View Vacancy - DXB - Prosperity Officer C4(L)

The British Embassy Dubai has a vacancy for a Prosperity Officer.

One of the UK’s foreign policy objectives is to help build the UK’s prosperity by increasing exports and investment, opening markets, ensuring access to resources and promoting sustainable growth. This role forms part of the Embassy’s work to deliver goals set out in the UK Export Strategy published in 2018 and associated work under the UK’s Industrial Strategy and wider trade policy. This is an exciting and challenging opportunity in a growing area of the Embassy’s work.

The Prosperity Officer will help lead the British Embassy’s work in the United Arab Emirates in support of this agenda, with particular responsibility for government to government (G2G) liaison to build a strong partnership in areas including but not limited to trade policy, regulation, economic reform, and drivers of economic growth, including skills and innovation. The jobholder will also contribute to cross-team working with other British Embassies across the GCC.

The position requires flexibility and enthusiasm to understand UK priorities and work in a wide range of areas, from details of economic regulation (such as research on regulations for food and beverages and on recognition and comparison of international qualifications) to bigger picture overviews of economic trends in the UAE.

Although the job is initially based in Dubai, we are open to look at flexible working arrangements between Abu Dhabi and Dubai for the successful candidate.

Duties and responsibilities:

This position is embedded within the UK Department for International Trade (DIT)’s UAE country team, but with an important cross-over to the UAE Political Team and the wider Embassy, with the following responsibilities:

• Use research and analysis skills, including building an effective network of local contacts, to understand where UK companies may face market access or other challenges in the UAE, and the tools, including cooperation on regulatory best practice and UK standards, which may be used to address these.  
• Work with UAE government departments, other public sector bodies, and their UK counterparts on all aspects of the Prosperity agenda, including direct engagement on market access issues. As required, help facilitate formal government to government (G2G) agreements and arrangements to address challenges and realise opportunities.  
• Contribute to the Embassy’s understanding of economic trends in the UAE, including long term government strategies to promote growth and economic diversification. Work closely with the Embassy’s Economy and Energy Adviser (currently based in Abu Dhabi).  
• Act as secretary and focal point to the Embassy’s UAE-wide Prosperity Board, including working effectively with wider in-country stakeholders, including the UK Science and Innovation Network (SIN), British Council, Devolved Administrations (Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland representatives at Post), and other UK organisations.  
• Produce succinct reports, including for senior staff at the Embassy, visiting ministers and officials, and diverse UK government departments in all the above areas.
• Help arrange UK-UAE visits in both directions in support of the above activities.
• Maintain oversight of the Post’s project and programme expenditure in support of these activities, including acting as project manager as required for specific projects.  
• Work with colleagues in other Embassies in the GCC as part of the UK’s Gulf Prosperity Network, sharing knowledge and best practice, and cooperating where required on specific projects, and with FCO, DIT, BEIS and other relevant Government Departments in London.

Like all positions in the Embassy, the jobholder will also be encouraged to contribute to at least one wider corporate activity in the Post, promoting shared values and contributing to the well-being of colleagues and the effective operation of the Post as a whole.

Key competencies required:

• Leading and Communicating - Leading from the front and communicating with clarity, conviction and enthusiasm, and supporting principles of fairness of opportunity for all and a dedication to a diverse range of stakeholders. Establishing a strong direction and a persuasive future vision; managing and engaging with people with honesty and integrity, and upholding the reputation of the organisation.
• 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.
• 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. Creating an environment to deliver operational excellence and creating the most appropriate and cost effective delivery models for services.
• Seeing the Big Picture - Having an in-depth understanding and knowledge of how your role fits with and supports organisational objectives and the wider public needs, focusing your contribution on the activities which will meet the organisation’s goals and deliver the greatest value. Scanning the political context and taking account of wider impacts to develop long term implementation strategies that maximise opportunities to add value to the citizen and support economic, sustainable growth.

• Good knowledge of economic and/ or trade policy, including relevant higher education qualification.
• Existing knowledge of the UK or UAE economy, and ideally both, with demonstrated ability rapidly to master a wide range of economic and trade issues.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with confidence to work on their own initiative. Proven ability to engage and influence at a senior level internally and with external contacts, and collaborate effective across Embassy teams.
• Ability to multi-task and have good organisational skills.
• Ability to problem solve and work under pressure to meet multiple and changing priorities.
• Fluency in English, both written and spoken. Ability to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely, both orally and in written communication. Ability to write to a high standard for a wide range of audiences.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office programmes.