View Vacancy - ROK - Trade Policy Officer, AO

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer.  We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow. The FCDO operates an agile workforce and to facilitate this, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time, as we may reasonably require.
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Policy & Political roles)
Economic and Prosperity

Main purpose of job:

The British Embassy in Seoul is recruiting a Trade Diplomacy Officer to help the UK deliver on its trade policy and market access priorities in the Republic of Korea.

The successful candidate will sit in the Trade Diplomacy team which covers trade policy, market access, and the current UK-ROK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations and implementation. The officer will work closely with teams across the whole Embassy, including the political and economic diplomacy sections, as well as the Department for Business and Trade.

The successful candidate will also work closely with teams based in the UK to provide support, guidance, research, as well as leading in the delivery of visitors – including Ministerial – to the country.

The FCDO operates an agile approach to delivery. Staff members’ roles and responsibilities may evolve in response to changing contexts and organisational needs, and they may be required to undertake additional responsibilities as reasonably required.

The British Embassy has a strong corporate culture with good learning & development opportunities, and the successful candidate would have the opportunity to play an active role in Embassy life.

This role will run until 31 March 2026 with a possibility of extension (but this cannot be guaranteed).

Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve:

The British Embassy Seoul operates an agile workforce. To facilitate this, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time as we may reasonably require.

Trade Policy / Free Trade Agreement / Market Access

Support the Trade Diplomacy team deliver against the UK Government’s growth mission through:

  • Supporting the FTA negotiations through logistical and policy support, working closely with the UK negotiating teams and colleagues across the Embassy.
  • Working with business and the Korean government to resolve trade barriers that are affecting UK companies in ROK. You will engage with businesses and the Korean government directly to progress resolution of these barriers.
  • Undertaking research and analysis on the UK, ROK, and wider regional trade policies (e.g. updates on Korea-EU FTA/Korea’s Economic Partnership Agreements) and developing reports that can be shared across the Embassy and with colleagues in London. You will use English and Korean information sources to help build the team’s understanding of trade policy.

Protocol and Logistics

  • Provide logistical and protocol support and guidance to large, visiting delegations of UK trade negotiators and policy leads in Korea, working closely with Senior Officers and other teams across the Embassy, and where necessary, support Korean delegations visiting the UK.
  • Support arrangement of bilateral meetings from ministerial level to working level.

Budget Management and Administrative Support

  • Lead Trade Diplomacy team’s budget management and payment for team activities, including project funding, working closely with the corporate service team and the Trade Diplomacy Counsellor, ensuring team members are well-informed of available budget and expenditure.
  • Support Trade Diplomacy Counsellor with ad-hoc team related administrative tasks.
  • Help Senior Officers with logistical and administrative arrangements for events and meetings.
  • Support the team by raising purchase orders and handling payment processes for events/meetings/project funds including on the FCDO’s finance platform.
  • Provide ad hoc support to all parts of the team, including across Trade Policy, Market Access and the FTA.
  • Manage Trade Diplomacy team’s contact database and team folders up to date.
  • Proficient in English and Korean language (both professional level)
  • Experience working at pace and ability to adapt quickly
  • Experience in international relations and/or international trade work
  • Strong IT literacy 
  • Experience in similar, administration roles
  • Experience of working with the Korean government, including MOTIE and/or MOFA
  • Logistical, event, and project management skills
  • Budget Management experience

Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Seeing the Big Picture, Working Together
1 July 2025
Administrative Officer (AO)
Full-time, Temporary, Fixed Term
36
6 months
Asia Pacific
South Korea
Seoul
British Embassy
1
KRW
3,750,759
monthly
1 September 2025

The start date will be 1 September 2025, but an earlier start is possible, subject to the successful completion of security and reference checks.

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer.  We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate based on disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law.   

Learning & development opportunities:

The British Embassy Seoul is committed to nurturing talent and investing in employee’s professional growth. The successful candidate will have access to comprehensive learning and development opportunities that include role-specific training and broader soft skills development through a combination of online and offline formats. 

  • The successful candidate will be expected to complete mandatory online learning courses and encouraged to pursue other relevant training opportunities.
  • Formal learning to be agreed between successful applicant and Line Manager.

Working Patterns:

Normal working hours are Monday to Friday, 09:00 – 17:15 (17:00 on Fridays). However, occasional evening and weekend working may be required, for which time off in lieu is given. The British Embassy Seoul encourages flexible working and various flexible working arrangements are possible with line manager agreement, including working from home.

Other Information:

Candidates must currently hold the right to live and work in the Republic of Korea.

Any costs related to obtaining or renewing permits and visas are the responsibility of the successful applicant.
Staff who are recruited by the British Embassy Seoul are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law. 

The FCDO also operates an agile workforce. To facilitate this, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time as we may reasonably require.

Please note that the deadline for applications is 23:55 on the day mentioned in the above field “Application deadline”.

Please be aware that the deadline for submitting applications is considered to be the time zone for the country where the vacancy has arisen.

We advise you to allow enough time to complete and submit your full application since only applications completed and submitted before the deadline will be considered.

Note: All applicants are required to mandatorily fill the online application form completely including the employment and educational details, experience, professional skills and behaviour-based questions. We will be thoroughly reviewing the applications and incomplete form in any respect may not be considered while shortlisting for the next stage.

Only shortlisted candidates for interview will be contacted. Interviewees will be assessed on the core behaviours/qualifications listed above. Unsuccessful candidates will be notified via the system in due time. Appointable candidates who were unsuccessful may be placed on a ‘reserve list’. If during the reserve period of 6 months the same or a largely similar role becomes available, that role may be offered to the second or subsequent candidate.

To ensure a successful application it is important that you explain how you demonstrate these behaviours, including through your experience. You are strongly advised to read the Success Profiles: Civil Service behaviours which provides detailed guidance on how the behaviours are defined.

Applicants are encouraged to use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) format to prepare specific examples of when they have demonstrated these behaviours in their application. Using the STAR format to provide evidence of your skills and experience in your application and at interview helps to give a structure. You briefly describe the situation in which you showed the behaviour, and then explain your task in addressing the situation, what action you took and the result of this.

For inclusivity and diversity, please remove the following personal information when uploading your CV: name, address, email address, age, date of birth, gender and nationality.

The start date mentioned in the job advert is a tentative start date and the successful candidate will be required to undergo security vetting procedures. Any offer of employment will be subject to the candidate achieving suitable clearances.

Please be aware that you will only be able to apply to vacancies for Country Based Staff roles with the British Government through this official tal.net site (operated by Oleeo). Jobs may be advertised on third party websites, however our adverts will always link back to the official tal.net site. If you complete and send an application through any other site, we will not receive it.

This opportunity is closed to applications.