View Vacancy - SRR - Senior Trade & Investment Officer, Defence & Security Organisation C4(L)

The British Embassy Riyadh has a vacancy for a Senior Trade & Investment Officer for the Defence and Security Organisation (DSO) under the Department for International Trade (DIT).

The Department for International Trade (DIT) works with UK-based businesses to ensure their success in international markets. The Defence & Security Organisation (DSO) within DIT is a mixed civilian and military team with specific responsibility for assisting UK defence and security companies to export their products and services.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is a high priority country for DSO, with huge potential for UK companies. KSA is the UK’s largest defence export customer - over the last 10 years, the Middle East as a whole accounted for 57% of UK defence export business; Saudi alone accounted for 43% of orders won.

The Senior Trade & Investment Officer within DSO will work with the First Secretary for Defence and Security in KSA to help support British companies to identify and realise export opportunities in the region. Working closely with MOD’s Defence Section in country and with the DSO team in London, the jobholder will help identify opportunities in the defence, security, and cyber market, bringing them to UK companies and supporting UK businesses as they navigate the Saudi procurement system, including through Government to Government (G2G) support mechanisms.

The jobholder will need to be able to build detailed sector knowledge of the different defence and security institutions in Saudi Arabia as well as with UK defence and security companies, to understand their business needs and help them to deliver high priority export campaigns. The jobholder will need to work closely and efficiently with colleagues across government departments, both within the Embassy and in London.

This is a demanding and role in a high priority and strategically important country for Her Majesty’s Government (HMG) and there will be plenty of opportunities for personal and professional development afforded by the nature of the role, the subject matter, and the level of responsibility.

In addition, the job offers the opportunity to develop skills and knowledge of the public and private sector both in the UK and Saudi Arabia, and to build up knowledge of specific sectors. It would be an excellent career opportunity for anyone with an interest in international trade, or working with the defence and security sectors. The jobholder will interact with companies and officials at all levels.

Duties and responsibilities:

The jobholder will contribute to the design, management, and implementation of the day-to-day strategy of securing business exports for UK companies within the defence, security, and cyber sectors in KSA by:

• Working with the First Secretary, Defence and Security to promote the expertise and raise the profile of the UK’s defence and security industry in KSA.
• Working across government and with industry to identify and deliver opportunities for exports in line with DIT’s overall goals, particularly focusing on identifying opportunities in security, cyber, and space.
• Building relations and assisting UK companies interested in the Saudi market, identifying where appropriate commercial opportunities exist to contribute to DSO’s targets for exports.
• Proactively encouraging UK companies and intermediaries to visit the market by working with DSO in the UK and attending trade exhibitions. 
• Developing and maintaining working relationships across government in country, with MOD’s Defence Section, British Military Mission, SANGCOM, and MODSAP to help strengthen military and UK industry relationships.
• Developing contacts and engaging a wide range of relationships across Saudi client organisations and the Kingdom’s private sector to understand commercial opportunities.
• Maintaining an up to date contact database and written briefing packs for defence and security companies in KSA.
• Keeping track of major projects identified and maintaining an export opportunities register for DSO’s work in KSA.
• Maintaining statistical reporting and measurement of UK defence exports against DSO targets and ensuring they are recorded on DIT’s central database.
• Providing market analysis and guidance on doing business in Saudi Arabia. Briefing both individual visitors and groups of UK companies on the characteristics of the Saudi market.
• Providing DIT, DSO and sector specialists with in-country support including (but not limited to): contributing to briefing and reporting as required, and facilitating official programmes, trade missions, webinars, events, and trade shows.
• Supporting Saudi delegations to defence and security DIT DSO trade exhibitions and events in the UK such as the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI), Farnborough Air Show, Security and Policing (S&P), as well as events held in the region.
• Assisting with wider DIT work in support of the Regional Trade Commissioner and Country Business Plan, providing support as required at internal and external meetings.
• Contributing to the delivery of programmes for inward visits from Ministers, DSO officers, and trade missions on defence and security.

The jobholder will also manager one A2(L) Trade Advisor.

The above list is not exhaustive and the job holder will be required to be flexible and take on other ad hoc tasks as required, including participating in the Embassy emergency planning and any response to a crisis.

Key competencies required:

• Managing a Quality Service - Being organised to deliver service objectives and striving to improve the quality of service, taking account of diverse customer needs and requirements. Effectively planning, organising, and managing time and activities to deliver a high quality and efficient service, applying programme and project management approaches to support service delivery.
• Delivering at Pace - Focusing on delivering timely performance with energy and taking responsibility and accountability for quality outcomes. Working to agreed goals and activities and dealing with challenges in a responsive and constructive way. Providing the focus and energy to drive activities forward through others and encourage staff to perform effectively during challenging and changing times.
• Achieving Commercial Outcomes - Having a commercial, financial, and sustainable mind-set to ensure all activities and services are delivering added value and working to stimulate economic growth. Identifying economic, market, and customer issues and using these to promote innovative business models, commercial partnerships, and agreements to deliver greatest value; and ensuring tight commercial controls of finances, resources and contracts to meet strategic priorities.
• Collaborating and Partnering - Creating and maintaining positive, professional and trusting working relationships with a wide range of people within and outside the organisation to help get business done. Working collaboratively, sharing information, and building supportive, responsive relationships with colleagues and stakeholders whilst having the confidence to challenge assumptions. Encouraging collaboration and building effective partnerships including relationships with Ministers.
• Making Effective Decisions - Being objective; using sound judgement, evidence and knowledge to provide accurate, expert and professional advice. Showing clarity of thought, setting priorities, analysing and using evidence to evaluate options before arriving at well-reasoned justifiable decisions. Creating evidence-based strategies, evaluating options, impacts, risks, and solutions; maximising return while minimising risk and balancing social, political, financial, economic and environmental considerations to provide sustainable outcomes.

• Excellent communication skills including fluent oral and written English – an ability to produce clear and concise reporting is a necessity. 
• With a proven track record of delivering results to a high standard within tight deadlines.
• Strong organisational skills and an ability to work proactively with minimal supervision, but also able to work flexibly as part of a small team.
• Ability to work on own initiative and being outward facing.
• Excellent relationship development and management skills, capable of operating at all organisational levels.
• Strong IT skills and literacy in Microsoft Office applications (Office 365).