View Vacancy - CPK - Trade & Investment Officer, Renewable Energy A2(L)

The UK Government’s Department for International Trade (DIT, formerly UK Trade & Investment) has been established by the Prime Minister to integrate and elevate the trade agenda and is responsible for promoting British trade across the world. DIT works with UK-based businesses to ensure their success in international markets through exports and supports overseas companies to facilitate inward investment to the UK.

DIT China’s trade and investment teams are focused on supporting UK companies to win more business in China and to bring high value investment from China into the UK.

This role is an opportunity to join DIT China’s renewable energy team, developing strategic relationships with Chinese energy developers and offering Government support to high profile commercial partnerships with the UK’s industry. As Beijing’s Trade & Investment Officer, you will support the Head of Capital Investment and the Head of Renewable Energy to develop and deliver their sector strategies and ensure commercial targets are met. Your role will cover support for UK offshore wind companies trading in China as well as the promotion of capital investment from China into UK renewable energy projects. You will need to develop and manage relationships with renewable energy developers in Beijing, promoting specific opportunities for them to invest in the UK, as well as supporting opportunities for them to procure goods and services from UK industry.

A further key part of your role will be supporting the delivery of a series of events and trade missions, working closely with DIT’s partner organisation the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC) and intermediaries. Your role will also cover conducting research, preparing briefing for Ministerial meetings with Chinese companies, and budget management.

In summary, the core focus of the job will be to contribute to the delivery of first-of-a-kind UK exports in offshore wind and high quality inward investment from China into the UK renewable energy sector. Activities will include:

• Building strong relationships with key industry bodies and business clients;
• Identifying new trade and investment opportunities, maintaining an accurate record in the Government’s IT system of records of specific projects;
• Linking new Chinese opportunities and investment interest with UK capability and strategic needs;
• Promoting UK excellence as a destination for investment, with an experienced industry for exports;
• Collaborating with wider Embassy teams and DIT partners and business associates to overcome business barriers and market access issues;
• Working with CBBC to deliver high quality visits and events on budget; and
• Working closely with CBBC to achieve targets for supporting UK company clients to win business in China.

This position is advertised on a fixed-term basis for two (2) years.

Roles and responsibilities:

— Delivering trade and investment projects and targets

• Develop a good understanding of team strategies on capital investment and renewable energy. Undertake research to provide inputs to help with the development of the strategy. Develop an understanding of the work of other parts of the Embassy and/or Consulate and how this might help to support your team’s objectives.
• Work with clients to manage and progress a pipeline of projects to contribute to the trade and capital investment targets for the renewable sector.
• Help companies in the energy sector to build knowledge of trends and developments in China and UK markets. Support the work of the team to influence contacts on the benefits of collaborating with the UK.
• Provide day to day administrative support to the team to progress targeted trade and investment business opportunities, including planning and logistical arrangements for events and meetings to promote UK expertise and opportunities. Work with and manage contracts with CBBC when needed.
• Keep good record of the trade and investment information on DIT’s knowledge management system.

— Effective relationship management

• With support from the line manager and the Head of Renewable Energy, lead on account relationship with key Beijing-based customers for offshore wind, including key developers and supply chain companies from a trade perspective, and build good relationship with key investors from an investment perspective.
• Support sector heads to identify new contacts and opportunities and build relationships with key players in both China and the UK, including companies, intermediaries, trade associations, and government departments in order to deliver sector strategies and achieve targets.
• Work closely with colleagues across teams to develop and manage the Beijing based account plans.
• Prepare briefings for senior meetings with the key accounts.

— High impact visits and events

• Support the planning, management, and follow up of high level visits and events that contribute to sector targets and address business environment and market access issues.
• Provide administrative, practical, and logistical support to the development and delivery of important visit programmes (both Chinese companies to the UK and UK companies to China) that contribute to sector targets, working with CBBC and other networks when needed.
• Support drafting of briefing for Ministers and Specialists’ visits.

— Knowledge and skills development

• Commit to continual learning, making full use of on the job opportunities to deepen sector knowledge and understanding of the UK capability and strength and UK/ China business environment, as well as formal training for skills and personal competences most relevant to your job. This includes knowledge-sharing with colleagues across UKTI and the wider Embassy/Consulate.

• Proven ability to work proactively in a team
• Excellent communication skills. Good command of Mandarin and English both spoken and written
• Working knowledge of basic Microsoft Office software (Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint)