View Vacancy - Head of Corporate Performance - Department for International Trade (37/22 JHB) - C

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Department for International Trade roles (DIT)
Performance and Corporate Excellence

Main purpose of job:

The Department for International Trade (DIT) is the Trade Promotion and Negotiation organisation for the UK. We promote UK businesses overseas and attract foreign investment to our shores. We have 3,000 staff across the globe in over 100 countries. Our aspiration is to address some of the challenges facing the UK, by helping British businesses to internationalise and grow overseas.

 DITAfrica is one of the nine DIT global networks and is led by Alastair Long, HM Trade Commissioner (HMTC) (Acting) for Africa. The Africa Region is exciting and energising and UK firms have a strong presence here, making the UK the the second largest investor on the continent. With some of the strongest growing economies in the world and booming population growth there are numerous more opportunities for UK firms; from tech start-ups in the West to infrastructure in the East. The Network’s role is to promote these opportunities and position the UK as the continent’s number one trading partner and investor.

DIT in South Africa has team members based in Johannesburg (also home to the HMTC and the DIT Africa hub), Pretoria and Cape Town, and is part of the British High Commission. You will be based in the Johannesburg office and will report to the Chief Operating Officer, Africa. You will be a member of the of part of the wider DIT Africa Hub comprising DIT, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) colleagues all working to improve economic development, investment and trade between the UK and South Africa.

The role

The primary objective of your role is to help drive corporate performance across the entire DIT Africa network, made up of about 140 staff across 21 markets in Africa. The DIT Africa network has a committed and growing presence across these markets and this role presents an opportunity join DIT Africa as we continue to expand our resources to deliver on the ambition of our Government to be Africa’s trade and investment partner of choice.

Objectives will be:

  1. You will drive corporate performance across our entire network of Country and Sector teams, ensuring that performance is monitored effectively and we adopt a strategic, data driven approach to achieving our overall objectives. This will include running our performance reviews with teams, and preparing for DIT Africa’s performance reviews with HQ.
  2. You will lead and manage our Events Unit, overseeing 2 full time Events staff, and part of the time of two other staff, to help deliver best in class events for our network, which range from Ministerial visits, trade shows, business roundtables, trade missions and major HMG events such as Africa Investment Summit.
  3. You will work closely with key HQ teams, including ISED, the Ministerial Visits and Trade Envoys teams to ensure DIT Africa activities are well communicated to HQ teams and the network are making the most of Senior level engagement.
  4. You will oversee the two Personal Assistants to our Trade Commissioners, directing, and managing their workloads and support activities in Internal Comms and Strategic Relationship Management.
  5. You will lead, delegate and deliver on the ongoing recruitment and contribute towards strategic workforce planning for the network, and succession planning for those staff who you manage.
  6. You will lead and deliver on a variety of corporate projects for the network to ensure the successful performance and compliance for DIT Africa. This could include projects such as Knowledge and Information management (KIM), Tech audits and compliance et. al.

Roles and responsibilities:

  • You will establish a world-class Events Unit for the DIT Africa network and ensure that our clients (the network) receive a best in class service for Events delivery.
  • Deliver an effective framework for performance monitoring and reporting both how to monitor and report on performance of Country and Sector teams in the network and for the performance of the network to HQ.
  • Lead delivery of successful recruitment campaigns for the network.
  • Work closely with the Head of Finance and Chief Operating Officer to deliver on corporate projects that improve the overall effectiveness of the network.
  • Build strategic relationships with Country and Sector Directors across the network, and other interlocutors in HQ to support your objectives, and help to drive DIT Africa objectives.
  • Postgraduate degree and/or undergraduate degree and other professional qualification.
  • At least five years professional work experience
  • A positive, resilient, flexible and adaptable “can-do” attitude that can see way through challenges.
  • Fluency in the language of business and investment
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
  • Leadership experience
  • Experience of working in organisations with a matrix management structure
  • Experience of leading, managing and producing events
  • Excellent drafting skills
  • Leadership experience
  • Demonstrable knowledge of the UK, especially the UK regions and the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
  • Experience of working in organisations with a matrix management structure
Delivering at Pace, Developing Self and Others, Seeing the Big Picture, Working Together
8 September 2022
Higher Executive Officer (HEO)
Permanent
Africa
South Africa
Johannesburg
British High Commission
R 609,708.56 per annum
1 October 2022

Learning and development opportunities:

You will have access to the full suite of DIT and FCO learning and development opportunities including the FCO’s Diplomatic Academy, training in the UK, and will be encouraged to join DIT’s trade profession. We also provide regular in-house learning opportunities and are committed to supporting further academic opportunities. Our staff who demonstrate great leadership potential are encouraged to apply for the FCO’s pan-African Emerging Leadership Programme.

The British High Commission pays in full for the Key Care Plus option on Discovery Health for staff including spouses/partners and dependants.

  • Once you have successfully completed your probation the British High Commission will contribute 9% of your monthly salary to a Provident Fund.
  • Annual leave entitlement of 25 days
  • Working hours per week of 36.5
  • Please complete the application form in full as the information provided is used during screening.
  • Please check your application carefully before you submit, as no changes can be made once submitted.
  • The British High Commission will never request any payment or fees to apply for a position.
  • Employees recruited locally by the British High Commission in Pretoria are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law in South Africa.
  • All candidates must be legally able to work and reside in the country of the vacancy with the correct visa/work permit status or demonstrate eligibility to obtain the relevant permit. 
  • The responsibility lies on the successful candidate to:
  • Obtain the relevant permit
  • Pay fees for the permit
  • Make arrangements to relocate
  • Meet the costs to relocation 
  • The British High Commission do not sponsor visas/work permits except where it may be local practice to do so. 
  • Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary may have their salaries reduced by the equivalent local income tax amount.
  • Information about the Civil Service Success Profiles can be found on this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles. Please note:  AA=A1, AO=A2, EO=B3, HEO=C4, SEO=C5
  • Reference checking and security clearances will be conducted on successful candidates.
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This opportunity is closed to applications.