Form

Department for Business and Trade College of Experts: candidate information

Published 15 May 2026

At the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), our mission is to support economic growth. We do this by supporting businesses to invest, grow and export, creating jobs and opportunities across the country.

Science, technology, research and development, and innovation are vital to our mission. They underpin growth sectors of the economy, our strategic trade relationships, economic resilience, effective policy and regulation, and help ensure the UK remains a leading destination for business and investment.

Central to our approach is a commitment to engagement. We recognise that effective policymaking relies on a complex ecosystem of expertise, and we are eager to work in partnership with academia, industry, and other stakeholders to deliver our mission.

To strengthen access to external expertise, DBT is establishing the DBT College of Experts (CoE). This membership group will support the Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA), Professor Julia Sutcliffe, and the wider department by providing rapid, independent scientific advice and expertise.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a prestigious network where members will have the opportunity to:

• contribute to evidence development and assessment so that policy is responsive to sector priorities and geared towards future challenges
• work in partnership with experts from academia, industry, and the public sector, gaining first‑hand experience of how policy is developed, tested, and implemented
• be part of an open, inclusive government environment, engaging with a broad portfolio of issues that support the UK’s ambitions in science, technology, and innovation

We are seeking experts who can apply their expertise to one or more of DBT’s policy themes. These include:

• Industrial Strategy and business growth (including frontier industries, regions and clusters, partnerships for innovation, research and development commercialisation, and technology adoption)
• international trade and investment (including digital trade and investment attraction)
• small and medium-sized business (including scaling companies)
• labour market and employment (including talent and future skills)
• economic security and supply chain resilience

We welcome individuals from across all sectors, including academia, industry and those who have experience in applying insights into business environments. We encourage candidates with backgrounds in science, technology, engineering, and social and behavioural sciences, who are recognised leaders in their fields with specialisms aligned to our policy themes and interest areas that will enable delivery of DBT’s mission. Interest areas include:

• advanced manufacturing
• advanced materials
• aerospace manufacturing
• artificial intelligence
• automotive manufacturing
• batteries
• civil nuclear
• cyber, security and dual-use
• energy and clean growth
• foundational industries (including chemicals, critical minerals, composites, construction, electricity networks, materials, ports and steel)
• infrastructure
• product safety and standards
• professional and business services
• quantum technologies
• semiconductors

The final size of the CoE will depend on the range and balance of expertise we receive, to ensure sufficient coverage of our areas of interest. We will take a portfolio approach to selection, assessing not only the suitability of individual applications but also how each contributes to the overall mix of expertise within the college.

Essential criteria

Successful candidates will be experts in their respective fields and motivated to contribute to policy and public sector work. They will have:

• recognised specialist expertise with demonstrable experience in their field, which may be drawn from science, technology, engineering, social or behavioural science, or other relevant disciplines, and gained through academia, research organisations or industry
• ability to apply their expertise to support one or more of DBT policy themes, or similar relevant theme applicable to DBT mission
• ability to apply their expertise to support one or more DBT interest areas
• strong communication skills, with proven ability to explain complex issues clearly to non-experts
• understanding of the policy and political context, including experience of giving timely, pragmatic insights

Desirable criteria

Successful candidates should have experience with:

• applying expertise to inform policy development or delivery
• influencing or negotiating outcomes in varied stakeholder environments

How to apply

Complete this form.

You will need to supply:

• a concise CV (maximum 2 sides of A4) outlining your most relevant career history, with key responsibilities and achievements
• a statement of suitability (maximum 750 words) highlighting your suitability and setting out how you meet the essential criteria. You should demonstrate how your specialism aligns with one or more of DBT’s policy themes and one or more of our interest areas. Please be clear about the scale and significance of your role or achievement. The evidence you provide against the selection criteria will be used to determine your suitability for the role
• your primary expertise area (to support portfolio-based sifting)
• basic contextual information such as current organisation
• right to work information
• a completed diversity monitoring form (Annex A)

Registration of interest will close on 28 June at 11:55pm.

Applications will be assessed by a DBT selection panel. Candidates will be assessed against the essential criteria set out in this information pack. Formal interviews will not normally be held, although the CSA may invite discussions or group meetings if required. Where there is a high volume of applications, an initial sift may be conducted based on CVs before statements of suitability are considered.

We will be holding an information session with the CSA on Friday 12 June 2026 between 1:00pm and 2:00pm for candidates to learn more about the process, the role and to ask any questions. Email science.experts@businessandtrade.gov.uk to attend the session.

To help define your expertise, see DBT’s Areas of Research Interest, the Industrial Strategy, UK Trade Strategy, Make Work Pay and the plan for small and medium-sized businesses.

Indicative timeline:

• sift start date: 29 June 2026
• announcements: 13 July 2026
• CoE established: 24 August 2026

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and interested candidates are encouraged to apply at their earliest convenience.

For further information, see the additional information document. Contact science.experts@businessandtrade.gov.uk with any questions.