View Vacancy - Senior Sector Manager for Agri-tech and Chemicals and Head of Trade - C5 - Chandigarh

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer.  We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow.
Department for International Trade roles (DIT)
Department for International Trade (DIT)

Main purpose of job:

Background:  This post is one of our cadre of C5 Sector Managers who will provide strategic direction for their sectors and run our India-wide trade focused sector teams on a day-to-day basis. Your task is to support UK exporters to exponentially grow the volume of trade with India, through strategic campaigns and pipeline development in your sector and to translate these into significant export wins for UK companies. This position will be focused on working closely with the Indian and UK Agri-tech and chemical sectors. Currently, the UK agricultural sector is worth £68bn to the UK economy and the chemical sector is worth £90bn.  As the UK leaves the European Union it will be important that the UK increases exports to the Indian market.  The jobholder will also be Head of Trade for Chandigarh (Covering Punjab, Haryana, Himachal and Uttarakhand) and play a leading role, working with British Deputy High Commissioner, in promoting UK commercial interests in these states. 

Strategy development: Reporting to your D6 Thematic Cluster Manager (CM), you will bring an in-depth understanding of your sector and have a strong network on the ground. You will use this to develop sector strategy with your CM identifying where to target activity which adds greatest value to our UK business customers.  This will involve market analysis, close working with colleagues across one-HMG team and in the UK, and by understanding opportunities in India and the UK’s capabilities. This reflects our shift from delivering volume services to targeting high value opportunities - both short and long term.  

Campaign development and delivery: You will be responsible for translating this strategy into campaign plans to target these opportunities and build high value deal pipelines that win business and deliver against our stretching targets. You will use project management techniques to drive team activity to deliver campaign objectives, and ensure effective management of high value opportunities/top deals in your sector. This shift in focus requires a significant change in the way our teams have worked in the past; we are becoming far more tactical in where we put our effort, searching out and targeting bigger deals and opportunities where government intervention and support can make a difference.  

Strategic relationship management: Working closely with your CM and Deputy High Commissioner you will identify, access and account-manage senior level relationships in UK and Indian companies, key stakeholders across government and and industry.  As a representative of UK Government, you will need to project credibility and have the ability to influence and lobby to achieve your goals. You will deal with incoming reactive work and input to wider corporate objectives especially around Ministerial/VIP visits including the preparation of high-quality, “Minister-ready” briefing and speeches. 

Management and Leadership: You will provide day-to-day leadership to your team and manage their activities ensuring team members are properly tasked and that activities and events (including business delegations) supporting campaigns are delivered effectively (including GREAT funded). You will control sector budgets and deliver effective performance reporting on sector activity.  

Roles and responsibilities:

  • Develop and own sector strategy; provide operational leadership for the sector across India.
  • Responsible for translating strategy into campaign plans that build high value pipelines of opportunities; connecting UK companies to these and providing tactical support to get these deals over the line.  
  • Using project management techniques to drive delivery of these campaigns and of high value opportunities/top deals to ensure the team delivers on its targets including, Export Wins while maintaining quality, impact and satisfaction scores;
  • Work with trade policy and market access team to lobby and open up markets for British goods and services in the above sectors;
  • Building and managing senior level relationships with key Indian and UK businesses, stakeholders and partners within the sector, across one-HMG team and in the UK to support objectives and deliver value for UK business;
  • Providing expertise and insight into the sector to a range of internal and external stakeholders and businesses; ensuring knowledge of the sector is up to date. 
  • To have an overview of major opportunities for UK companies in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal and Uttarakhand and develop a wide range of contacts within Business and Government. Work with Prosperity Advisers and colleagues in post to identify commercial opportunities; connect these opportunities with respective DIT colleagues and UK businesses; use senior management to lobby and raise profile so that the contracts are awarded to UK Plc. Ready to use this knowledge to provide authoritative advice to a range of internal and external stakeholders  
  • Overseeing all team activity and events (including GREAT activity), and managing sector budgets; providing timely and accurate performance management information. 
  • Leading and line managing the team to ensure team members have the right skills and capability, and are motivated to deliver team objectives. This will often involve managing staff remotely across a range of different locations in India. Contributing to wider corporate objectives, including proactive input to Ministerial/VIP visits and deliverables. 

WHAT WE DO

The Department for International Trade works with UK based businesses to ensure their success in international markets through exports, overseas direct investment and foreign direct investment into the UK. We encourage and support overseas companies to look at the UK as the best place to set up or expand their business. Improving trade and investment links with India is a UK Government priority. Modi’s Government is opening up major opportunities (e.g. Smart Cities, Make in India, Digital India) and there is a determination to see a major expansion in bilateral trade and investment – with an expectation of achieving bilateral trade of £30bn by 2020.

