British High Commission Deputy Country Director - South Africa – Department for International Trade - Jobs in South Africa

British High Commission Deputy Country Director - South Africa – Department for International Trade - Jobs in South Africa

Main purpose of job:

The Department for International Trade (DIT) is the Trade Promotion and Negotiation Organisation for the UK. We promote UK businesses overseas and attract foreign investment to our shores. We have 3,000 staff across the globe in over 100 countries. Our aspiration is to address some of the challenges facing the UK, by helping British businesses to internationalise and grow overseas.

DIT Africa is one of the nine DIT global networks and is led by John Humphrey HM Trade Commissioner (HMTC) for Africa. The Africa Region is exciting and energising and UK firms have a strong presence here, making the UK the second largest investor on the continent. With some of the strongest growing economies in the world and booming population growth there are numerous more opportunities for UK firms; from tech start-ups in the West to infrastructure in the East. The Network’s role is to promote these opportunities and position the UK as the continent’s number one trading partner and investor.

DIT in South Africa

DIT in South Africa is part of the British High Commission, one of the UKs largest and exciting missions on the continent. You will be a key part of the DIT team, reporting into the Country Director with line management responsibilities, and a member of a forward looking cross-mission Mutual Prosperity team comprising DIT and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) colleagues, all working to improve economic development, investment and trade between the UK and South Africa, and to achieve sustainable development goals.

Roles and responsibilities:

Working to the Country Director for South Africa, your primary objectives will be:

Lead the DIT team’s commercial work: You will have ownership for the team’s commercial pipeline of both investment and export projects, and will be responsible for devising and executing strategies to drive this pipeline forward. To help deliver upon this, you will manage the teams’ trade advisors, ensuring that they have clear objectives and activities in place to support those objectives. You will work very closely with the Trade Policy and Market Access team to ensure that we have strategies for overcoming trade and investment barriers in place, as well as by developing an understanding of wider business environment issues affecting South Africa

Stakeholder Management and public profile: Develop and maintain a network of high value trade and investment relationships in South Africa, including in the Government of South Africa and the local British and South African business community. You will also represent DIT South Africa at public events, with significant opportunities for speaking and networking

Lead on commercial aspects on the team’s senior visits work: Critical to our success is that we leverage departmental ministers, Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Africa, The Prime Ministers Trade Envoy to South Africa, senior civil servants and business delegations to the cause of the team. You will design, and execute senior visits into the South African market, as well as inward visits to the UK by South African delegations

Work with the Regional UK Export Finance (UKEF) lead: To promote, where relevant, the financing products offered by UKEF (the British government’s Export Credit Agency), to support companies win contracts

Day-to-day team management: You will have Line Management responsibility for at least two of the team’s trade and investment advisors, and play an active role in the professional and personal development of the wider team

Deputise for the Country Director: You will deputise for the Country Director when required, ensuring that senior stakeholders are kept informed of strategic developments, and representing DIT Africa / South Africa both internally and externally

All of this makes for an exciting, busy and varied job, with plenty of travel opportunities.

As the successful candidate, you will be a dynamic leader with good communication skills, able to motivate the trade and investment team and prosperity colleagues, and engage credibly with senior people. You will be good at thinking strategically and planning for the future.

You will be able to demonstrate the management capability to support a high performing, flexible and agile team; and have a proven ability to

build good relationships with stakeholders and clients. You will also be comfortable drilling down into the detail to manage the performance.

You will also be an exceptional team player, able to work closely with colleagues across the High Commission to ensure strategic activity is joined up and well represented across the One-HMG platform, and have the confidence to represent interests of the South African trade team and its people.


Essential qualifications, skills and experience

Postgraduate degree and/or undergraduate degree and other relevant professional qualification

At least ten years professional work experience

Experience of working in or with government departments, NGOs, and similar institutions

Proven track record of cross-team collaboration

A positive, resilient, flexible and adaptable “can-do” attitude that can see way through challenges.

Proven leadership experience

Knowledge of, and a keen interest in sustainable development (additional training will be given)

Excellent drafting skills


Desirable qualifications, skills and experience

Experience in client facing roles (managing businesses, understanding issues and pursuing strategies together, investment appraisal, deal pipeline preparation, deals brokering)

Knowledge/experience of international development, or a willingness to learn


Required behaviours
Changing and Improving, Delivering at Pace, Leadership, Developing Self and Others

Other benefits and conditions of employment
Learning and development opportunities:

You will have access to the full suite of DIT and FCO learning and development opportunities including the FCO’s Diplomatic Academy, training in the UK, and will be encouraged to join DIT’s trade profession. We also provide regular in-house learning opportunities and are committed to supporting further academic opportunities. Our staff who demonstrate great leadership potential are encouraged to apply for the FCO’s pan-African Emerging Leadership Programme.

The British High Commission pays in full for the Key Care Plus option on Discovery Health for staff including spouses/partners and dependants.

Once you have successfully completed your probation the British High Commission will contribute 9% of your monthly salary to a Provident Fund.

Annual leave entitlement of 25 days

Working hours per week of 36.5

Additional information
Working patterns:

Flexible working can be considered for the right candidate, but please note the following:

-You may be required to work a few evenings each month

-You will be expected to travel to other cities in South Africa, and there will be occasional travel to the UK, and possibly other countries within Africa

Please complete the application form in full as the information provided is used during screening.

Please check your application carefully before you submit, as no changes can be made once submitted.

The British High Commission will never request any payment or fees to apply for a position.

Employees recruited locally by the British High Commission in Pretoria are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law in South Africa.

All candidates must be legally able to work and reside in the country of the vacancy with the correct visa/work permit status or demonstrate eligibility to obtain the relevant permit.

The responsibility lies on the successful candidate to;

Obtain the relevant permit

Pay fees for the permit

Make arrangements to relocate

Meet the costs to relocation

The British High Commission do not sponsor visas/work permits except where it may be local practice to do so.

Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary may have their salaries reduced by the equivalent local income tax amount.

Information about the Civil Service Success Profiles can be found on this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles. Please note: AA=A1, AO=A2, EO=B3, HEO=C4, SEO=C5

Reference checking and security clearances will be conducted on successful candidates.



How to apply
For more information and job application details, see; British High Commission Deputy Country Director - South Africa – Department for International Trade Jobs in South Africa


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