View Vacancy - Senior Commercial Attaché – Creative and Infrastructure

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Department for International Trade roles (DIT)
DIT

The British Embassy Doha is part of a worldwide network that represents political, economic, security and consular interests overseas and is now looking for a Senior Commercial Attaché – Creative and Infrastructure, Grade Higher Executive Officer (HEO), to start in July/ August 2022.

This is an excellent opportunity for a dynamic, energetic and highly motivated individual to play a key and impactful role in the Embassy’s Department for International Trade (DIT) team.

Main Purpose of the Job:

As a Senior Commercial Attaché, the jobholder will be responsible for identifying, supporting and developing opportunities for new and existent British companies seeking to enter or expand in the Qatari market. The role in context will have a primary responsibility for leading on the priority Creative & Infrastructure Sectors.

The Creative sector will extend to include Sports, Media, Travel & Tourism sub-sectors, including leading on DIT team objectives surrounding the FIFA World Cup 2022, although may be re-assigned based on needs and priorities of the team and market.

The role will be required to support wider DIT responsibilities including handling market research enquiries, coordinating events, and recording business interactions, providing tailored reports and proactively identifying business opportunities.

 

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Leading on sectors as a Senior Commercial Attaché to develop a deep understanding of UK and Qatari market, including key players, market opportunities, market access issues and competition.
  • Provide competent support and advice to British companies wishing to enter Qatar
  • Build strategic relationships with organisations (private and public) and relevant Ministries, that increase British trade by identifying export opportunities and future economic partnerships
  • Engaging the respective sectors’ network, including briefing British and Qatari businesses, responding to enquiries, including market access, local engagement and doing business in Qatar
  • Build and manage a pipeline of high value projects
  • Organise key events and activities that support British trade work in Qatar, including webinars, roadshows, trade missions and Ministerial visits. Build upon relationships with key stakeholders whilst proactively seeking out new clients and opportunities to build the sector pipeline(s)
  • Deliver against agreed targets, including Export Wins, OMIS (Overseas Market Introduction Service) revenue, Export Opportunities, and case studies/ success stories published
  • Travel to the UK and region for trade promotion activities
  • Initiate engagement with Qatari clients to identify market trends and emerging opportunities
  • Build and maintain senior and operational relationships within the Embassy, across the wider MEAP region and with DIT/ Whitehall
  • Collaborate with UK and Regional teams, including sector specialists to deliver high quality outputs and support to British businesses
  • Working independently on achieving aims of the Post, while reporting directly to the Country Deputy Director
  • Promote, where relevant, the financing products offered by UK Export Finance (UKEF), the British government’s Export Credit Agency, to support companies win contracts
  • Maintaining a log contact with customers on our global ‘Data Hub’ database
  • Ensuring robust forecasting of event and submitting timely budget requests
  • Active collaboration with the Science and Innovation Network (SIN) and Political Teams to deliver outputs towards the British Embassy Prosperity objectives

Additional DIT team duties include: 

  • Providing support to wider team events, including Senior/ Ministerial visits
  • Take part in all Embassy preparations for World Cup 2022 (WC22), undertaking training for an assigned crisis response role, and to contribute with all other members of staff to making the Embassy a great place to work
  • Updating the DIT key contact database to be used for invites to events
  • Providing support to the wider Trade and Investment team as required
  • Any additional role-based duties as required by the Country Director / Deputy Director

Resources managed (staff and expenditure):

  • 1 x Administrative Officer (AO) – Trade and Investment Officer (TBC)
  • Expectation of some budget management experience to prepare bids for expenditure and manage the budget requirements for events, conferences and personal travel – within strict financial and accounting policies 

The above list is not exhaustive and the jobholder will be required to be flexible and take on other ad hoc tasks as required.


