View Vacancy - CGZ - Senior Trade & Investment Officer, Healthcare & Life Sciences, B3(L)

This is a dynamic role for a proactive, dynamic and enthusiastic individual to be a Senior Trade and Investment Officer in a high performing Life Science, Healthcare and Social Care team to help to advance the trade and investment ambitions articulated in the Department for International Trade (DIT) Regional Trade Plan for the Mainland China and Hong Kong region, which are:

Objective 1 - Driving and inspiring UK exports to China, 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 Department for International Trade (DIT) was established by the Prime Minister in July 2016 to integrate and elevate the Trade agenda; help secure a better deal for the UK as it negotiates a successful exit from the EU; and, establish new relationships with other countries around the globe. DIT promotes British trade across the world and ensures the UK takes advantage of the huge opportunities open to us, securing and improving the economic well-being and stability of the UK, and helping to create tens of thousands of jobs every year.

Led by Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Mainland China and Hong Kong we are one of nine global regions and part of an overseas network that operates in 108 countries. The largest DIT overseas network in the world, with 200 staff across six posts - the British Embassy in Beijing, plus Consulates in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing and Wuhan – DIT, as part of the One HMG China network, offers a fast-paced place to work at the heart of UK: China Government relations.

Detail:

The job holder will work alongside the Trade and Investment Manager for Healthcare, and the Trade and Investment Manager for Life Sciences, to win more business for the UK in China’s Life Science, Health and Social Care sectors in South China, already worth more than £1bn in UK exports nationally each year, and help secure new and increased investment from China to the UK. This role is particularly suited to those with experience of the healthcare, pharmaceutical or med-tech and related industries in China.

The political, economic and social demographics of South China make it an interesting region for healthcare and life sciences, which are key features in national and provincial government policies such as “Made in China 2025”, “Greater Bay Area”, and the Guangdong Provincial 13th Five-Year Plan.

As China seeks to move up the economic value chain, provinces and cities consistently look to Life Sciences as a high economic value activity, creating science parks and announcing investment promotion policies to develop this sector.  Life Sciences is a key industry of the Greater Bay Area strategy, with the cities around the Pearl River Delta (Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Zhuhai, Hong Kong) identified as the Life Science cluster.  The Department for International Trade has built up long term relationships with key industry stakeholders across traditional medical device and pharmaceutical companies such as Mindray and BGI, as well as engaging with new and emerging companies entering into the healthcare, including digital giants like Tencent and Ping’An.

Key functions of the job:

• Support the delivery of the sector strategy set by the senior managers, having ownership and personal responsibility for trade and investment activities and targets in Life Sciences across the South China region.
• Develop knowledge and familiarity of the UK and China’s capabilities in the sector, identify opportunities and market access barriers in respective markets, and share the information widely and effectively across the China and UK team.
• Working with colleagues, develop plans to tackle market access barriers and facilitate commercial deals for British organisations in China.
• Build a network of influential relationships with key Government officers, industry bodies and senior business clients in China and the UK in order to build mutual understanding and leverage successful export and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) deals.
• Develop a pipeline of trade opportunities and overseas investment interests in the life sciences sector; and work with colleagues in China and the UK to match these with UK capability and strategic strengths to deliver export success for UK businesses.
• Promoting UK excellence in life sciences to a wider Chinese audience, through events, meetings, and traditional and social media to encourage business activity and investment.
• Identify, plan and manage specific projects and visits, including related budgetary aspects.
• Support national level policy work to positively influence China’s medical reform, including through Prosperity Fund related activity.

Delivering strategic trade and investment opportunities: 40%

• Work collaboratively across the China and UK team and key stakeholders to deliver export success for UK businesses
• Research prospective Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) targets in South China and work with managers to develop account management plans to land investment into the UK.
• Develop a personal understanding of the key Chinese companies and organisations in region in these sectors, including their capability, interests, and opportunities for collaboration;
• Support the delivery of export success through existing opportunities and projects, and management of local events, Trade Missions and market visits to South China;
• Work with sector colleagues around China and the UK to raise awareness of opportunities through relevant channels, and draw on their expertise and activities where they can help to support objectives.

Effective Relationship Management: 20%

• Build an effective network of relationships with leaders in key companies and organisations in South China and the UK, including intermediaries, trade associations, and government departments, understanding their strategic intentions and business needs;
• Foster long-term, working level government-to-government contacts, and support managers to facilitate high level engagement (e.g. Consul General, Director General DIT) with more complex/senior relationships as appropriate; 
• Maintain a close working relationship with sector team members in other posts, other teams, and partners;
• Maintain accurate and up to date CRM records on Data Hub.

High impact visits and events: 15%

• Provide strategic input on events delivered through DIT’s partners, based on the jobholder’s personal knowledge and experience, relationships, and evidence-based research.
• Play a leading role in managing the delivery and follow up of important visit programmes, engaging with key contacts in government and businesses, and other networks as appropriate. Feed into timely, high-quality briefing and reports identifying outcomes.

Global Britain: 20%

• Develop an understanding of the barriers for UK companies seeking greater market share in the healthcare sector through desk research and company engagement.
• Work with local colleagues to co-ordinate delivery of Prosperity related work in South China in support of China’s health reforms, including tacking global health challenges and mitigating market access barriers.
• Facilitate the Prosperity-led work in South China relating to the Greater Bay Area as it relates to the healthcare and life sciences sectors.
• Work with the wider British Consulate General Guangzhou in respect of achieving the Global Britain objectives reflected in the Post Business Plan.

Knowledge & Skills Development: 5%

• Undertake continuous learning and development, including on-the-job opportunities to deepen knowledge and understanding of the healthcare sector, the UK capability landscape, and the regional business environment, learning from others across government and the wider teams, as well as formal training courses.

The role will require some travel around South China and across China, occasionally to UK/Europe, and you will manage your own travel and subsistence expenditure in accordance with guidelines / in agreement with manager.

• Bachelor’s degree or above
• 5 years relevant work experience, in either private or public sector roles
• Commercial experience, in government or private sector
• Excellent organisational, project management, and networking skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with strong customer engagement
• Ability to pay attention to detail and accuracy