View Vacancy - CPK - Head of Infrastructure China, C5 (L)

The Department for International Trade (DIT) has overall responsibility for developing, coordinating and delivering a new trade and investment policy for the UK, including preparing for and then negotiating Free Trade Agreements and market access deals with non-EU countries, and promoting UK trade and investment across the world.  Working across the whole of government, industry and our extensive overseas networks, DIT helps UK businesses to win lucrative deals. The Department supports UK busineses in scaling up and taking advantage of the global appetite for British goods and services, as well as demonstrating that there has never been a better time for International/Chinese companies to partner with UK suppliers. The main overall objectives for DIT in the trade plan are -

• Objective 1 – Driving and inspiring UK exports to China and Hong Kong, significantly increasing the UK market share of China’s goods imports, and more than double the value of UK services exports
• Objective 2 – Consistent trade policy engagement with China to achieve incremental market access, mitigate business risk and prepare for future trade deals
• Objective 3 -  Broadening and deepening the UK-China investment partnership, positioning the UK as the top European destination for Chinese investment and providing strong support for UK investors.

The Head of Infrastructure is a key leadership role for an exceptional individual to drive the infrastructure team.  The infrastructure portfolio will increasingly place strategic focus on maximising UK opportunities from the China Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as well as in Future Cities and Capital Investment. As such you will need to work across DIT and HMG to achieve collaborative wins. You will be responsible for delivering against the commercial priorities for your sector as defined in the regional trade plan.  Your work will focus primarily in 4 areas,  Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Future Cities, Investment and Trade Policy.

BRI - The UK is positioned uniquely to leverage opportunities from the BRI initiative through infrastructure and construction expertise to professional services and international standards.  You will lead on engagement with China’s main engineering and construction companies and work with financial and professional services team to provide a UK-wide offer.  The position will also work alongside UK-China Infrastructure Alliance team, which focuses on training Chinese potential investors/ contractors on how to do business in the UK through an Academy, collaboration on third country infrastructure projects on Belt and Road regions, and will be responsible for ensuring efforts deliver on commercial trade and investment benefits.

Future Cities - The UK and China have complementary strengths in engineering and architectural design, project and property management and quantity surveying. Helping our respective businesses to operate efficiently in each other’s markets is an important principle. Market access issues are developing into a key area of work for DIT. Moreover, there are regional developments/ future cities with high political importance, e.g Xiong’an New Area and Greater Bay Area where UK built environment strengths resonate. You will be responsible for developing a strategy that identifies key opporutnities for British exporters in these areas.

Investment – There is growing apetitie amongst major Chinese property developers to  invest in the UK. There is huge potential to secure high value sustainable investments in real estate/ regeneration and infrastructure developments across the UK.  You can help developers diversify work across teams for projects on industrial parks, incubators, including elements such as education and aged care.

Trade Policy - You will play a leading role in the market access strategy for the Infrastructure industries. Working with the British Chamber and British businesses you will help establish the business environment and market access barriers affecting industry and developing a strategy to tackle issues.  This will include identifying Chinese stakeholders and establishing relationships with Chinese government organizations. You will work with Directors and Minsters to lobby government on behalf of British businesses.

The Head of Infrastructure China reports to the Head of Infrastructure, Creative Industries and Sports. The successful candidate will have a passion for working within the built environment and experience of working with property developers and/ or contractor-investors.  An understanding of international trade and investment from inside and/ or outside government, as well as a practical, resourceful style that inspires people to think in new ways.  This role presents a unique challenge and we are looking for candidates with strategic ability, passion, drive, and ambition.

Roles and responsibilities:

As Head Infrastructure China, you will:

• Support  the Head of Infrastructure, Creative Industries and Sports on articulating and driving the business plan for the sector.
• Develop a network of industry contacts and cultivate those relationships
• Keep industry front and centre of your plans and activities
• Establish regular and postitive dialogue with counterparts in HQ  and provide brieing on the market situation
• Implement the agreed strategy and generate pipelines to deliver opporutnities to British companies.  
• Lead a diverse, multi-talented cross-China team to develop and deliver commercial success as well as cross cutting work.
• Engage on trade policy  with China to achieve incremental market access, mitigate business risk and prepare for future trade deals. Engaging with other parts of the OneHMG operation in China to overcome market access barriers and improve the business environment for UK companies’ competitiveness.
• Use the full range of diplomatic tools to drive concrete outcomes for the UK. This includes leveraging maximum export and investment potential from the Ambassador, HMTC, Minister-Counsellor, and a heavy programme of Ministerial, VIP visits.
• Lead on VIP visits including writing briefings and speeches.
• Build and maintain relationships with Chinese Government Ministeries and UK businesses.
• Put in place a clear strategy for prioritising, building, and maintaining board and appropriate other senior level relationships with Chinese contractor-investors and Chairman-level relationships with property developers in China, and cultivating those relationships to open up business opportunities for the UK.
• Utilise marketing budgets to arrange events and promotional activity to support the achievement of trade and investment objectives.
• Leadon sector management reporting and provision of monthly reports to line manager and directors
• Deputise for the Head of Infrastructure, Creatve Industries and Sport when required.
• Manage a team to ensure they are reaching their potential and ensuring they are making the most of learning and development opportunities available.

This position is advertised on a fixed-term basis of one(1) year.

• Strong interpersonal skills, and ability to build rapport quickly with impact
• Project management skills
• Fluent in English, both written and spoken
• Excellent working knowledge of basic Microsoft office software (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint)