Working for Trade Remedies Authority

The TRA is one of the first public bodies set up to meet the new needs of the UK following its departure from the European Union. It plays a central part in the international trading environment by protecting British businesses from unfair trade practices such as dumping, trade-distorting subsidies, and unforeseen surges in imports.

The TRA is a Non-Departmental Public Body with close links to our parent department, the Department of Business and Trade. Our vision is to be ‘a globally respected trade remedies body’ and we have a specific people objective to be ‘an expert and innovative organisation where people enjoy working’.

What it’s like to work here

We are a growing organisation of over 150 people, with headquarters in central Reading and colleagues based across the UK. Our office is located close to Reading train station, with convenient access to local amenities including a range of shops and cafes, childcare providers and sports facilities.

Work plays a significant part in our lives, and it is important that everyone in the TRA feels a sense of belonging. The TRA stands committed to its people being valued, respected, and enabled to do their best. If you join the TRA, you can expect to be recognised for the individual that you are and the contributions that you make.

Our TRA Values – Inclusion, Transparency, Expertise, and Integrity – are at the heart of all we do. We recognise and celebrate when we see them in action through our performance and value award schemes.

Hear from our people

These colleagues at the TRA wanted to share their stories and experiences to provide an insight into what you could expect when joining us.

My experience at the TRA can be summed up in 3 words: supportive, collaborative, and friendly. It is a new organisation so still learning and figuring out how (and not) to doing things, which offers us employees the opportunity to shape the TRA!

Jonah Adaun, Economic Advisor

I have never been so warmly welcomed into a new role, nor received such support and encouragement from my colleagues. So far, I am finding the work interesting, and the learning and training opportunities are very good, but the people are what have made it so positive.

Jessica Potter, Investigator

I really enjoy working at the TRA because it’s inspirational to see people working together to solve complex problems and create a framework for our future success. The TRA really invests in its people and as a result the working environment feels so supportive.

Katherine Newton-McGee, Head of Investigations

How we work together

Our multi-function organisation is made up of a range of specialisms that come together to work collectively on our casework.  We have colleagues with a mix of skills including investigators, lawyers, commercial accountants, policy experts, economists, communication specialists, HR professionals and analysts all sharing their experience and knowledge to ensure we deliver our mission to defend UK economic interests against unfair international trade practices.

As well as working together on our casework, we also have staff working groups who help us to respond to the needs of our colleagues and strive to improve our working environment.  This includes our active Staff Voice Forum, and Diversity and Inclusion Group, alongside the collaborative relationships with our Trade Union colleagues.

As a TRA employee, you’ll be entitled to a large range of benefits.

This includes:

  • Access to capability based pay, which means that you have the ability to be paid more as you build your capability with us.
  • 25 days annual leave on entry, increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service. This is in addition to your public holidays.
  • This will be complemented by one further day of paid entitlement.
  • We offer a ‘Purpose Based, Charter Driven’ approach to hybrid working.  This means that you will be attending the office in line with agreements reached in local team charters and coming in for specific purposes.
  • A competitive contributory pension scheme that you can enter as soon as you join and where we will make a 27% (or more) contribution to the cost of your Civil Service pension.
  • Flexible working patterns allowing you the opportunity to balance your home and work commitments.
  • A wide range of support, tools, and techniques for you to manage your health and well-being.
  • Generous paid maternity, paternity and adoption leave.
  • Interest-free loans allowing you to spread the cost of an annual travel season ticket, car park ticket, a new bicycle or private rental deposit.
  • A Cycle to Work Scheme which is a great green benefit, a great way of getting fitter, reducing vehicles on the road and a lot better for the environment.
  • Staff discount scheme that provides access to hundreds of discounted offers to help you make significant savings.
  • Opportunities to be nominated for cash or voucher rewards in recognition of your work or demonstration of our values.

How to join us

Working for the TRA you will be employed as a public servant. If you are joining us from the Civil Service, this means:

  • If you are a member of the Civil Service Pension scheme, your membership and reckonable service will continue with us, providing there is no break between your Civil Service employment and your employment with TRA.  This means that any payments through the Civil Service Compensation Scheme will be based on your reckonable service with the Civil Service Pension Scheme

  • You will bring the annual leave entitlement you have built up, up to a maximum of 30 days, and the sick pay entitlement based on your length of service in the Civil Service

  • Your continuity of service for employment protection will start on the day you join us.   We are not an employer of the Crown and therefore cannot recognise previous employment with the Civil Service for the purpose of qualifying for Employment Rights

  • If you choose to re-join the Civil Service at any point in the future, you will be subject to the transfer policies of the department you are joining. You may also wish to be aware that under Exception 5 of the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles, the re-employment of a former Civil Servant is possible within a maximum of five years of leaving the Civil Service, subject to qualifying criteria being met and depending on the policies of each department.

At the TRA, we are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief.

Whether you’re an experienced professional looking for your next challenge, or a fresh graduate with dreams of shaping the future, we’ll help you make an impact from the moment you join. If you want to be part of an impactful, innovative organisation, where talented people work together and support each other, then please look out for our job opportunities that are advertised through Civil Service Jobs.

You can find out more about the TRA by visiting our:

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