Compliance Inspectors Midlands, Hampshire and South East

Job summary

The Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) is part of the Economic Security and Trade Relations (ESTR) Directorate in the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). The Unit brings together operational and policy expertise from DBT with advisory teams from the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Its mission is to promote global security through strategic export controls and facilitate responsible exports.

ECJU is an integral part of the export control system, with its core function of considering applications for export licences. This work includes a range of issues including National Security, International Humanitarian Law and Counter-Proliferation. Stakeholders across Whitehall and beyond are interested in our work including Other Government Department partners, parliamentarians, Non-Government Organisations and industry and academia. Outreach and active engagement with interested parties is an essential part of ECJU’s remit.

DBT is transforming its export control regime to establish a system that builds on previous success to deliver a “best in class”, expert and efficient licensing function which is agile and can respond to evolving external factors. One of the key areas in this transformation is the UK Engagement Team; encompassing the Compliance Inspectorate, Stakeholder Engagement and the Licensing Intelligence Team.

Compliance Inspectors play a central role in ensuring businesses are aware and comply with the terms of the export and trade licences that are issued to them. The role you are applying for involves directly engaging with businesses at their places of work to facilitate responsible exports and reviewing export paperwork to ensure compliance with export control law in line with our national and international obligations.

Job description

Your main duties will be to:

• Undertake site visits to regionally based businesses
• Inspect business records in accordance with the provisions of the Export Control Order 2008 (as amended)
• Ensure businesses comply with the terms of the licences issued to them
• Check exporter knowledge of export controls, educate and advise on further training as required.
• Write up the findings of your inspections in accordance with the team’s best practice and report any export control breaches to HMRC.
• When legal proceedings are instituted by HMRC and the Crown Prosecution Service, you may be asked to provide evidence, written and/or orally, possibly in court. For which legal training and support will be provided.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues in the Engagement Team on outreach activities, including providing presentations to stakeholders.
• Work closely with others within ECJU, DBT and Other Government Departments.
• Contribute to the Corporate Objectives of the Department.

Additional Information

• Due to the nature of this role and complex training requirements this is suited to a full-time position of 36/37 hours per week. However, applicants who need to work a more flexible arrangement are welcome to apply. We can’t guarantee that we can meet all requests to work flexibly as any agreement will be subject to business ability to accommodate. Any request to work a more flexible arrangement should be made prior to your acceptance of the provisional offer.
• The first three months training will require the successful candidate to spend some of their working week at the London Office in Old Admiralty Building. Standard DBT Travel and Subsistence rates will apply.
• The successful candidate will be required to pass internal inspectorate training and exams before being permitted to undertake solo inspections.
• Additional travel outside the allocated region will be expected during the training period.
• This post often requires the post holder to spend nights away from their usual residence.

Person specification

Essential criteria

The below criteria are essential and will be assessed at application stage.

• Excellent communication skills (both written and spoken).
• Confidently engage with a variety of stakeholders at all levels.
• Organise your own work effectively.
• Analyse a range of information and use evidence to reach conclusions and make recommendations.
• Be able and willing to travel including overnight stays as part of the role. although the aim is to focus on the regions specified in the advert, additional travel outside the allocated region will be expected during the training period and as required by the Unit. This post therefore often requires the post holder to spend nights away from their usual residence, and in accordance with DBT Travel and Expenses policy.

Desirable criteria

The below criteria are desirable only. These will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but will be used in the event of tied scores between candidates.

• Experience in an investigation and/or auditing role.
• Knowledge of strategic export controls.
• Experience of engaging with businesses.
• Hold Full UK Driving Licence.

Personal Attributes & Skills

The below is a list of characteristics which may be helpful in this role. These will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but are laid out to help candidates understand more about the role.

• Assertive and ability to justify your conclusions that includes the ability to take and hold a firm line when in discussions with businesses.
• Display confidence when making difficult decisions, even if they prove to be unpopular.
• Enthusiastic and able to work in a flexible, high achieving and friendly team.
• Comfortable working with a variety of existing and new IT systems.
• Communicate in a straightforward, honest and engaging manner, choosing appropriate styles to maximise understanding and impact.
• Ability to quickly and succinctly identify complex information provided by businesses, challenging where appropriate.
• Able to effectively manage the delivery of own work within the prescribed time frames.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,367, Department for Business and Trade contributes £10,245 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.

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