View Vacancy - Education Sector Director

 The Department of International Trade at the British Embassy in Cairo is seeking an Education Sector Director grade C5 (L).

The UK Department for International Trade has a committed and growing presence across 23 of Africa’s nations. As the UK Government Department promoting free trade and overseas investment, we want to support the development of strong, prosperous and peaceful African nations, through modern, dynamic and long-term partnerships that deliver mutual benefit for the UK and Africa.

The UK believes that by understanding and supporting African-led ambitions, we can help Africa create sustainable trade, prosperity, jobs and livelihoods. That in turn will be of be of benefit to the UK and wider global community. We aspire to help tackle business environment issues, help introduce commercial solutions to meet African needs, and attract foreign investment to support sustainable and inclusive economic growth. This substantially ODA funded role will offer the jobholder the opportunity to help shape that partnership in a crucial area of African enterprise – agriculture.

The jobholder will join a dynamic network of committed trade officers working to support Africa’s exciting economic growth and position at the heart of the future world economy. This is an exciting time to join DIT Africa, as we continue to expand our resources to deliver on the ambition of our current Government to be Africa’s trade and investment partner of choice.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

This position is part Official Development Assistance (ODA) funded and your core objective will be to strengthen educational provision in priority African markets, which you will determine, in order to support the continent’s economic development.

• You will lead and deliver DIT Africa’s Sector work on education.
• You will manage and lead a pan-Africa virtual sector team, with advisers currently located in key markets including Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco in North Africa; and Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius and South Africa in Sub Saharan Africa.
• You will have, or further develop, expert knowledge of national and federal education reform programmes in our priority markets, and identify where commercial solutions could deliver the desired outcomes in areas such as curriculum reform, assessments, teacher training and skills for employability.
• You will build relationships with international organisations like the World Bank, UNICEF, and the African Development Bank to identify opportunities for collaboration.
• You will support the development of Trans National Education partnerships between African and UK higher education institutions, helping to improve the accessibility of quality tertiary education to local populations, and to drive economic growth through ensuring talent development matches the economy’s needs.
• You will also support the development of schools partnerships in countries including Morocco to complement and support government reform efforts.
• You will identify market access barriers (regulatory and practical) to strengthening education provision, for example around the provision of online learning, and work closely with market access advisers to implement solutions to address these.
• You will scope the education sector for areas where investment could have a real impact.  
• You will determine which markets should be a priority for our support and interventions based on prospective sector growth and opportunity. Across those markets, you will develop a pipeline of the key opportunities where commercial partners and investors are sought or could assist. Where financing is required, you will work with UK Government partners including UKEF and DFID to identify sources of finance in support.
• You will work with the DIT sector team on education in the UK, you will spend a portion of your time marrying African needs to UK solutions, exploring UK capability, and building commercial partnerships for the UK – including where UK expertise can be used to develop African capability.
• You will do this working through your virtual team across the continent, providing them with direction, helping to upskill them, and ensuring a consistent high standard of delivery and service.
• You will develop and deliver a clear sector specific delivery plan with clear goals, milestones and deliverables; including providing an analytical view of the areas where you believe the UK has something to offer.
• You will lead a strategic relationship management approach through your advisers for African governments and education institutions, and the same for the leading UK international education companies.
• You will ensure alignment with other HMG work streams where relevant, for example, Official Development Assistance (ODA) programmes focused on education through DFID and FCO, as well as working closely with British Council.

This list is not exhaustive and you may be required to carry out additional duties according to business needs.

Key Competencies:

• Leading and Communicating - Effectiveness in this area is about leading from the front and communicating with clarity, conviction and enthusiasm. It’s about supporting principles of fairness of opportunity for all and a dedication to a diverse range of citizens.
• Achieving Commercial Outcomes – Being effective in this area is about maintaining an economic, long-term focus in all activities. It’s about having a commercial, financial and sustainable mind-set to ensure all activities and services are delivering added value and working to stimulate economic growth.
• Collaborating and Partnering - People skilled in this area are team players who create and maintain positive, professional and trusting working relationships with a wide range of people within and outside the Civil Service to help get business done.
• Making Effective Decisions – Effectiveness in this area is about being objective; using sound judgment, evidence and knowledge to provide accurate, expert and professional advice. 

• Undergraduate degree and other relevant professional qualification or experience
• At least three years’ experience working in an education, or trade and investment field
• Experience of leading teams across Africa and proven leadership experience
• Experience of working in or with government departments, NGOs, and similar institutions
• Proven track record of cross-team collaboration
• A positive, resilient, flexible and adaptable “can-do” attitude that can see way through challenges.
• Knowledge of, and a keen interest of the education sector and the UK offer to business seeking to invest/export to Africa