Head of Business Growth Advisers

The work we do in DBT helps businesses in all parts of the UK to grow domestically and internationally, creating higher paying jobs and strengthening communities.

This is an exciting time to be part of the Domestic and International Markets and Export (DIME) Group, which plays a vital role in advising, supporting, and promoting UK businesses to grow and export, delivering economic growth through our network of colleagues across the UK and overseas.

You will play a pivotal role driving a major transformation of how small and medium sized businesses across the UK receive export support.

We are seeking an outstanding strategic and operational leader for this high profile, fast paced role at the centre of governments ambition to boost UK growthand you will work closely with ministers, senior leaders and businesses to champion and deliver a bold new service model.

About the role

As the senior lead for the domestic Business Growth Adviser (BGA) network, you will shape and deliver a national transformation programme that will redefine how thousands of SMEs access expert export advice. You will bring digital innovation, operational excellence and service design together to deliver a modern, customer focused, data driven advisory service aligned to our new digital first operating model.

This is a role for someone who thrives in complexity, communicates a compelling vision, and can galvanise teams, partners, and ministers around a shared mission for change.

What you will lead

Transforming a national advisory service

• Lead the end-to-end transformation of the Business Growth Adviser functionaligning digital and non-digital services with the new Target Operating Model.
• Champion new ways of working across the network, ensuring a clear, ambitious vision is communicated internally and externally.
• Work with ministers, senior officials, UKEF and key partners to promote the programme and expand the services reach into new business communities.

Building a digital, data powered lead generation engine

• Partner with the Head of Digital Service Operations and wider Export and Oversees teams to deliver digital first support, supported by digital lead generation of businesses.
• Automate and streamline processes to ensure BGAs have a high quality, continuous flow of new businesses to engage with.
• Embed data driven decision making across the service.

Setting the performance culture for a world class service

• Develop new performance measurement approaches alongside the Export Performance and Planning Team.
• Introduce a rolling growth portfolio model with clear referral processes across and from the wider export support ecosystem.
• Design KPIs and success measures that reinforce positive behaviours, prioritise impact, and align fully with the UKs Export Operating Model.

Turning policy ambition into measurable delivery

• Translate policy direction and stakeholder needs into operational delivery that demonstrates tangible improvements.
• Close the feedback loop through evaluation, impact reporting and continuous improvement.
• Ensure the voice of the customer shapes future enhancements.

Shaping national coverage and enabling agile deployment

• Work at pace with the DD for Service Design & Delivery to define BGA coverage across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
• Design advisory access that meets the needs of Place Based Teams and regional ecosystems.
• Develop a flexible surge model enabling temporary redeployment of BGAs for major events, campaigns or strategic priorities, with clear processes for portfolio reallocation.

Leading and inspiring high-performing teams

• Provide strong leadership to 4 G7 managers and a wider team of around 70 staff across the UK.
• Build capability, confidence and cohesion across dispersed teams delivering at pace during major organisational change.

Additional duties may also be required in line with business need, these can include, but are not restricted to, assisting with local or national events, accompanying customers or Ministers on visits domestically or overseas, and attending events as DBT ambassadors, upholding professional standards and embodying a positive experience of the department internally and externally.

Essential

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

• Strategic leadership in medium to large-scale service transformation, with a record of delivering measurable improvements across complex delivery networks and leading people through significant service delivery change.
• Excellent business, stakeholder and ministerial or other senior figure management, with the ability to collaborate and influence at all levels within an organisation and with external partners to galvanise a shared mission for change.
• Strong analytical and performance management skills, with experience using data to inform decision-making and drive continuous improvement.
• Clear understanding of people development, including skills planning, succession planning and career progression pathways.
• Proven ability to lead change compassionately, managing transformation programmes with sensitivity to team dynamics and organisational culture, while driving the highest expectations and performance.

Desirable

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 embedding financial or export advisory services into operational delivery models.
• Understanding of digital integration in service delivery and transformation programmes.