British High Commission Senior Trade Adviser - Northern Powerhouse - Jobs in Johannesburg South Africa
British High Commission Senior Trade Adviser - Northern Powerhouse - Jobs in Johannesburg South Africa
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, 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.
Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)
Main purpose of job:
This is an exciting time to join the Department for International Trade (DIT). Our aim is to promote British trade and investment across the world which is vital for the prosperity of the UK. DIT brings together policy, promotion, and financial expertise to break down barriers to trade and investment in markets across the world to help businesses succeed.
This is a great opportunity to be part of an international team that contributes to the success of the UK's trade and investment goals.
The role is for a new Pan-Africa officer for the Northern Powerhouse region, i.e. the North of England – North West, North East and Yorkshire & Humber, with a focus on key priority sectors for the region in Renewable Energy, Life Sciences & Healthcare, Agri-tech and Food & Drink.
It has been created as part of the UK Government’s ‘Levelling Up’ agenda, which includes increasing trade and investment support for key UK regions outside of London and the greater South East.
Your job will be to work with UK companies from the Northern Powerhouse (NPH) region, to help them to develop new business in Africa. This will include helping them to identify the best opportunities, strategies and markets for them, and working with them to help win new business.
You will draw on the wider resources of DIT Africa, but will need to drive work forward yourself in partnership with these UK businesses.
The NPH team will help you to connect with relevant UK companies in their region.
To help develop the pipeline of successful trade with the NPH region, you will liaise with key buyers, and help bring key buyers to the UK.
You will need to be mobile across Africa, Covid-19 restrictions notwithstanding, to respond where you see strong business opportunities in priority sectors.
You will work closely with DIT NPH Trade team, relevant DIT NPH Specialist International Trade Advisers (ITAs) who support our businesses in sectors including Renewable Energy, Agri-tech, Food & Drink and Healthcare & Life Sciences, local regional trade partners.
The NPH is home to five of the UK’s ten largest cities - Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield - and roughly 1million businesses. At 15.2 million people, the population is almost the same as Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland combined. We host world class manufacturing know-how delivering globally innovative products and an abundance of R&D through world class science parks, industry centres of excellence and universities. '
The NPH is a global hub of commerce, science, technology, creativity, entrepreneurship and innovation, home to global firms and innovative start-ups alike. Culturally, the NPH is a sporting powerhouse, home to 8 of the current 20 Premier League teams including title contenders Manchester City and Liverpool and the leading fast bowler in Test cricket history in James Anderson.
If Yorkshire alone were a country, we would have finished 12th and 17th in the last two Olympic medal tables.
Roles and Responsibilities:
The role provides opportunities to work at strategic and delivery levels.
This is a challenging and rewarding job and we are looking for an experienced professional with knowledge of a range of business sectors across the Africa region, and preferably experience of business development in Africa for international or major local companies.
Ideally you will have a well-established range of high-level contacts in a range of sectors which will allow you to rapidly
acquire a sophisticated knowledge of the opportunities and challenges for NPH companies in the market.
You will need strong business development skills and acumen, and be energetic and creative, with good judgment to prioritise and keep focused on the delivery of your objectives. Importantly, you must have strong communication and influencing skills to be credible with business at a senior level and to expand your network to support your goals.
The following sets out more detail on the duties and responsibilities of this new role:
Export campaign development and delivery aimed at increasing the demand for Northern Powerhouse sector specific goods and services in market (65%)
You will use your knowledge, connections, and analysis to develop and deliver targeted campaigns in the sector to increase NPH exports to the Africa region. A key feature of the role will be to promote Africa as a high-growth and high-potential market for NPH businesses.
An important part of this will be to facilitate NPH trade missions, webinars, and events, and by connecting visitors with senior stakeholders in market. While the focus will be on key sectors outlined above, the postholder will be required to support other priority sectors or wider NPH strategic priorities , as necessary. This will include ensuring that NPH content is fed into DIT Africa trade campaigns.
For incoming missions, you will provide strong on the ground support by working in collaboration with colleagues in the DIT Africa teams and external partners like the British Chambers, Banks etc. This will include plotting out mission programmes, organising seminars/workshops and securing possible buyers and speakers. You will work alongside the North West, North East and Yorkshire & Humber ITA International Trade teams to build a credible pipeline of business opportunities and potential suppliers.
You will also support the planning of inward market roadshows to the NPH region and ‘Meet the Buyer’ events, helping to raise awareness of opportunities and recruiting businesses to join. This will include using your enhanced knowledge of regional sector strengths to target substantial buyers to bring to the UK.
Building awareness of Northern Powerhouse capability (30%)
You will need to gain a good understanding of NPH capability in relevant sectors and use this to build capacity and awareness in the Africa DIT teams.
The postholder will also utilise newly developed NPH Trade Sector propositions to actively market the region to perspective buyers and African business networks.
Reporting (5%)
You can expect to provide a range of reporting and analysis to the DIT NPH regional team and local partners, including contributing to briefing.
In addition, you will need to produce a monthly progress report on your activities for DIT NPH, as well as input to a quarterly steering group looking at the overseas champions programme as a whole.
The postholder will also record activity on our customer relationship management system.
The postholder will support dedicated DIT Africa quarterly review meetings with the DIT NPH Programme Manager to ensure continued alignment of shared objectives.
Essential Qualifications, Skills and Experience
Experience of business development in the private sector, and of developing strategy to win new business in Africa, preferably for international companies, or major local companies. Experience of working very well with companies at senior level
Excellent communication skills in English, both verbal and spoken
Presentation and Public Speaking Skills
Ability to draft succinct reports and provide briefing for generalist and specialist audiences, often to very tight deadlines
Excellent interpersonal skills and a strong team player who can work on their own initiative and across virtual teams
Willing to travel
Desirable Qualifications, Skills and Experience
Experience of working in trade/export promotion and/or in a B2B client-facing role
Account management experience
Knowledge of key sector capabilities in the NPH region
Required competencies
Leading and Communicating, Collaborating and Partnering, Managing a Quality Service
How to Apply
For more information and job application details, see; British High Commission Senior Trade Adviser - Northern Powerhouse - Jobs in Johannesburg South Africa
Click here to post comments
Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to NGO Jobs in Africa.
