View Vacancy - Head of Healthcare and Life Sciences – Department for Business and Trade

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Department for Business and Trade roles (DBT)
Department for Business and Trade (DBT)

Main purpose of job:

Lead the Healthcare and Life Sciences Sector Team at the Department for Business and Trade at the British Embassy Mexico, from either Mexico City, Monterrey or Guadalajara. You will work with UK exporters and investors in the healthcare and life sciences sector to deliver an increase in trade in the sector. You will work across a virtual team (of policy, programme and commercial colleagues) to deliver the trade objectives of the Embassy healthcare strategy. You will develop excellent relationships with UK and Mexican companies, and deliver an impactful programme of activity focused on developing a robust pipeline of UK exports in the healthcare and life sciences sector throughout the supply chain, working to overcome barriers to market access, and to promote Mexico as a destination for UK companies. You will manage relationships with healthcare and life sciences companies, employing good account management and customer service practice, and identifying opportunities to collaborate across sectors and geographies.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) works with UK businesses to support UK exports and bilateral investment in Mexico. Headquartered in Mexico City, DBT Mexico works across priority sectors, with offices in Guadalajara, Monterrey and Mexico City.

Roles and responsibilities:

Lead the Healthcare and Life Sciences Campaign at the Department for Business and Trade, British Embassy Mexico (75%)

  • Build a pipeline of UK companies considering international expansion, and develop business opportunities for these companies throughout Mexico. Proactively seek to diversify this pipeline with companies from a variety of sub-sectors
  • Develop relationships with key stakeholders in DBT headquarters in London, and relevant high-level UK and Mexican government, company and business group contacts, building excellent market intelligence in the Healthcare and Life Sciences sector in Mexico
  • Proactively collaborate with Mexican healthcare and life sciences stakeholders within State and Federal governments across Mexico in order to map key opportunities in this sector
  • Develop and deliver a programme of activity to support UK Healthcare and Life Sciences companies to do more and higher quality business in Mexico, including high-level visits, trade missions, participation in external events, and account management. This will include being creative with virtual events, given the current global ways of working
  • Promote UK expertise in the healthcare and life sciences sub-sectors amongst local decision makers, and work with DBT colleagues in London to promote Mexican business opportunities to UK industry
  • Ensure alignment with DBT country and regional (Latin America and the Caribbean) strategies, with a focus on quality and delivery of outcomes in step with colleagues across LATAC
  • Work with other DBT Mexico sector teams to identify overlapping opportunities of scale
  • Ensure regional and country leadership are properly engaged to maximise strategic delivery
  • Manage the market access barrier portfolio, driving progress and resolution to barriers to trade affecting British businesses.

Lead the DBT Healthcare and Life Sciences contribution to the Embassy’s wider objectives on healthcare and life sciences (15%)

  • Work across HMG to identify, develop and deliver commercial opportunities for the UK in line with the primary benefits of programmes across the healthcare and life sciences sector
  • Play a key role in the Embassy Healthcare and Life Sciences Virtual Team, collaborating with colleagues to find synergies and deliver cross-cutting work
  • Lead and build important relationships with stakeholders in the Mexican government in this sector 

Manage the team in line with Embassy values, contributing to the overall Embassy corporate objectives and ensure good financial, project and procurement management (10%)

  • Effective line management of 1 x Trade Officer (B3 grade) and 1 x intern, through SMART objectives, uptake of L&D opportunities and high-quality appraisals
  • Ensure good financial, project and procurement management of work in the team
  • As part of the DBT leadership team, deliver work in line with Embassy Values (Honesty, Professionalism, Inclusion & Respect)
  • Contribute to the corporate objectives of the Embassy
  • Substantial account management experience, excellent stakeholder management skills and project management experience
  • A BA degree in healthcare / life sciences or a related field, or equivalent professional experience
  • Significant relevant business development experience and a solid understanding of the Mexican business environment
  • Clear motivation and personal commitment to meeting challenging targets with a proven track record of achievement
  • An excellent network of industry contacts in the Healthcare and Life Sciences sector in Mexico or the ability to develop such a network, including the ability to develop strategic relationships with key stakeholders
  • Valid passport; the ability to attend official functions outside of office hours; and the ability to undertake domestic and international air travel, including overnight stays
  • Line Management experience
  • Budget Management experience

Language requirements: 

Language:  English and Spanish

Level of language required:  Fluent written and spoken 

  • Experience or knowledge of the Healthcare and Life Sciences sector (or ability to gain knowledge quickly)
  • Some familiarisation of market entry strategies into Mexico for UK companies
Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Making Effective Decisions, Seeing the Big Picture
23 February 2024
Higher Executive Officer (HEO)
Full-time, Permanent
38
Latin America and Spanish speaking Caribbean
Mexico
Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey
British Embassy
1
MXN
46,097.00 MXN Monthly
monthly
8 April 2023

Candidates must be able to live and work in Mexico in their own right.  

The successful candidate will be subject to a security clearance and professional reference checks.

The British Embassy in Mexico City and the Department for International Trade offers a wealth of L&D opportunities with funds to take courses and learning, online resources, sector knowledge, in house training, and study leave. The role offers significant opportunities for on the job learning, as well as limited opportunities for travel within Mexico, the region, and the UK. 

Please ensure you answer all application questions in full as CVs will not be considered in the recruitment process until the interview stage.

Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary, eg some non-local national staff and some spouses or partners of UK diplomatic staff, will have their salaries abated by an equivalent amount.  

Appointable candidates who were unsuccessful may be placed on a ‘reserve list’.  If during the reserve period of 6-12 months the same or a largely similar role becomes available, that role may be offered to the second or subsequent candidate.

DBT offers a flexible working policy and a hybrid work mode on agreement with line manager. 
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.