The British Embassy in Paris is part of a world-wide network, representing British political, economic and consular interests overseas. It is also part of the UK’s France Network (including offices in Lyon, Bordeaux and Marseille and representation to international organisations in Paris (OECD and UNESCO) and Strasbourg (CoE).
The British Embassy is currently looking for an Business Development Officer to integrate the Department for International Trade (DIT) team.
The main purpose of the job is to support senior managers in attracting high value foreign direct investment to the UK and in relationship-managing existing French clients. The position is part of a small team focussed on delivering practical support to French life sciences companies wanting to set up operations in the UK. The sector includes biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical equipment, med-tech and digital health. The job holder will also spend about 20% of their time helping British companies to win export business in France.
A major element of the role will be sourcing new investment leads through attending various events around France and reaching out to the French ecosystem. The job holder will also help to conceive, plan and deliver a programme of activities in the French market. Proactive outreach to contacts in the French market (clusters, associations, incubators/accelerators etc.) is an important element of the job and delivers important export and inward investment leads. There will be a focus on working collaboratively with colleagues across the Embassy in policy, science & innovation and outreach teams and with DIT HQ to maximise opportunities for the UK and to ensure a contribution to the achievement of broader Franco-British bilateral objectives. On the trade side, the focus will be on providing bespoke information, guidance and support on the French market, in response to enquiries from UK businesses about export opportunities in France.
The work will be varied and demanding and the successful candidate will need to be a flexible, committed self-starter able to juggle priorities and to work on demanding timelines. Some work travel in France or a visit to the UK may be necessary.
Roles and responsibilities:
Maintain contact and build relationships with existing customers as well as identifying new invest leads;
Work closely with team leaders to deliver business plan commitments, particularly delivering team targets for new French investment projects in the UK;
Work regularly with our HQ teams and Sector Specialists to provide bespoke information to our French clients in a timely manner;
Provide bespoke information, guidance and support on the French market in response to enquiries from UK SMEs about opportunities in the French market;
Build and maintain a strong network of contacts in order to develop enduring and successful commercial partnerships between French and British interests;
Organise targeted, outcome-orientated events in support of FDI (and exports), including internet-based webinars, B2B events, presentations and or exhibition events;
Contribute to efforts to cultivate a wide spread of sector contacts in the French market in support of the business plan;
Update our CRM system effectively and regularly.
Fluency in written and spoken English and French (this will be tested during the interview).
Excellent relationship-building skills with the ability to deliver results;
The ability to complete work to a high standard under pressure and the ability to manage competing demands and priorities effectively;
Ability to think strategically and spot new opportunities;
Good project management, including an eye for detail, to ensure that all aspects of service delivery have been thought through carefully.
Customer focus: a concern for quality and drive for continuous improvement in the service provided.
Excellent communication skills to work well with commercial clients, external contacts and a wide and diverse Embassy team.
Drive and enthusiasm combined with the ability to deliver, working as part of a team.
Resourcefulness and ability to act on own initiative, with an ability to find creative solutions when the unexpected occurs.
Good knowledge of UK and French capability in the life sciences sector.
This is a full-time and fixed-term position for a 6 months contract.
Selected candidate may choose the prefered location to work (Paris or Lyon).
All appointments are subject to professional background check satisfactory security clearance. The successful applicant will be required to provide a copy of his/her passport or national identity card for all nationalities held, an up-to-date criminal record (casier judiciaire) for recent countries of residence (which can be obtained online at www.justice.gouv.fr/cjn/), two written proofs of address (utility invoices and/or bank statements) and two references.
Staff recruited locally by the British Embassy in France are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local French employment law and FCO guidance for Local Staff. The posts we offer are not an entry point into the UK’s Diplomatic Service.
Your application will only be considered if you follow the guidance below:
Please note that the deadline for applications is 23:55 on the day mentioned in the above field “Application deadline”.
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.
Please be aware that the deadline for submitting applications is considered to be the time zone for the country where the vacancy has arisen.
This opportunity is closed to applications.