Key Behaviours:

  • Delivering at Pace - Take responsibility for delivering timely and quality results with focus and drive
  • Working Together - Form effective partnerships and relationships with people both internally and externally, from a range of diverse backgrounds, sharing information, resources, and support.
  • Managing a Quality Service - Deliver service objectives with professional excellence, expertise and efficiency, taking account of diverse customer needs.
  • Communicating and Influencing - Communicate purpose and direction with clarity, integrity and enthusiasm. Respect the needs, responses and opinions of others.
  • 3-5 years’ experience in business development ideally in Sports, Travel, Tourism, Media or Infrastructure sectors
  • Analytical skills acquired in an international market context with a consultative sales approach to achieving results
  • Excellent and confident communicator in English, both verbal and spoken. Able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely, both orally and in written communication and with an eye for detail.
  • You will need to be a self-starter who can hit the ground running and quickly adapt to the role
  • University level of qualification or equivalent standards of education
  • Proven track record of cross-team collaboration
  • Demonstrated experience meeting and/or exceeding challenging targets
  • Fast learning, self-starter who can demonstrate initiative, resilience, and project management skills
  • Strong IT computer skills using Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams, and conducting internet searches
  • Ability to initiate and maintain a wide range of working relationships, both internally and externally
  • Strong organisational skills
  • Ability to work quickly, reliably and proactively with attention to detail and limited supervision
  • Knowledge of the Qatar business environment, including “doing business in Qatar”
  • Understanding of UK export capabilities, preferably in the specified sectors
  • Experience of organising events and customer database
  • Experience of working in a large diverse team
  • Experience in working within the GCC
Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Managing a Quality Service, Working Together
4 May 2022
Higher Executive Officer (HEO)
Full-time, Fixed Term
38
24 months
Middle East & North Africa
Qatar
Doha
British Embassy
1
QAR
23,572
monthly
3 July 2022

Eligibility:

Applicants must already reside in Qatar, have a valid residence permit and therefore hold the right to live and work there, including those either under spouse sponsorship, or be able to transfer an existing sponsorship to the British Embassy.


Working Hours and Remuneration:

The British Embassy offers a competitive remuneration package, including non-negotiable salary of QR 23,572 per calendar month and transportation allowance of QR 800 per calendar month, paid in arrears.

The contract will be for a full-time employment on a fixed-term basis for two (2) years with a possibility of extension, subject to a six (6) months’ probation period.

No accommodation and relocation expenses are payable in connection with this position.

Conditioned working hours is 38 hours per week. Embassy working hours are 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. from Sundays to Wednesdays and 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursdays. Due to the nature of the work, some out of hours work, including evenings and weekends, may be required from time to time to support events, conferences, and other business engagement.

The Embassy supports flexible working including working from home for some part of the working week. This flexibility will vary depending on the department’s commitments and requirements; hence, the jobholder will be expected to be able to make last minute changes to their work plans and work location accordingly.

The Embassy has an active Continuous Professional Development Committee, and the whole of Post is committed to providing the time and resources for staff to develop professionally. The 70/20/10 learning and development model is applied flexibility, with both internal and formal opportunities readily available.

In addition, DIT provides opportunity for management and leadership training and sector-specific ‘developing skills & knowledge’ training to increase understanding of the UK market. There will likely be an expectation of undertaking training specific to crisis response/ management in 2022.

Travel to the UK and within the Gulf region (and possibly further afield) may be required for business, events, training, and logistical purposes.

The successful candidate will need to commence security clearance procedures through the Embassy and will be required to have or obtain the appropriate security clearance before employment commences and maintain this throughout period of employment.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates must complete the online application form and attach the following documents:

  1. A covering letter.
  2. An updated Curriculum Vitae (CV).

Your application must include examples of when you have demonstrated the behaviours outlined above in your online application form. Applications that are not complete will be rejected.

The closing date for applications will be 04 May 2022 by 23:55 Doha time.

Applications received after the stated deadline will not be considered.


Process:

The recruitment process, including security clearance, is expected to take around two months.

Due to the large amount of applications, the Embassy receives only those shortlisted for interview will be contacted.

The successful candidate will be required to undergo security-vetting procedures. Any offer of employment will be subject to the candidate achieving suitable clearances, medical clearance and reference checks.

 

The British Embassy Doha is an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to inclusivity, a diverse workforce and valuing difference. Staff recruited locally by the British Embassy are subject to Terms and Conditions of service according to local Qatari employment law.

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.