Policy Adviser - China and Hong Kong

Job description

About the job

Job summary

If you're interested in making a difference to people's lives, the Treasury can offer you an exciting opportunity to influence decision making that affects the whole of the UK. Working at the heart of government, we collaborate across government to promote responsible public spending and drive strong and sustainable economic growth.

Our work ranges from protecting customers through the regulation of the financial sector, helping to reduce carbon emissions and creating a greener economy, to promoting British trade around the world and supporting people across the country on jobs, growth and more.

We are part of the Darlington Economic Campus, a cross-government hub bringing people together to tackle key national issues while working closer to the communities we serve.

Job description

About the job

This is a challenging and high-profile role, requiring a self-starting and proactive individual with strong partner engagement skills and the ability to develop, drive forward, and deliver policy priorities, often to tight deadlines. The job focuses on developing the UK's bilateral financial relationship with China and Hong Kong and would suit those with keen political awareness, proven policy delivery skills, as well as an interest in the intersection of geopolitics and international finance. China is playing an increasingly prominent role on the world stage, representing an enormous market with a rapidly developing financial sector, which presents both opportunities and challenges. Working closely with the FCDO network, the postholder will engage with the Chinese government and influence policy development in line with UK strategic interests. The postholder will:

1. Play a leading role developing an ambitious financial services package for senior ministerial engagement with China - supporting the branch head on overall policy development and negotiations, and taking the lead role on specific areas of policy.
2. Lead the branch's work on developing UK-China capital market links - including driving policy that facilitates connectivity between UK and Chinese bond and equity markets.
3. Develop the branch's work on financial services sectoral interests with China - including a policy package that enhances UK-China cooperation on asset management and pensions.
4. Develop and maintain strong working relationships across the FCDO network in China and across Whitehall - to influence policy development and advance UK interests in a complex and fast changing context.
5. Lead on ministerial briefings, speeches, and analysis - developing a compelling narrative for the branch's work, while undertaking quantitative analysis that evidences the opportunities and risks presented by China's fast-growing financial sector.
6. Contribute to development of government economic security policy - working closely with colleagues across the Treasury to ensure financial services interests are factored into cross-Whitehall policy-making processes on economic security; and providing a robust challenge function when necessary.
7. Contribute to the wider corporate objectives of the Department - by playing an active corporate role at team, Group and/or Departmental level.

Candidate Drop-In Session

The hiring manager will be running a candidate drop-in session to give you greater insight about the role and HM Treasury, and ask any questions you might have. If you would like to join us, use the link below to join the call at the right time.

Candidate drop-in session: Tuesday 11th August 13:30-14:00

Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/320218714575406?p=J6EKNtNPqJakozCq5S

If you would like to speak to the hiring manager informally prior to the closing date, please contact Flora Milne [email protected]

Visa sponsorship is not available for this role.

Person specification

Application stage

Application Form

Applications should consist of a CV including your employment history, and a 250-word statement demonstrating evidence of each of the below shortlisting criteria. Your CV and employment history won't be scored. It's used to give context to your application and support discussions at interview.

1. Communicating and influencing - Strong analytical and partner engagement skills, including the ability to digest and communicate complex information clearly, and use this to inform and drive policymaking.
2. Seeing the big picture - Strong strategic and diplomatic skills, with the ability to spot opportunities, establish a vision, and bring others on board.
3. Delivering at pace - Ability to work independently and manage a busy workload to meet deadlines and prioritise effectively under pressure
4. Experience - Experience and detailed understanding of international or financial services issues, with the ability to pick up complex concepts quickly, develop these into policy recommendations and communicate these in simple language to a non-technical audience.

The lead criterion is: Communicating and influencing

If we receive large volumes of applications, we will conduct an initial sift on the lead criterion only. Those meeting the minimum score will then be assessed against all remaining criteria.

The panel will review applications and invite those that best demonstrate evidence of the shortlisting criteria below for interview. Please keep this in mind when writing your application.

Please note that only applications submitted through Civil Service Jobs will be accepted.

Interview stage

We'll assess you against the following:

• Strengths
• Behaviours:

1. Communicating and Influencing
2. Seeing the Big Picture
3. Delivering at Pace
4. Making Effective Decisions

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £44,600, HM Treasury contributes £12,920 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).

• Generous Annual Leave - 25 days (rising to 30 after 5 years), plus public holidays and the King's birthday.
• Outstanding Pension Scheme - Defined Benefit pension with employer contributions of 28.97%
• Parental Leave Packages - Including 6 months' occupational pay for maternity/adoption, shared parental leave options.
• Flexible & Hybrid Working - Options include part-time, job-share, compressed hours, flexitime, and hybrid working (where business needs allow).
• Advance Schemes & Discounts - Rental deposit, cycle-to-work, SmartTech, season ticket loans, and access to HM Treasury's benefits portal for a wide range of discount codes.

You can review HM Treasury's full offer here.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

Candidate GuidancePlease review the candidate guidance for an overview of the Success Profiles and STAR approach, along with top tips for applications and interviews.

Recruitment Timeline

• Closing date: 23rd August 2026
• Shortlisting: w/c 24th August 2026
• Interviews: w/c 1st September and w/c 8th September

This timeline is indicative and may be subject to change. We will inform you if there is a substantial change to the recruitment timeline.

If your contact details change at any time during the selection process, please ensure you update your Civil Service Jobs Profile.

Reserve Lists

You will be placed on a reserve list if your application is successful, but we cannot offer you a role immediately. Where more than one location has been advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location. You will be asked to provide your location preference on your application form. Please note that a place on the reserve list does not guarantee an offer.

If you are offered a role in your first preferred location and you decline the offer or are unable to take up the post within a reasonable timeframe, you will be removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances.

Those on the reserve list may also be approached for similar roles at a lower grade. If you are offered a role at a lower grade and choose to decline, you can remain on the reserve list.

Internal Fraud Database Check

Candidates cannot apply to roles in the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Successful candidates will be subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database. This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This also applies to those who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences had their employment continued. Any applicant's details held on the database will be refused employment.

National Security Vetting

Everyone working with government assets must complete Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks. Additionally, successful candidates will be subject to National Security Vetting. The level of security vetting required for this role is Developed Vetting (DV). Candidates will be required to undergo Developed Vetting but can start on Security Check clearance in the first instance.

To allow for meaningful checks to be carried out, applicants typically need to have lived in the UK for the past 10 years. You will be asked to provide residency information within your application form, and eligibility for national security vetting will be checked once the advert closing date has passed. In certain circumstances, for example if you have been working abroad on a government posting, a lack of residency would not be a bar to security clearance however the Department will need to consider eligibility on a case-by-case basis once the advert closing date has passed.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Flora Milne
• Email : [email protected]

Recruitment team

• Email : [email protected]

Further information

Complaints Process: Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment based on fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners' Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact HMT by email at: [email protected]. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.