View Vacancy - Energy Prosperity Fund Programme Manager

The British Embassy in Mexico City is looking for a Locally-Engaged C4 (L) Energy Prosperity Fund Programme Manager to specialise in the delivery of the existing programme and future development of our Energy programme under the Cross-Whitehall Prosperity Fund. The role will support the UK Government’s (HMG) work on Prosperity, promoting global economic growth and developing business opportunities through the coordination of strategic projects that support key policies in energy.  The Manager will lead on the delivery of the existing programme, the development for the future programme and will assure close cooperation and coordination between different areas of the Embassy, with UK Government stakeholders and with external stakeholders in Mexico in order to ensure that our programme works actively to support our business and policy objectives. He/she will also need to identify and manage any associated risks within the programme in order to deliver critical impacts in the UK-Mexico bilateral relationship. 

Prosperity is one of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s three Foreign Policy Priorities under which we actively seek to  create the conditions for global growth.  The Prosperity Fund is the British Government’s dedicated fund supporting prosperity work overseas. Through targeted programmes, it aims to support the conditions for global and UK growth particularly in the following areas: Energy, Future Cities, Financial Services, Business Environment and Education.

Roles and responsibilities: 

• Manage the Prosperity Fund programme execution to ensure compliance with planned expenditure, based on completion of programme & project activities, targets, and financial & narrative reporting under FCO Programme Management Procedures and guidelines, as well as FCO Internal Audit and UK National Audit Office requirements.
• Contribute and lead on the Prosperity Fund Energy programme and project pipeline development by ensuring on-going contacts with relevant stakeholders in Mexico and the UK.
• Support the priorities of the wider Energy Virtual Team, compromising of programme, policy and commercial colleagues.
• Develop and lead on the Prosperity Fund engagement and geographical strategies in order to inform Prosperity Fund Energy Programme work.
• Monitor Prosperity Fund projects to ensure that project implementation contributes to UK’s policy strategies in Mexico.
• Monitor and identify opportunities in the Energy sector for development for the UK. Develop a network of internal Embassy, UK stakeholder and Mexican stakeholder contacts across the country, as well as  proactively engaging with British businesses.
• Ensure that  Prosperity Fund projects deliver policy impact, while seeking a secondary commercial impact.
• Coordinate implementation of work arising from relevant bidding rounds.
• Give input, context and feedback to contribute to policies under the Prosperity Fund programmes, as well as lead on the selection of proposals and evaluation of received bids. 
• Work with the FCO network to ensure the Prosperity Fund Energy Programme contains relevant and realistic projects which are designed with long term strategic impact and clear secondary benefit to the UK. Take part in network wide evaluation of projects.
• Support the wider team in the Embassy by flexibly moving between different Prosperity Fund workstreams if there is a specific business requirement.
• Lead on reporting and analysis to colleagues based in the UK on the impact that Programme activity is having on Energy issues and act as the main point of contact for Mexico and UK based Fund Managers.
• Advise and support the wider Energy team across the Embassy and line manage 2 B3(L) Prosperity Fund Programme and Policy Officers.

In addition to the above, during the transition period up to 31 December 2017, this position will also be responsible for:

• Business case drafting.
• Leading the engagement with potential suppliers, negotiating potential areas of work.
• Contract drafting.
• Tender design.
• Contract management of 2-3 large contracts.
• Team management.
• Recruitment of any additional Year 2-5 staff.
• Adaptative and flexible programming.
• Leading on the design and implementation of specific strategic transition period interventions during 2017 to prepare the ground for implementation of the full programme following business case sign-off.
• Maintaining and stepping up engagement with key government stakeholders at federal and state level to ensure optimal impact of both the transition interventions and subsequently the full programme.
• Identifying synergies between centrally run sector programmes to increase PF impact in Mexico.
• Lead on reporting and analysis to colleagues based in the UK on the impact that Programme activity is having on Education and Health issues.
• Quarterly/annual monitoring reviews.

There will be some (limited) possibilities for travel as part of the role. Relevant job related training will be given as required.

The successful candidate must:

• Be resilient and resourceful – the aim of the job is to deliver a meaningful and successful range of activities which support both HMG’s objectives more widely as well as the Embassy’s business objectives.
• Create and maintain positive, professional and trusting working relationships with a wide range of people within and outside the British Embassy to help get business done. At all levels, it requires working collaboratively, sharing information and building supportive, responsive relationships with colleagues and stakeholders, whilst having the confidence to challenge assumptions. 
• Take responsibility and be accountable for quality outcomes, including by delivering on a timely performance with energy. Work to agreed goals and activities and deal with challenges in a responsive and constructive way. Build a performance culture to deliver outcomes with a firm focus on prioritisation and address performance issues resolutely, fairly and promptly. 
• Lead from the front and communicate with clarity, conviction and enthusiasm, supporting principles of fairness of opportunity for all and a dedication to a diverse range of citizens. Establish a strong direction and a persuasive future vision; managing and engaging with people with honesty and integrity, upholding the reputation of the British Embassy.

• Must have excellent working levels of English and Spanish both written and spoken which will be tested during interviews for candidates reaching that stage of the recruitment process.  
• Be qualified to at least Bachelors degree level.
• Must have relevant working experience on the Energy sector with public and private sectors.
• Have a good understanding and interest in the Energy sector in Mexico.
• Experience analysing and providing high level reports on key policy issues.
• Experience delivering successful programmes.
• Experience in managing budgets.
• Experience managing teams.
• Must be able to provide information in an understandable format to stakeholders.
• Should be a proactive and creative self-starter with strong interpersonal skills who has the ability to learn quickly. 
• Able to prioritise in a fast-paced work environment, working largely unsupervised, delivering to deadlines and agreed targets.
• Have excellent communication skills relating to relationship building both internally and externally to the British Embassy.
• Excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills in English and Spanish.
• Computer literate, working with Microsoft Windows and able to manage information effectively with available computer systems.