international bodies (desirable).
• Willingness to travel when required (and allowed!)

Desirable

• Professional experience in an international setting, especially if in India, China or the United States
• Experience of developing and executing a high level international political, communication, and campaign strategies

Behaviours

The behaviours and characteristics required to be able to fulfil the role’s requirements

• Collaborative – Listening, seeking views and sharing information; constructively challenging when appropriate
• Taking ownership – Ensuring delivery and holding others to account; can influence, irrespective of hierarchy
• Agile – Proactive and responsive to provide a strong member service; responding positively to shifting priorities
• Commercial – Awareness of the wider business environment
• Innovative – Exploring, sharing and integrating best practice; generating new ideas and challenging a mind-set of “what we’ve always done”
• Analytical – gathering information and using logic to analyse, problem solve, evaluate risk and make decisions

Diversity & Inclusion

At the CBI, we are committed to attracting diverse talent that represents the society we live in.

We encourage applications from all regardless of age, sexuality, socio-economic background, disability, ethnicity, gender, religion, or beliefs. We are committed to building a culture of belonging and inclusion and this is reflected in our policies, practices, and internal employee-led networks and supported by our executive leadership team.

We are a family friendly organisation and we encourage flexible working as we want our employees to achieve a healthy work-life balance. Currently our employees are working flexibly (formally and informally) and remotely due to COVID-19, but we offer the opportunity to work in our offices in line with government guidance if somebody should need to.

Our employee-led networks are: BAME, LGBT, Women’s and Working Families and we have qualified Mental Health First Aiders who support our employees in having good mental health.

If the above feels like an organisation that you would like to work for then we encourage you to apply and join our diverse workforce.

If you would like to apply press here.