We are targeting emerging opportunities through strategic campaigns which are programmes of activity designed to unlock individual business / investment opportunities for the UK. We also support economic sectors and individual UK businesses with market access issues and Government lobbying. India has a lot of UK Ministerial/VIP attention and on average we host an incoming Minister/VIP every month.

The team is spread across nine posts in India and currently consists of c.130 people. You will join a high-performing, team of supportive colleagues made up of UK-based and locally engaged staff.

WHAT WE WANT FROM YOU

The job is a fantastic opportunity to make a real impact on the UK’s trade and investment links with India. We will give you the freedom and space to develop your sector and build your networks, we will support you too with opportunities to get the right learning and development, career development and opportunities to travel across India and to Europe. We will expect you to be collaborative and sensitive to the network’s ethos; and, importantly, remain focussed on delivering results and contributing to the wider corporate efforts especially around our busy Ministerial/VIP visit programme. To be successful: 

  • You will have an in depth understanding of the agri-tech and chemical sectors both in India and the UK and a strong network on the ground. You will use your good analytical skills to apply this in identifying significant market opportunities for UK business and then supporting them to turn these in to contracts. 
  • You will need to be strategically aware to identify emerging opportunities in your sector, and to what is happening in the UK in your sectors.
  • You will need to have strong interpersonal skills and be a credible team leader capable of setting the direction for your team and of gaining their trust and respect – and doing so while managing a virtual team located across India.
  • You will need to have experience of developing productive relationships with senior decision makers with stakeholders and partners, and of using these to deliver your objectives.
  • You will need to be collaborative, flexible and be able to manage yourself taking a can-do approach.
  • You will need to have good project management skills to create and deliver campaigns; and excellent English written and verbal communication skills. You will be expected to produce written work in English to a high standard.

Graduate/post graduate. Candidates without the required educational qualifications but with exceptional practical experience will be also considered. 

Experience:

  • Minimum of 5 years of relevant commercial/business experience.
  • An in-depth understanding of the sector and a strong network in the sector is highly desirable.
  • Strong analytical and problem skills to search out significant opportunities for UK business.
  • Tried and tested project management skills.
  • Excellent interpersonal, team working and people management skills. Experience of dealing with senior level decision makers in Indian national and state government. You should be able to show a solid track record of dealing with senior level decision makers in the business world.

Desirable qualifications and experience: 

  • Experience of working in the UK/Europe; knowledge of the business environment and of UK business related policies.
  • Experience of leading a team remotely.
  • Marketing and presentational skills.
  • Experience of working in trade/export promotion.
16 December 2018
Senior Executive Officer (SEO)
Permanent
40
South Asia & Afghanistan
India
Chandigarh
British Deputy High Commission
1
INR
salary INR 128,874 per month + 12% provident fund + 6% Superannuation Fund/ Special Allowance.
15 January 2019

Salary Package: 

For British High Commission (BHC) candidates, the Local Staff BHC Terms & Conditions will apply.

For other than BHC candidates, salary will be ­­­­­­INR 128,874 per month + 12% provident fund + 6% Superannuation Fund/ Special Allowance.

Additionally the BHC offers a great benefits package that includes annual domiciliary medical cover, plus a Group Hospitalisation Scheme with INR 500,000 floater cover for your immediate family. 

The BHC is recognised as a good employer, with a robust, fair and transparent performance management & appraisal system linked to increments and staff bonuses. We have a 5-day working week, plus annual leave, public holidays, maternity leave provision, special leave, paid sick leave provision; ample development opportunities, travel opportunities, a good organisational culture, and excellent work/life balance. 

Around half of our work force is women.  We treat people with respect and equality and have a policy of zero tolerance for any form of discrimination, bullying, or harassment. 

This is a good opportunity to be part of a strong, diverse team, working in the biggest network that FCO has anywhere across the globe.  We are aiming to make it the best. 

To Apply 

Please note applications without (a), (b) and (c) will not be considered.

a.      Completed the Online Job Application Form

b.      Complete the Motivation segment in the online application form (in not more than 600 words) setting out why you are the suitable person for this role. Your statement should include clear examples of how you meet the key competences.

c.      Attach a detailed CV

Internal candidates applying for this position need to upload their appraisal forms for the previous 2 years (if applicable) and also inform their current line managers. Else the application will not be considered.

We will accept only online applications by ­­“16 December’18” midnight.

Please note:

  • Applicants who do not have the required qualification & experience should kindly abstain from applying, as their applications will not be considered.
  • Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and no telephone enquires will be dealt with.
  • The appointment will be subject to Police Verification and other checks including references, educational and professional.

We welcome all applications irrespective of age, race, colour, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, belief or creed. We are also open to applications from people who want to work flexibly.

Please be aware that you will only be able to apply to vacancies for Country Based Staff roles with the British Government through this official tal.net site (operated by Oleeo). Jobs may be advertised on third party websites, however our adverts will always link back to the official tal.net site. If you complete and send an application through any other site, we will not receive it.

This opportunity is closed to applications.