View Vacancy - SH - Senior Trade and Investment Officer, Food and Drink - B3 (L)

UK Department of International Trade is the government department responsible for trade policy, helping UK based businesses succeed globally and helping international businesses invest in the UK.  Within China, DIT is one of the busiest parts of the British Embassy’s operations and is focused on strategic high value trade and investment opportunities. China is one of the highest priority countries for trade in agriculture, food and drink, and has substantial engagement from both the British Government and industry.

This is an exciting opportunity for a capable, self-starter who can work with energy and ambition and in return will gain a real insight into the breadth of operations of an Embassy/Consulate. They will be at the forefront of the British Government’s growth agenda, to be part of a small team delivering DIT’s sector vision for agriculture, food and drink, working with internal and external partners such as the Food and Drink Exporters Association (FDEA) and the China Britain Business Council (CBBC) and the (AHDB) Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board.

Reporting to the Head of Agriculture, Food and Drink  Trade, the jobholder the candidate will develop and cultivate relationships with industry and provincial Government in both Eastern China as well as responsibility for Guangzhou & Southern China as well as develop closer links with our HK team and HK organisations from the Shanghai Consulate.  Responsibilities will also include supporting the East China region.

They will identify the top priorities in the region and plan how those opportunities could be taken forward, building close working relationships with some of the major Chinese food companies and in particular the largest ecommerce platforms. They will support UK companies who are aiming to take forward export opportunities in Guangzhou, Guangdong, Fujian Guangxi & Hainan and the rest of South China and in doing so contribute to key performance targets for the food and drink team as a whole.  They will also endeavour to understand more about market access and regulations environment, challenges and updates to support the team in both better understanding areas to address and communicate.

The jobholder will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in an exciting period of trade work and events and will travel to the regions within South & East China.  They will work closely with the food and drink and marketing teams to contribute to a range of campaigns and activities to promote the British brands, raise the profile of DIT’s work and to shape and organise trade related events. Key events will include FHC (Food Hotel China), SIAL and other Exhibitions.  Ideally the successful candidate will have past work experience in the agriculture, food and drink sector and can apply that knowledge in this new role.

Roles and responsibilities:

Support the head of team with a clear strategy for the team’s work in South & East China and beyond. Map leading importing Chinese companies in this sector, develop key relationships and understand opportunities and relevant barriers as well as trends with the rest of the food and drink team

Manage a portfolio of business opportunities in South and Eastern China to achieve challenging commercial outcomes. Build close contacts and relationships with key Chinese companies to cultivate their interest in the UK.  Support UK clients to take up these opportunities, and maintain accurate tracking records.

Plan, manage and follow up on high level visits and events that contribute to sector targets and address business environment and market access issues.

Develop and manage a relationship with the industry organisations including CBBC, industry association’s regional partners to ensure a two way flow of information and opportunities, ensuring that the Food and Drink Team have update to date industry information, understanding of trends and requirements and aligned on both supporting companies and promoting opportunities.  

Education: Graduate degree or equivalent professional experience/qualification

Specific role experience: The candidate must be able to demonstrate:

• Good commercial awareness and be able to identify commercial opportunities
• Ability to work well in a team as well as cultivating external relationships
• Good communication skills and an ability to engage with contacts from different environments and backgrounds
• The ability to be creative, flexible and resourceful in developing ideas and solving problems

IT: knowledge of internet research, Microsoft Office, Word, Excel and Powerpoint is necessary

Excellent spoken and written English and Mandarin