View Vacancy - Head of Overseas Investment & Account Management (LATAC)

Main purpose of job:

To design and implement a regional strategy for supporting Overseas Direct Investment (ODI) in Latin America, supporting the strengthening of the trade & investment relationship between the UK and the Region. You will be responsible for leading a team of six who will deliver on DIT’s existing export promotion & ODI work, using it as a platform to expand DIT’s capabilities in influencing the UK’s trade policy towards Brazil and the Region.

You will:

1. Develop an ODI strategy for the Region
2. Develop and implement a regional strategic relationship management scheme with the 20 largest UK companies in the region and develop other tiers of account management in the smaller regions in Latac (similar to the Brazil model) for all UK companies who do not fall under the HVCs but still mean export value to the UK and merit a more focused and dedicated approach;
3. Develop a market access strategy and delivery model for the region by injecting a robust process e.g. commercial&policy asks and linking this work to the trade policy work in the region;
4. Work closely with the teams across Latac to inject an account management culture and to lead a number of dedicated officers to deliver this work in Latac;

You will also be leading the market access team in Brazil including on the business engagement for the Trade Dialogues, JETCOs and similar ministerial engagements, working closely with FCO Prosperity colleagues across the Region.

Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve?:

Leadership (50%)

You will have responsibility for creating, developing and implementing a strategy for supporting Overseas Direct Investment (ODI) across Latin America, starting with the Brazil pilot programme. This will include use of the existing ODI product suite (Strategic Partnership Programme, Great British Business Clubs, etc) as well as development of new products specific to the Region.

You will lead a high-performing team in Brazil (six locally-engaged staff) that is a centre of expert, creative and dynamic thinking across two of DIT’s pillars: export-promotion and ODI. This will include supporting their development according to the organisational values (Expert, Entrerprising, Engaged & Inclusive).

You will also work very closely with the Heads of Trade & Investment and their teams across Latin America and the wider DIT LATAC Governance structure to ensure smooth implementation and delivery of ODI products and in identifying the right companies to be account managed by DIT across the region. You will need to develop a robust process to ensure an account management culture is embedded, aiming to increase the UK’s market share in the region through increased exports and outward investment.

You will also contribute to coordinate business input in regional JETCOs (in particular Brazil) and other Trade Dialogues in Latac.

Account Management and Market Access (30%)

Using existing best-practice (internal and external to DIT), you will design a Regional account management process that identifies key UK and LATAC businesses we should support (in Tiers), accompanied by the right tools to deliver (e.g. internal processes & standards, staff training). You will develop this according to Regional priority markets and with a view to increasing Exports and Overseas Investment.

You will lead on the overall business engagement of UK/LATAC market access issues – both setting the overall strategic direction and priorities for the team – and engaging on individual issues as required. This will include:

• Providing business input into the audit of bilateral trade issues between the UK and Latin America & the Caribbean
• Working with DIT teams to address particular market access issues for UK companies e.g. local content requirements in the automotive sector
• Identifying and prioritising individual company and/or sector issues and addressing these through a strategic process of engagement with the relevant local government (working closely with local FCO Prosperity & Political teams)

You will be seeking inputs from the business community (UK and Latac) to make sure this work reflects their concerns. You will make sure this input is consistent with the wider strategy for UK Trade Policy with Mercosur and Latin America more broadly.

Representation and stakeholder engagement (20%)

The jobholder will be the primary HMG point of contact for new investors to the region and to the largest 20 UK current investors. This will require significant travel with Latac and engagement with Heads of Trade and investment in Latac markets, UK companies as well as buiding alliances with relevant stakeholders.  

Essential on arrival:

        Economics and/or trade policy experience. Significant line management experience.

      Excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills in English and Portuguese.