View Vacancy - International Export Finance Executive for the West Africa Region (19/17 ACC)

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Department for International Trade roles (DIT)
Department for International Trade (DIT)

Main purpose of job

This is an exciting opportunity to be at the centre of the UK’s drive to increase UK trade with West Africa. We are searching for International Export Finance Executive to identify opportunities to grow the procurement of high value goods and services from the UK across the region through the promotion of UKEF’s financial products and services. UKEF helps UK companies: 

  • win export contracts by providing attractive financing terms to their buyers;
  • fulfil contracts by supporting working capital loans and guaranteeing performance bonds;
  • get paid by insuring against buyer default.

Roles and responsibilities

The International Export Finance Executive will act as the eyes and ears of the UKEF Business Group, supporting attainment of DIT’s regional objectives and the UKEF International Business Development (IBD) team to grow UKEF supported export wins by focussing on 5 key areas of activity: 

1. Increasing Awareness of UKEF Support Capabilities: 

  • Lead local campaigns to raise the profile of UKEF internationally through engagement with the business community, government bodies and other stakeholder organisations;
  • Deliver UKEF marketing plans, ensuring that messages are appropriate to the audience, removing complexity and building understanding – ensuring that message reflect local context where possible;
  • Develop and implement Public Relation activities that educate the business community on UKEF products;
  • Develop a UKEF knowledge base within the regional DIT teams.

 2. Building and Sharing Market Knowledge 

  • Develop detailed knowledge and insight of public and private sector organisations, including their strategic business planning and development objectives, implementing findings into UKEF strategic plans;
  • Understand and interpret host government trade policy, priority sectors and projects;
  • Ensure timely export intelligence and insight for IBD, enabling opportunities for UKEF;
  • Act as the lead source of UKEF advice to regional DIT teams, including integration of UKEF objectives into High Value Campaigns (HVCs);
  • Take the lead in leveraging expertise, knowledge and networks of local staff, business chambers, and other local channels in their capacity as multipliers;
  • Identify the competitive framework (Export Credit Agencies and Supply Chain), articulate the difference of the UKEF offer and seek collaboration where appropriate;
  • Exploit local knowledge, experience and networks to gather intelligence of the local commercial banking sectorial focus and appetite for risk.

 3. Establishing and Maintaining Stakeholder Relationships

UKEF primary stakeholders are buyers, UK exporters, project sponsors, host government departments and others. This role will be required to: 

  • Identify key buyers and sponsors in the target markets;
  • Exploit knowledge and experience to build robust business networks and develop calling plans to enhance the profile of UKEF;
  • Oversee the development of mechanisms to record and coordinate business outreach activities;
  • Maintain and develop regular contacts with local senior sponsors, banks, public sector organisations, government bodies and UK businesses to identify export opportunities that could benefit from UKEF support.

 4. Creating and Delivering Strategic Plans 

  • Lead and coordinate country strategic planning, aligned to UKEF organisational objectives, supporting HVCs where ‘leading with finance’ could be an important driver;
  • Embed UKEF offer into DIT HVC execution plans.

 5. Progressing Business Development Opportunities 

  • Engage the UK Export Finance Manager (EFM) Network to ensure seamless coordination between the UK supply chain and local sponsor;
  • Lead UKEF local relationships with providers of trade finance and risk mitigation products (e.g. banks, credit insurers, brokers, and others) and to introduce customers / sponsors who require their services;
  • Lead UKEF collaboration with the regional DIT teams to develop innovative export solutions for UK companies;
  • Coordinate and support visits from UKEF Business Group management.

UK Export Finance

UK Export Finance (UKEF) is the UK’s export credit agency (ECA) and a government department that reports to the Secretary of State for International Trade through the Minister for Trade and Investment. It works alongside the Department for International Trade (DIT) as an integral part of its strategy and operations.

UKEF’s mission is to ensure that no viable UK export fails for lack of finance or insurance, while operating at no net cost to the taxpayer.

UKEF helps UK companies: 

  • win export contracts by providing attractive financing terms to their buyers
  • fulfil contracts by supporting working capital loans and guaranteeing performance bonds
  • get paid by insuring against buyer default 

UKEF can support exports for any size of company and across all sectors, from capital goods to services and intangibles such as intellectual property.

 

Strong financial services background.

Knowledge of local Capital Markets.

Local and regional understanding of the drivers and stakeholders in industry sectors.

 

 Knowledge of the UK investment landscape
6 February 2018
Grade 7 (G7)
Fixed Term, Full-time
38 including lunch breaks
24 months
Africa
Ghana
Accra
British Deputy High Commission
1
From GHS 237,015.36 gross per annum. Possibly negotiable subject to experience and qualifications.
1 March 2018
28 February 2020
  • The High Commission is committed to providing a strong learning and development environment.
  • A comprehensive online training package is available, both job-specific and of a more general nature, as is on-the-job training and coaching.
  • The High Commission benefits from the support of a Regional Learning & Development Training Centre.
  • Staff can undertake a range of training opportunities via this Centre too.

Please include a cover letter with your CV including information of what experience you have in business and establishing strategies for business development, commercial experience in hitting targets and where you see opportunities for the UK in West Africa in this area? 

  • This is a full-time position.  Normal working hours are 0730 to 1530 Monday to Thursday and 0730 to 13:30 on Fridays. The jobholder is expected to travel and participate in activities outside of these hours. 
  • If the job is suitable for flexible working patterns: Flexibility exists to explore part-time or contractor options for this role.
  • Please complete the application form in full as the information provided is used during screening.
  • Please check your application carefully before you submit, as no changes can be made once submitted.
  • The British High Commission will never request any payment or fees to apply for a position.
  • Employees recruited locally by the British High Commission in Accra are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law in Ghana.
  • All candidates must be legally able to work and reside in the country of the vacancy with the correct visa/work permit status or demonstrate eligibility to obtain the relevant permit. 
  • The responsibility lies on the successful candidate to;

1.    Obtain the relevant permit
2.    Pay fees for the permit
3.    Make arrangements to relocate
4.    Meet the costs to relocation

  • The British High Commission do not sponsor visas/work permits except where it may be local practice to do so. 
  • Employees who are not eligible to pay local income tax: e.g. certain third-country nationals and spouses/partners of UK diplomats will have their salaries abated by an equivalent amount.
  • Information about the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Competency Framework can be found on this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-competency-framework Please note:  AA=A1, AO=A2, EO=B3, HEO=C4, SEO=C5
  • Reference checking and security clearances will be conducted on successful candidates.

 

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This opportunity is closed to applications.