View Vacancy - SRJ - Senior Trade Advisor, NEOM and North-West Saudi (HEO)

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Department for International Trade roles (DIT)
DIT

The British Consulate General in Jeddah has a vacancy for a Senior Trade Advisor for NEOM and North-West Saudi under the Department for International Trade (DIT) on a fixed-term contract for one (1) year with a possibility of renewal.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) is a Department of State within the British Government. DIT has responsibility for the promotion of international trade overseas and works with UK-based companies to ensure their success in international markets. DIT in Saudi Arabia has a network of three trade teams based in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar. The teams work closely together to deliver services to our customers.

The jobholder will lead on support of British companies from all sectors wishing to do business/ invest in (principally) NEOM, developing contacts in this and other priority Saudi Vision 2030 projects in order to assist companies in sectors including Infrastructure, Creative/ Sports, Smart Cities and Technology, Healthcare, Education, Energy, and more. The jobholder should be flexible in responding to changes of sector priorities based on project needs, market trends, and operational requirements. As such, the jobholder will be required to be based in and to operate from within close physical proximity to NEOM.

This is an interesting and varied role and comes at a time when the political and commercial relationship between the UK and Saudi Arabia is strong. The jobholder’s main role is to lead on liaison with NEOM with regard to UK business introductions, visiting trade delegations and visits from UK ministers and other VIPs. The jobholder will thoroughly understand the requirements of NEOM and other projects and use those insights to match their needs with the UK commercial offer, identifying opportunities and helping UK companies to provide goods and services, and to invest in, NEOM.

This role would also cover projects in North-West Saudi Arabia, particularly Al Ula. However, the exact split of time allocation will depend on the volume of work on the NEOM project. 

 

Duties and responsibilities:

The main purpose of this job is to support UK companies seeking to develop their business through trade with Saudi Arabia, with a particular focus on NEOM. The Senior Trade Advisor will work with the Head of Trade based in Jeddah on a strategy of engagement with key NEOM (and other) interlocutors in order to facilitate UK trade and investment success in the project. Responsibilities include:

  • Supporting British companies looking to do business in and invest in NEOM and other projects in North-West Saudi (including Al Ula);
  • Covering all sectors of interest to the projects, supported by insights and knowledge from DIT KSA sector leads and DIT UK sector teams;  
  • Developing effective relationships with project sector leads and procurement leads to acquire real time insight into requirements and timelines;
  • Being proactive in learning about UK capability in sectors of interest in order to pitch the UK offer;
  • Marketing project opportunities to businesses in the UK through webinars, inward visits, in the margins of trade shows, via social media channels (working with our Marketing Hub and the GREAT Britain marketing collateral);
  • Supporting companies to engage with projects: virtually, through hosted visits to KSA, as part of trade missions to Saudi, and by supporting engagements when the projects visit the UK;
  • Encouraging the projects to increase the number of roadshows to the UK and then help attract the very best British expertise to engage;
  • Work with HMG partners in their areas of expertise, e.g., British Council on cultural promotion;
  • Draft and provide in-depth sector briefing and other market contributions;
  • Lead on/contribute to VIP visits, both to Saudi Arabia and to the UK;
  • Where necessary, provide the wider DIT team in Saudi Arabia with in-project support including (but not limited to) official programmes, trade missions, events and trade shows. 

The above list is not exhaustive and the jobholder will be required to be flexible and take on other ad hoc tasks as required, including participating in the Embassy’s emergency planning and any response to a crisis.


Key behaviours required:

  • Communicating and Influencing - Communicate purpose and direction with clarity, integrity and enthusiasm. Respect the needs, responses and opinions of others.
  • Seeing the Big Picture - Understand how your role fits with and supports organisational objectives. Recognise the wider priorities and ensure work is in the national interest.
  • 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.

 

Eligibility:

The position is available to Saudi Nationals and to current holders of valid Saudi residence permits or transferable iqamas. The successful candidate will be required to transfer their sponsorship to the British Consulate General.

The successful candidate will be required to be based in and to operate from within close physical proximity to NEOM.

  • Commercial experience, ideally in Saudi and/ or the UK. Knowledge of trade and investment concepts
  • Ability to plan strategically, assimilate information from a range of sources, and to see the bigger picture to spot opportunities.
  • Proven experience of working pro-actively, independently and towards performance targets within a team setting, contributing to the overall goals of the section.
  • Experience of working autonomously, as well as being part of an international team.
  • Team player who is capable of working on their own initiative as well as with others, including in a fast-paced and changing environment.
  • Strong customer focus and ability to deliver quality service.
  • Collaborative approach to colleague and stakeholder partnerships.
  • Have a proven record of organisational ability. Able to organise and prioritise workload and meet deadlines and changing priorities whilst maintaining close attention to detail and without compromising the quality of the work.
  • Excellent communication skills in English. Able to express ideas and messages clearly and concisely, both orally and in written communication.
  • Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office programmes (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams).
  • Ability to be based (self-funded) within close proximity to NEOM.
  • Arabic language skills (for liaising with KSA government and stakeholders).
  • Project management experience.
  • Strong public speaking and presentation skills.
Seeing the Big Picture, Delivering at Pace, Communicating and Influencing, Working Together
21 August 2022
Higher Executive Officer (HEO)
Full-time, Fixed term, with possibility of renewal
35
Middle East & North Africa
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah
British Consulate General
1
SAR
17,763.04
1 November 2022

The Embassy aims to offer an attractive working environment and remuneration package for this role.

Salary details:

  • Base Salary including Eid bonus - SAR 13,890.44
  • Housing Allowance - SAR 3,472.61 (subject to eligibility)*
  • Travel Allowance - SAR 400 (subject to eligibility)*
  • Total - SAR 17,763.04

*Allowances are not payable to staff who receive official provision for such expenditure in some other form.

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

The successful candidate will be required to be based in and to operate from within close physical proximity to NEOM. The successful candidate must also be available for occasional travel to the Consulate General in Jeddah within KSA (and possibly further afield) for business/ official purposes.

This position is full-time, based on 35 hours per week. Normal working hours are from 08:00 to 15:00 from Sunday to Thursday, with core working hours from 10:00-15:00. Core working hours is the period of the day that employees are required to be at work. The working day outside of the core hours is a flexible period, which allows employees to choose when they work, subject to operational needs.

The jobholder will be required to be flexible in their approach to hours worked as these will be dictated by operational needs and may involve working out of hours, especially during visits and events. Flexible working arrangements will be considered based on operational requirements and upon agreement with the Line Manager and in line with the Embassy’s policies.

The successful candidate will be subject to a 90-day probationary period.

How to apply:

Interested candidates must attach 1) an updated Curriculum Vitae (CV) and 2) a covering letter stating how you meet the requirements of the role.

Your application must also include examples of when you have demonstrated the required behaviours in the Behaviours Questions section of the online application form.

Applications that do not include these information will not be considered.

The closing date for applications is at 23:55 KSA local time on 21 August 2022.

Applications received after the stated deadline will not be considered.

Due to the large number of applications we receive, only those shortlisted for the next step in the recruitment process will be contacted.

The start date mentioned in the advert is an assumed start date and 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 Consulate General is an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to inclusivity, a diverse workforce and valuing difference. Staff recruited locally by the British Consulate General is subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local Saudi Arabia 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.